Head of Sustainability Recruitment for the University of London

Background

The University of London appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit a Head of Sustainability to lead the development and delivery of its environmental and sustainability agenda.

Working within the University's Estates and Property Services function, the role was strategically important in translating the University's sustainability commitments into practical action across the estate and the wider organisation.

The successful candidate needed to combine sustainability expertise, strategic leadership, stakeholder engagement and the ability to influence cultural change, with particular focus on the University's goal of achieving zero operational carbon.

The Challenge

The University needed a senior sustainability professional who could provide both strategic direction and practical leadership. The role extended well beyond environmental compliance or a portfolio of individual projects: the successful candidate would have to embed sustainability into decision-making across the organisation and encourage real behavioural change among employees, departments and stakeholders. Key priorities included:

• Sustainability strategy. Leading the development, implementation and ongoing evolution of the University's Sustainability Strategy.
• Zero operational carbon. Driving progress towards the University's strategic ambition of achieving zero operational carbon, and making sure initiatives supported that objective.
• Cultural and behavioural change. Encouraging employees and stakeholders to weigh sustainability in everyday decisions and helping embed more environmentally responsible behaviour across University activities.
• Strategic leadership. Providing expert advice and direction on sustainability priorities while keeping environmental objectives aligned with the University's wider strategy.
• Stakeholder engagement. Building effective relationships across Estates and Property Services, academic and professional departments, senior leadership and other stakeholder groups.
• Sustainability governance. Helping establish the structures, priorities and accountability needed to deliver the organisation's sustainability commitments.

Sustainability leadership roles are among the harder senior appointments in the estates market, because the postholder carries an organisation-wide objective without owning the budgets or the teams that deliver it. Progress depends on persuading departments to accept constraints on how they work, usually with a payback measured in years. Candidates who have only run a compliance or reporting function rarely have that influencing record; those who have it often come from consultancy and have never had to live with the consequences of their own recommendations.

Our Approach

Maxwell Stephens worked closely with the University of London to build a detailed understanding of the technical, strategic and cultural requirements of the appointment.

Detailed role analysis

We worked with key University stakeholders to clarify the responsibilities, priorities and leadership qualities the new Head of Sustainability would need.

That allowed us to build a candidate profile reflecting both the technical demands of the position and the University's wider sustainability ambitions.

Targeted search

Using our specialist facilities, estates and sustainability networks, we identified professionals with relevant experience in sustainability strategy, carbon reduction, environmental leadership and organisational change.

The search focused on candidates capable of moving beyond policy development and turning sustainability commitments into measurable programmes of activity.

Assessment

Candidates were evaluated on their:

• sustainability and environmental expertise
• strategic leadership capability
• experience developing and implementing sustainability strategies
• understanding of carbon-reduction initiatives
• stakeholder-management skills
• ability to influence cultural and behavioural change
• communication and leadership style
• alignment with the University's organisational objectives

We then coordinated multiple interview stages with key University stakeholders, so that shortlisted candidates were tested on technical capability, leadership style and cultural fit by the people they would need to influence in post. Following that process, Maxwell Stephens placed a well-qualified Head of Sustainability within the University's Estates and Property Services function.

The Outcome

The appointment strengthened the University of London's sustainability leadership and gave the organisation a dedicated senior professional to carry its environmental agenda forward:

• Sustainability leadership. Clear strategic direction for the University's sustainability programme, helping coordinate priorities and sharpen focus across the organisation.
• Progress towards zero operational carbon. Dedicated leadership for the University's ambition to achieve zero operational carbon, keeping carbon reduction a prominent strategic priority.
• A more structured strategy. Responsibility for developing and implementing the Sustainability Strategy, creating a clearer framework for future activity and investment.
• Stakeholder engagement. Strong communication and influencing skills supported engagement across the University, helping make sustainability a more visible consideration in operational and strategic discussions.
• Behavioural change. Greater awareness of sustainability across University activities, supporting the longer-term objective of embedding environmentally responsible behaviour into organisational culture.

In short, the placement gave the University of London a senior sustainability leader able to combine environmental expertise, strategic thinking, stakeholder influence and organisational change.

Why This Placement Worked

The brief was framed from the outset as an influencing role with a technical foundation, rather than a technical role with stakeholder engagement attached. That framing changed which candidates were credible, and it is what the multiple stakeholder interview stages were built to test.

The appointment reflects Maxwell Stephens' work recruiting specialist leaders for estates and property functions, where sustainability is increasingly central to estate strategy, operational performance and long-term organisational resilience.

If you are recruiting a Head of Sustainability to lead carbon reduction, environmental strategy or organisational change, get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements.