Committee Member (ESG)

Location: Remote, must be UK based
Contract: Fixed Term, until 1 December 2029
Time Commitment: Four meetings per quarter, pre reading, and action afterwards
Fee: £6,500 per annum

At Mears Group, we believe Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles should be embedded throughout our business, creating meaningful outcomes for residents, communities, customers, colleagues and stakeholders.

We are seeking an experienced and independent ESG Committee Member to provide constructive challenge, expert insight and strategic guidance to support the continued development of our ESG agenda.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced ESG, sustainability or responsible business professional to influence ESG strategy within one of the UK's leading housing and care service providers.

About the Role

As an independent member of the ESG Committee, you will work closely with senior leaders to support and challenge the business on the development and delivery of a credible and integrated ESG strategy. You will help ensure ESG remains central to decision-making, operations, procurement and service delivery, while providing an independent perspective informed by industry experience.

The role will involve attending committee meetings and providing strategic oversight in relation to social value, environmental performance and governance across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Support and challenge the development and delivery of Mears Group's ESG strategy.
• Provide insight into evolving client, commissioner, procurement and regulatory expectations.
• Ensure ESG principles are embedded across operational and strategic decision-making.
• Provide expert insight on delivering meaningful social value and community impact.
• Help strengthen outcomes for residents, service users, local communities, employment, skills, wellbeing and social mobility.
• Support approaches to measuring, evidencing and reporting ESG performance and impact.
• Contribute to environmental initiatives including net zero ambitions, decarbonisation and environmental performance improvement.
• Provide input into governance, accountability and ESG oversight frameworks.
• Offer independent challenge informed by experience in complex, regulated and public-facing environments.

About You

We are looking for an individual who can bring strategic thinking, independent judgement and a practical approach to ESG.

Essential Experience

• Senior experience in ESG, Sustainability, Responsible Business or an equivalent leadership role.
• Proven track record of designing and embedding ESG strategies within operational organisations.
• Experience working within complex and regulated environments involving multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and communicate effectively at Executive and Board level.
• Experience demonstrating the value and return on investment of ESG initiatives.
• Innovative thinking and willingness to challenge established approaches constructively.
• Willingness to travel, where required, to meetings and events across the UK.

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Confidence and independence of thought.
• The ability to provide constructive challenge.
• Pragmatism and sound judgement.
• Intellectual curiosity and a desire to drive continuous improvement.

Desirable Experience

• Previous Non-Executive Director experience.
• Experience within social housing, local authority services, outsourced public services, care, health, facilities management or community-focused sectors.
• Relevant professional accreditation, such as ISEP or equivalent sustainability qualifications.

All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.

Apply below or to discuss your application further; contact:

If you need any help with your application process, we are here to support you. We will be accessible every step of the way.

At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.

In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.