Head of Impact and Sustainability Management

🌱 Head of Impact and Sustainability Management

📍 Birmingham / London | 💼 Permanent      

At Unity Trust Bank, we’re bold in our ambitions, straightforward in our approach, and inclusive in our thinking. Guided by integrity and collaboration, we believe banking should serve the common good — starting with a deep understanding of our customers and what matters most to them. Our values, along with our commitment to Consumer Duty, shape how we work and ensure our security practices protect both our organisation and our customers.

We are seeking a Head of Impact & Sustainability Management (HISM) — a strategic, outward‑facing leader who will shape Unity’s impact management framework, strengthen our climate‑risk capabilities, and champion our mission across the Bank and the wider impact economy.

You will lead the development, integration, and continual improvement of Unity’s Impact Management Framework, ensuring alignment with leading external standards and positioning Unity as a thought leader in the UK social impact banking sector.

You will oversee high‑quality impact reporting, strengthen climate‑risk and carbon measurement capabilities, and support the Bank’s readiness for emerging sustainability disclosure requirements.

🔑 What You’ll Be Doing

Lead Unity’s Impact Management Framework

• Provide technical leadership of Unity’s Impact Management Framework, ensuring alignment with standards such as the ABCs of Impact.
• Build capability across Commercial, Credit and Underwriting teams to assess and manage impact effectively.
• Oversee the development of impact tools, processes, and reporting for internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain alignment with industry best practice and represent Unity in key impact networks and forums.
• Lead the delivery of quarterly and annual impact reporting.

Strengthen Climate‑Risk & Sustainability Management

• Lead Unity’s climate‑risk management approach, ensuring it is proportionate, customer‑focused, and aligned with regulatory expectations (including SS5/25).
• Oversee carbon footprint measurement using GHG Protocol and PCAF methodologies.
• Support Unity’s progress toward Net Zero by 2045 and prepare for future sustainability disclosure requirements (UK SRS).
• Ensure effective tools and processes are in place for transition and physical climate‑risk assessments.

Manage Standards, Partnerships & Assurance

• Maintain relationships with key standards bodies such as the Global Alliance for Banking with Values (GABV).
• Lead follow‑up actions from Unity’s impact verification process with The Good Economy.
• Support implementation of Unity’s Transition Plan and Just Transition commitments.

Drive Double Bottom Line Opportunities

• Work with the Chief Impact Officer to develop future‑focused impact management systems and growth opportunities.
• Collaborate with customer, finance and credit teams to shape future portfolio ambitions and impact‑aligned propositions.
• Lead impact assessments for treasury investments, including Local Climate Bonds and impact‑aligned money market activities.
• Explore ethical and inclusive uses of AI and automation to enhance impact and sustainability systems.

Ensure Quality Impact Risk Management

• Contribute to the development of impact‑related Balanced Scorecard measures.
• Lead Key Risk Indicator reporting for impact and climate‑related risks and identify emerging risks across the Bank.

Support Positive Impact Across Unity

• Oversee quality delivery of Unity Impact Grants and reporting on volunteering and community engagement.
• Provide accessible, engaging impact insights across the Bank, including committee reporting and staff engagement.
• Represent the Impact & Sustainability function within the Unity Leaders Team and support colleagues to embed the double bottom line.
• Line manage and mentor team members to build capability and confidence in impact management.

The full job description is available on request.

We are proud to have an inclusive recruitment process, which we pride ourselves on flexing to be accessible to all. We believe that inclusive and accessible recruitment opens our doors to a broader, more diverse talent pool—bringing in candidates with varied backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We strive for this diversity to strengthen our decision-making, fuel creativity, and to drive innovation across the bank.

If you are interested in joining the bank, we are committed to creating a process that meets your individual needs. We want to help you in whatever way you need to put your best, true self forward in our recruitment process, please reach out to Recruitment@unity.co.uk to discuss how we can collaborate with you on this.

If you require any this advert in a different or more accessible format,  please contact Recruitment@unity.co.uk.