Impact Beyond is Partnering with Growing Consultancy Litmus Sustainability
Principal Sustainability & Carbon Consultant
Stockport / hybrid | Full time
Litmus Sustainability is looking for an experienced sustainability consultant to help lead high-quality client delivery while shaping the next stage of our growth.
This is a hands-on role for someone with sustainability consulting experience who can independently lead client projects, produce technically robust and commercially useful outputs, and build trusted relationships with clients.
You will bring particular strength in carbon footprinting, sustainability certification or a related discipline, alongside the curiosity and judgement to contribute across the wider sustainability agenda. You will also help improve our services, strengthen internal delivery standards and support the development of colleagues.
As Litmus grows, the role has the potential to develop into a formal team leadership position.
This is not a role for someone who only wants to deliver a fixed brief. It is an opportunity to help shape a growing consultancy while continuing to do meaningful, high-quality client work.
What you will do
Client delivery
Lead carbon footprinting, sustainability certification and related consulting projects for a portfolio of mid-market and larger SME clients across a range of sectors.
Manage projects independently from scoping and planning through to delivery, reporting and client recommendations.
Build trusted relationships with client stakeholders and act as a clear, commercially aware adviser.
Translate complex technical requirements into practical recommendations that clients can understand and implement.
Lead the preparation of technically accurate reports and other client outputs, aligned with relevant international standards and frameworks.
Facilitate client meetings, workshops and presentations.
Identify risks, manage expectations and keep projects moving when priorities or circumstances change.
Quality and team contribution
Support the quality assurance of colleagues’ work and help maintain consistently high technical standards.
Share knowledge, provide constructive feedback and contribute to the development of other consultants.
Help improve internal project processes, methodologies, templates and quality controls.
Contribute to a positive, collaborative working environment where people are supported to do their best work.
As the team grows, take on formal responsibility for managing and developing colleagues where appropriate.
Service and business development
Work closely with the Directors of Carbon and Strategy & Certification on service development and continuous improvement.
Help identify opportunities to improve existing products and services or develop new ones.
Contribute to proposals, pitches and occasional business development activity.
Support the development of client relationships and identify opportunities to provide additional value.
Bring ideas and contribute beyond your immediate area of responsibility. We are a small team, and everyone plays a part in building the business.
What you will bring
Essential experience and capability
Experience in sustainability consulting, carbon management, ESG or a closely related client-facing discipline.
Experience independently leading sustainability projects from start to finish.
Strong practical knowledge of carbon footprinting and experience applying relevant standards, frameworks or methodologies.
Experience working directly with clients and managing relationships with senior stakeholders.
The ability to produce clear, technically robust reports, recommendations and presentations.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical content to non-technical audiences.
Excellent organisation, project management and prioritisation skills.
Commercial awareness and an understanding of how sustainability advice can support business performance.
Experience mentoring, managing or developing colleagues, or a clear ambition to do so.
Confidence working with digital and AI-enabled tools to improve research, analysis and project delivery, while applying sound professional judgement and protecting the quality and confidentiality of client work.
Relevant technical experience
We are particularly interested in experience across one or more of the following areas:
GHG Protocol.
ISO 14064, including quantification, reporting and verification.
ISO 14067 and product carbon footprints.
ISO 14068 and carbon neutrality.
ISO 14044 and life-cycle assessment.
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
EcoVadis.
B Corp.
CDP.
CSRD.
TCFD.
EUDR.
Sustainability strategy, reporting, disclosure or certification.
Sustainable business models and decarbonisation planning.
You do not need to have worked across every framework listed. We are more interested in the depth and practical application of your experience, your ability to learn and the value you can bring to clients and colleagues.
We are building a team with broad and complementary capability, so expertise in other sustainability disciplines is also welcome.
How you work
We are looking for someone who combines technical depth with practical judgement, ownership and follow-through.
You will:
Take ownership of your work and see commitments through to completion.
Approach problems directly and constructively, focusing on finding a way forward.
Bring energy, momentum and a proactive attitude to clients and colleagues.
Be willing to challenge colleagues, clients and the business when it is the right thing to do.
Communicate openly, clearly and respectfully, including when conversations are difficult.
Understand the pressures and priorities facing the people around you.
Hold yourself and others to high standards without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
Treat feedback as useful and remain genuinely motivated to improve.
Care about the quality and usefulness of your work, not simply completing the brief.
Feel comfortable in a growing business where priorities evolve and processes are continually improved.
About Litmus
Litmus Sustainability is an ambitious sustainability consultancy based in Stockport, just outside Manchester.
We help mid-market and larger SME businesses move confidently towards a low-carbon economy. We turn sustainability challenges into clear, actionable strategies that help organisations succeed in a world where environmental responsibility is increasingly an expectation, not a “nice to have”.
Our expertise covers:
Carbon footprinting.
Sustainability certification.
Sustainability strategy.
Disclosure and reporting.
Sustainable business models.
Decarbonisation and practical implementation.
We help clients remain compliant, credible and competitive, while identifying the opportunities that sustainability can create.
We are a small, expert team that prides itself on the depth of our client relationships and the quality of our one-to-one support.
How we work
People-first, not platform-first – Clients work directly with sustainability experts, not just dashboards or reports.
Practical over theoretical – We focus on actionable strategies that businesses can implement, not just policy advice or academic insights.
Beyond compliance – We help businesses see sustainability as an opportunity for success, not just a legal obligation.
End-to-end support – From strategy development to hands-on implementation, we guide clients every step of the way.
We are not a software company – We solve sustainability challenges with expertise, insight, and a commercial mindset, helping businesses make sustainability a real competitive advantage.
What success looks like
Within your first 12 months, you will have:
Established yourself as a trusted adviser to a portfolio of Litmus clients.
Independently led high-quality sustainability and carbon projects.
Produced outputs that meet Litmus’s technical and quality standards.
Contributed to improving at least one service, methodology or internal process.
Supported the development of colleagues through knowledge sharing and constructive feedback.
Helped identify opportunities to deepen client relationships and create additional value.
Location, salary and application
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester. This is an office-based role with flexibility for hybrid working. We are not a remote-first organisation, and regular proximity to the team is important to maintaining our close-knit working culture.
Salary: £50k-£60k basic salary plus benefits
Benefits: 28 days holiday +bank holidays, matched 4% pension contribution (invested in an Ethical Pension Scheme), cycle to work scheme, monthly socials and more.
Please get in touch with Karyn or Mary at Impact Beyond who are our recruitment partners
