Director of Sustainability Transformation
The Director of Sustainability Transformation provides institutional leadership for the delivery of the University of St Andrews’ Environmental Sustainability Strategy, ensuring that the University’s climate, nature and social responsibility commitments translate into measurable impact across education, research, operations, partnerships and engagement.
The role provides a single point of strategic accountability for sustainability delivery, working on behalf of senior leadership to coordinate activity, embed sustainability into decision‑making, and ensure progress is transparently monitored and reported.
Strategic leadership and governance
The Director oversees the coordination of sustainability activity across the University and plays a central role within the University’s sustainability governance framework. This includes:
- Providing strategic oversight of delivery of the Environmental Sustainability Strategy
- Establishing and maintaining clear governance, accountability and reporting arrangements
- Advising senior leaders on sustainability priorities, risks and opportunities
- Supporting evidence‑based decision‑making and investment planning
- Ensuring alignment between sustainability goals and the University Strategy
The Director works closely with the Sustainable St Andrews Leadership Group, academic and professional services leaders, and student representatives to maintain momentum against institutional commitments.
Delivery, impact and performance
A core focus of the role is translating ambition into delivery. The Director leads and coordinates institution‑wide programmes addressing carbon reduction, nature recovery, climate adaptation and behaviour change, ensuring that progress is supported by robust data, performance indicators and transparent reporting.
This includes oversight of policy development, framework alignment and external reporting.
Engagement and external leadership
The Director represents the University in external sustainability networks and partnerships, strengthening collaboration at local, national and international levels. The role also champions engagement across staff, students, alumni and the wider community, recognising the importance of participation and culture change in delivering lasting sustainability outcomes.
The current director is Karen Laing, contact dost@st-andrews.ac.uk