Principal/Associate Sustainability Consultant (Carbon Lead)


Company:	Purosearch
Salary:	£65,000 to £75,000 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	EC1 1HQ
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	17 Aug 2026
Closing date:	16 Sept 2026

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Summary

Join a leading consultancy at the forefront of decarbonising the built environment, where you’ll shape strategy, drive innovation, and influence major projects. This is a key opportunity to lead carbon-focused workstreams, mentor a growing team, and embed low-carbon, circular economy principles across a diverse portfolio of clients.

About the Role:

As Principal/Associate Sustainability Consultant (Carbon Lead), you will own and drive the delivery of whole life and embodied carbon assessments across complex projects, providing strategic direction and technical leadership. You will act as the subject matter expert for carbon and circular economy, ensuring best practice is embedded in design decisions and project outcomes. Working in a hybrid model, you’ll collaborate closely with internal teams and clients to deliver robust, data-driven carbon strategies that meet regulatory, client, and net-zero objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

* Lead the delivery of whole life and embodied carbon assessments for buildings and infrastructure projects using One Click LCA and other relevant tools.

* Develop project-specific carbon reduction strategies, advising design teams on low-carbon materials, construction methods, and circular economy opportunities.

* Coordinate and review carbon modelling, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with relevant standards, benchmarks, and client requirements.

* Provide expert input into sustainability strategies, frameworks, and reports, translating complex carbon data into clear, actionable insights.

* Act as the primary carbon lead on key projects, engaging with clients, design teams, and stakeholders to influence decisions and secure buy-in.

* Mentor and support junior consultants, providing technical guidance, quality oversight, and knowledge sharing on carbon and circular economy topics.

* Contribute to the development and refinement of internal carbon tools, methodologies, and processes to improve efficiency and quality of outputs.

* Support business development by contributing to bids, proposals, and thought leadership related to whole life carbon and circular economy.

Key Requirements:

* Proven experience delivering whole life carbon and embodied carbon assessments on building and/or infrastructure projects.

* Strong practical expertise with One Click LCA, including setting up models, interpreting outputs, and advising on design optimisations.

* Deep understanding of circular economy principles and their application in construction, materials selection, and resource management.

* Demonstrable experience working in a consultancy environment, leading carbon workstreams and coordinating with multidisciplinary teams.

* Strong knowledge of relevant standards and methodologies (e.g. EN 15978, RICS Whole Life Carbon, GLA guidance, PAS/ISO frameworks).

* Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently, prioritising workload and delivering to deadlines with high attention to detail.

* Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical information clearly to non-technical stakeholders.

Desirable Skills:

* Experience contributing to net-zero carbon strategies, roadmaps, or corporate decarbonisation plans.

* Familiarity with other LCA and sustainability tools or platforms beyond One Click LCA.

* Experience integrating circular economy and carbon considerations into design reviews, specifications, or procurement processes.

* Track record of thought leadership, such as presenting at industry events or contributing to guidance documents or publications.

* Experience working on large, complex, or international projects with multiple stakeholders.

Qualifications:

* Degree in a relevant discipline such as Sustainability, Environmental Science, Engineering, Architecture, or related field.

* Postgraduate qualification in sustainability, low carbon, or related subject (preferred).

* Professional membership of a relevant body (e.g. IEMA, CIBSE, ICE, RICS, or equivalent) or working towards chartered status.

* Evidence of continued professional development in whole life carbon, LCA, or circular economy topics.

If you are ready to lead on carbon and circular economy in a high-impact consultancy role, we’d like to hear from you. Apply now to help drive meaningful decarbonisation across the built environment.

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