Sustainable Research Officer

About us

The Sustainability in Research Team works with research and technical communities across King’s to reduce the environmental impact of research. We support laboratories, research facilities and digital research teams to use resources, equipment, energy and data more sustainably.

Our work supports King’s sustainability targets, UKRI Concordat priorities and emerging sustainability requirements for research funding. Following 100% LEAF accreditation in 2025, we’re continuing to help laboratories strengthen their sustainable practices and work towards the highest level of accreditation by 2030.

We also support sustainable computing, waste & resource management, and practical initiatives that help embed sustainability across our research environments.

About the role

We’re looking for a Sustainable Research Officer to help research teams improve the sustainability of their day-to-day work. Reporting to the Sustainable Research & Innovation Lead, you’ll work closely with laboratory sustainability leads, technical staff, researchers and professional services colleagues across King’s.

A key part of the role will be:

• Drive Sustainability Accreditations: Guide wet and dry laboratories through sustainable research frameworks, including LEAF, Green Disc, SparkHub, and MyGreenLab.
• Deliver Practical Guidance: Empower laboratory teams to adopt sustainable daily practices and co-facilitate interactive workshops.
• Advance Sustainable Computing: Collaborate with the e-Research team to help computational researchers optimise data management and computing workflows for lower environmental impact.

You’ll coordinate sustainability projects and be involved in our campaigns, including energy-saving activities, supplier take-back schemes and waste minimisation programmes. You’ll work with laboratory teams to increase participation and support safe, compliant and sustainable waste practices.

The role will also involve coordinating activities, collecting and reporting data and creating clear, engaging communications and guidance.

This is a varied and collaborative role for someone who can turn sustainability goals into practical improvements across laboratory and research environments.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week) offered on an indefinite contract.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience: 

Essential criteria 

1. Experience supporting or implementing laboratory sustainability initiatives and projects that promote sustainable research practices & operational improvements with in a lab environment. 
2. Knowledge of, and experience supporting accreditation processes for the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF).
3. Understanding of sustainable waste management practices and environmental compliance requirements, including the ability to interpret and apply relevant policies and standards.
4. Experience organising or delivering training, workshops or engagement activities for diverse audiences.
5. Strong project coordination and administrative skills, with the ability to manage multiple activities & meet competing deadlines.
6. Experience collecting, analysing & presenting data to monitor performance, identify improvement opportunities and support decision-making.
7. Excellent written & verbal communication skills, including experience producing guidance, training materials, digital content or other engagement resources for students and research lab staff.
8. Ability to build effective working relationships and engage a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, technical staff, professional services colleagues & external suppliers.

Desirable criteria

1. Familiarity with Green DiSC and sustainable data management practices.
2. Knowledge of best practices in laboratory sustainability.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description 

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

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