Pre-Contract Sustainability Manager
VolkerRail is a leading multidisciplinary railway infrastructure contractor which comprises of two businesses: Major Projects and Specialist Businesses.
Major Projects is an expert in collaborative working, leading on large, multidisciplinary joint venture and alliance projects.
Specialist Businesses is made up of expert divisions in signalling, track, power, electrification, and piling, and has an in-house plant division and bespoke design teams.
Our Head office is based in J3 Business Park, Doncaster and provides support to the businesses in the following areas: Finance and Payroll, Human Resources, HSQES, Work Winning, Procurement and Fleet.
We are proud of our reputation as a high-performing business, working in harmony and partnership with our stakeholders, ensuring we help our clients deliver a rail network for the future.
The Pre-Contract Sustainability Manager plays a critical role in embedding sustainability principles into VolkerRail bids. The position ensures that sustainability commitments covering carbon reduction, social value, resource efficiency, and compliance with legislative and client requirements, are integrated into pre-contract activities to support our competitive position and deliver on VolkerRail’s corporate ESG objectives.
Key duties and responsibilities
- Lead sustainability input for PQQs, tenders and bids, ensuring alignment with corporate ESG objectives and client requirements
- Interpret ITT sustainability and environmental requirements, advising on risks, assumptions, commitments and compliance
- Identify environmental and social value risks and opportunities at pre‑contract stage, embedding mitigation and initiatives into tender submissions
- Advise on required environmental permits, licences, consents, associated timescales and costs
- Draft and review high‑scoring sustainability responses for tenders, securing internal approvals for proposed commitments
- Work collaboratively with internal teams, joint venture partners and supply chain to shape strong sustainability propositions
- Embed sustainability principles into bids, including carbon management, circular economy, biodiversity, social value and community engagement
- Maintain strong awareness of client sustainability strategies and industry best practice
- Support bid pricing through sustainability resourcing forecasts, programmes and direct costs
- Develop and maintain sustainability tools, templates and resources to support bidding activity
- Ensure effective handover of tender commitments to delivery teams and share lessons learned across the business
- Produce sustainability case studies and award submissions to promote best practice and support external recognition
About you
You are a qualified sustainability professional with a degree in Environmental Science, Sustainability, or a related field, ideally holding an ISEP Practitioner qualification or above. Full ISEP Membership and Chartered Environmentalist status are desirable. You have a strong understanding of sustainability frameworks and environmental legislation, with practical experience in environmental management within construction and/or infrastructure projects.
You can produce clear, persuasive written content tailored to tender and client requirements, and are confident influencing stakeholders to deliver innovative, value‑adding sustainability solutions. Comfortable working under pressure to tight deadlines, you will ideally have experience supporting work‑winning teams, with knowledge of whole‑life carbon assessment and social value measurement. A full UK driving licence is required.
Why work for us
VolkerRail is under the umbrella of VolkerWessels UK which is a multidisciplinary contractor that delivers innovative engineering solutions across the civil engineering and construction sectors including rail, highways, airport, marine, energy, water, and environmental infrastructure.
By utilising the specialist skills of each business unit within VolkerWessels UK, VolkerRail are able to ensure our staff provide unrivalled resources and expertise to our clients.
We offer competitive rewards and benefits, recognising the value we place on our employees.
We offer a range of benefits, including:
- Competitive salary
- Competitive annual leave and an additional day off on your birthday
- Private medical care
- Pension
- Life Assurance
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Shopping and restaurants vouchers, rewards, and discounts
- Training and development opportunities-comprehensive skills-based training
- Family friendly polices including enhanced maternity benefits
- Employee Assistance programme
- Mental health, physical health, and financial support
- 24/7 Virtual GP service
Fairness, inclusion and respect
We believe in pushing boundaries in the pursuit of fairness, inclusion and respect. So, our teams can be comfortable that, whatever their background, VolkerWessels UK is a place where they can be themselves and thrive. You can read more about our FIR Strategy as well as our partners here Fairness, Inclusion and Respect | VolkerWessels UK
If you need support with your application, please contact us at careers@volkerwessels.co.uk
Additional information
Note for Recruitment Agencies:
Our preference is to hire directly, and we will reach out to our Preferred Supplier List (PSL) agencies if this particular role qualifies for release.
We kindly request that you refrain from sending speculative CVs. In the event of speculative CV submissions, no fees will be applicable, and we kindly ask that all inquiries to be directed to careers@volkerwessels.co.uk
VolkerWessels UK is committed to maintaining healthy, safe and productive working conditions for its entire staff and therefore a drugs & alcohol screening is mandatory for all.
