Environment department is advertising a senior position to help drive the sustainability of its IT internally and throughout government, working closely with the Cabinet Office’s CDDO and Whitehall tech suppliers

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is offering an annual salary of up to £76,000 in a bid to recruit a head of digital sustainability.

The position comes with a remit to play a key role in developing and implementing government-wide plans to ensure departments are using sustainable technology, according to the job advert. The postholder will sit within Defra’s Digital, Data Technology and Security Services (DDTS) unit and will be expected to “drive the development of DDTS strategy for delivering sustainable ICT ensuring it is developed in collaboration with wider Defra”, and in line with UN standards.

Other responsibilities of the post will include  “responding to climate change and sustainability disclosure requirements, as well as [working] with others across the organisation to develop processes for tracking and reporting progress against our strategy and net zero targets”.

In addition to these departmental responsibilities, the successful candidate will be “the main ambassador, advocate, and spokesperson on ICT sustainability” for government – both internally and in its engagement with supplier partners.

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To support this remit, the chosen applicant “will work closely with the… Central Digital and Data Office in Cabinet Office, [and] will also be responsible for ensuring that the cross-government strategy for sustainable ICT is steered and shaped by global initiatives and best practice and encompasses all government departments and the entire supply chain”.

“This is a very exciting, unique and high-profile role given the current sustainability agenda and key role Defra’s DDTS played in the delivery of COP26,” the advert added. “It is work with real-world impact. Working as head of sustainability at Defra means supporting delivery of digital services that handle some of the most pressing issues our society faces, including climate change, sustainability, biodiversity, and farming. If you would like to make a difference and drive meaningful change through innovative digital technologies and contribute to the growth of an exciting and innovative team – we’d like to hear from you.”

Applications for the role are open until 11.55pm on 25 April.