Social Value and Sustainability Lead

Job Description

About Us
At P+HS Architects, our passion lies in creating spaces that enhance people’s lives. For over 40 years, we’ve brought energy, enthusiasm, and expertise to every project we undertake, whatever the scale or sector.

Our primary expertise is in designing for people, with a particular focus on the residential and healthcare sectors. Our work includes affordable housing, private homes, specialist living for older adults, acute healthcare, integrated care, and mental health environments.

We champion accessible routes into architecture, run STEAM outreach initiatives to promote diversity in the profession, and donate our time and expertise to local charities. Health and wellbeing are central to our practice.

We’re an ambitious and growing practice constantly challenging ourselves to seek personal and professional growth. Our commitment to enhancing people’s lives extends to our employees creating a great place to work, with employee development at our heart, supporting our team to grow rewarding careers while delivering work they care about.

About the Role
The Social Value and Sustainability Lead will be responsible for driving the Practice’s sustainability, environmental, and social value agenda, ensuring these principles are embedded into projects, business operations, and the wider Practice strategy.

The role will provide expertise, and support to project teams to improve environmental performance, deliver meaningful social value outcomes, and ensure the Practice continues to lead on sustainable design.
The role will also support business development activities by providing sustainability and social value expertise for bids, tenders, and framework submissions. This will include interpreting client requirements, aligning responses with sustainability expectations and evaluation criteria, developing compelling evidence based narratives, and ensuring commitments made through bids are deliverable and aligned with the Practice’s capabilities and strategic objectives.

The role will also be responsible for capturing learning from completed projects through post-occupancy evaluations and feedback, using this insight to improve future design decisions, project delivery, bid responses, and the Practice’s sustainability approach.

Job Requirements

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience leading sustainability initiatives within an architecture, built environment, or design practice.
• Strong understanding of sustainable design principles, building performance, carbon reduction, and environmental assessment methodologies.
• Experience delivering sustainability strategies and advising project teams from concept through to completion.
• Ability to analyse data, identify insights, and translate findings into practical improvements.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence architects, clients, consultants, and senior stakeholders.
• Experience developing social value strategies and demonstrating positive outcomes through projects.

Qualities and Attributes

• Passionate about sustainability, social value, and improving the built environment.
• Able to influence and inspire others to adopt more sustainable ways of working.
• Comfortable challenging existing approaches and encouraging continuous improvement.
• Able to balance strategic thinking with practical project delivery.
• Takes ownership and drives initiatives through to completion.
• Committed to sharing knowledge and developing sustainability capability across teams.
• Responds positively to changing priorities, project requirements, and business needs.

Job Responsibilities

Sustainability Strategy and Leadership

• Develop and implement the Practice’s sustainability strategy, aligned with business objectives and industry best practice.
• Establish clear sustainability priorities, targets, and measures of success.
• Provide sustainability leadership and guidance to Directors, project teams, and wider Practice groups.
• Monitor emerging legislation, standards, and industry trends to ensure the Practice remains current and competitive.
• Support the development of the Practice’s ESG and sustainability reporting.

Project Sustainability Support

• Provide sustainability advice throughout all project stages, from briefing and concept design through to delivery.
• Support teams in achieving sustainability targets, certifications, and performance outcomes.
• Review project approaches to carbon reduction, energy efficiency, materials, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
• Work collaboratively to embed sustainable solutions.

Social Value

• Develop and embed the Practice’s approach to social value, ensuring it is integrated into project delivery and the wider Practice strategy.
• Work with project teams, clients, consultants, and communities to identify opportunities to create meaningful social, economic, and environmental benefits throughout the project lifecycle.
• Develop and coordinate social value initiatives, including engagement with local communities, schools, colleges, universities, and other stakeholder groups.
• Support the delivery of education and outreach activities, including school engagement sessions, careers events, workshops, mentoring, and work experience opportunities that encourage future talent and improve access to the profession.
• Collaborate with project teams and external partners to create opportunities for skills development, apprenticeships, employment pathways, and knowledge sharing where appropriate.
• Coordinate and maximise the impact of the Practice’s social value activities, including the effective planning and delivery of volunteering initiatives, community partnerships, and employee led engagement activities.
• Support project teams in identifying and delivering social value commitments within bids, tenders, frameworks, and project delivery plans, ensuring alignment with client requirements and measurable outcomes.
• Establish appropriate methods for monitoring and evaluating social value impact, capturing outcomes such as community engagement, learning opportunities, skills development, and local economic benefits.
• Capture, communicate, and share social value achievements, case studies, and lessons learned to demonstrate impact and support continuous improvement across the Practice.

Knowledge Sharing and Capability Building

• Develop sustainability guidance, resources, and tools to support project teams.
• Deliver training sessions and knowledge sharing activities.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and sustainable design excellence.
• Support the development of sustainability skills across all levels of the Practice.

Bid Support and Business Development

• Represent the Practice on sustainability matters with clients, consultants, industry groups, and professional networks.
• Support the preparation of bid responses by providing sustainability expertise, evidence, and technical input that demonstrates the Practice’s capability and approach.
• Review bid requirements, sustainability criteria, and client expectations to ensure responses are aligned with project objectives, procurement requirements, and evaluation criteria.
• Work collaboratively with to develop clear, compelling, and tailored sustainability narratives.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen bids through sustainability innovation, net zero approaches, social value commitments, ESG performance, and relevant project experience.
• Ensure sustainability commitments made during bidding are realistic, measurable, and capable of being delivered through project stages.
• Maintain and develop sustainability content, case studies, evidence, and best practice examples to support future bids and framework submissions.

Job Benefits

Flexible working, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, Christmas shutdown, professional fees paid, health and wellbeing scheme, profit share scheme