Senior Sustainability Development Manager

Pure Data Centres is seeking a senior sustainability professional to lead the integration of sustainability, environmental strategy, climate resilience and development risk management into the development of hyperscale data centre projects across Europe, the UK and the Middle East.

This role will operate at the front end of project development, influencing investment decisions, site selection, planning strategy, permitting and early-stage design with strategic and technical advice. The successful candidate will ensure sustainability considerations are embedded early enough to shape project outcomes, reduce risk and support long-term business growth. Acting as a key interface between Development, Design, Delivery, Power & Energy, Legal and external stakeholders, the role will help future-proof Pure's portfolio against evolving environmental, regulatory and customer requirements.

Core Responsibilities & Deliverables

1. Development & Site Strategy

Lead sustainability input into site acquisition, feasibility and early-stage development activities. The role is responsible for identifying sustainability opportunities and risk that may impact the viability, cost, programme or future operation of a project. This includes shaping sustainability objectives and ensuring they are considered alongside commercial, technical and planning considerations from the earliest stages of development.

2. Climate Risk & Resilience

Provide strategic oversight of climate-related risks and opportunities across the development portfolio. Working with internal teams and specialist consultants, the role will ensure climate resilience is incorporated into project decision-making and design requirements, supporting the long-term performance of assets and alignment with corporate sustainability commitments.

3. Environmental Permitting & Planning

Act as the sustainability lead for environmental permitting and planning activities, supporting project teams through increasingly complex regulatory environments. The role will coordinate environmental studies, guide consultant teams and provide expert input to planning and permitting strategies, ensuring environmental requirements are understood and managed proactively rather than reactively.

4. Stakeholder & Regulatory Engagement

Build and maintain relationships with regulators, authorities, industry bodies and strategic external stakeholders. The individual will represent Pure in technical and regulatory discussions, helping the business navigate emerging issues, build credibility with external parties and develop a clearer understanding of regional requirements in both existing and future markets.

5. Sustainability Integration into Early Project Development

Work closely with Development and Design teams to ensure sustainability is embedded within project governance and decision-making processes, in close cooperation with Senior Sustainability Delivery Manager The role will help institutionalise sustainability requirements across the project lifecycle, ensuring key risks, opportunities and compliance obligations are considered at the appropriate stages and not left to later phases of project delivery.

6. Regulatory Intelligence & Future-Proofing

Provide leadership on emerging environmental and sustainability legislation across Europe, the UK and the Middle East. The role will assess the implications of regulatory developments for Pure's projects and business strategy, translating complex requirements into practical actions that support compliance, resilience and competitive advantage.

7. Technical Leadership & Subject Matter Expertise

Serve as a senior sustainability adviser to the business, providing technical expertise on environmental, climate and sustainability matters. The role will support strategic decision-making, challenge proposed approaches where necessary, and help establish consistent standards and best practices across the project portfolio as Pure continues its international growth.

Team Management Responsibilities & Key Relationships

• Provide Subject Matter Expertise: Offer specialised knowledge and guidance to our investment, delivery, and procurement teams throughout early stages of project development.

• Support Sustainability Reporting: Assist in sustainability reporting and engagement activities with both internal and external stakeholders.

• Project alignment and integration: aid Project Managers in aligning and integrating their projects with the broader sustainability and corporate strategy.

The successful candidate will combine strong technical knowledge with commercial awareness and experience operating within complex infrastructure environments. They will be comfortable engaging with senior stakeholders, regulators and consultants, while also possessing the credibility to influence project teams and development decisions.

Candidates should have substantial experience in major infrastructure, data centres, utilities, energy, industrial or comparable sectors, with a proven track record in environmental permitting, planning, sustainability strategy and regulatory engagement. Experience of working across multiple jurisdictions and navigating evolving regulatory environments would be highly advantageous.

• 8+ years' experience in sustainability, ESG advisory, environmental consultancy, planning or permitting.

• Significant experience in critical infrastructure, data centres, energy infrastructure, industrial developments, utilities or major projects.

• Strong understanding of sustainability risks affecting portfolio.

• Experience working directly with regulators and permitting authorities.

• Strong understanding of environmental permitting processes.

• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously, with the ability to prioritise competing technical, regulatory and delivery requirements.

• Experience managing consultants and reviewing technical reports.

• Experience leading environmental or sustainability due diligence.

• Experience with climate risk assessments.

• Demonstrated stakeholder management experience.

• Degree in engineering, environmental science, sustainability, planning or related discipline

• Chartered status (e.g. IEMA, CIWEW, RTPI) is desirable.

Skills

• Communication: You can demonstrate experience/capability to engage and communicate effectively (spoken and written) across diverse stakeholder groups. (R)

• Collaboration: You can demonstrate how you use have used collaboration to effectively deliver, and to create and/or contribute to wider team empowerment and value. (R)

• Innovation: You can demonstrate how you have used problem solving to identify opportunities to responsibly improve ways of working and/or established outcomes, within your scope of influence (R)

• Continuous Improvement: You can demonstrate how you have invested in developing you own (and others) skills, experience, and output. And how this has contributed to personal and/or wider business value. (R)

• Leadership: You can demonstrate how through your understanding of your own personal impact and responsibility, that you have led by example and brought others along with you on the journey. (R)

Note: The successful candidate will be required to complete pre-employment screening to BS7858:2019, or national equivalent. (Covers: Confirmation of identity, legal right to work, financial probity, criminal history and associations with proscribed organisations). It is the policy of Pure DC that all individuals have a responsibility for the security and protection of company’s Information and IT Resources over which they have control, according to their role.