Modern Governance, Challenges, Behaviours & Boardroom Influence
Position title
Non-Executive Director - ESG and Sustainability Oversight
Description

The opportunity

A UK organisation is seeking a Non-Executive Director with genuine depth in environmental, social and governance (ESG) and sustainability to strengthen its board’s oversight in this increasingly central area. As sustainability moves from a reporting obligation to a strategic and commercial issue — shaping investor expectations, regulatory exposure, supply-chain risk and long-term value — boards are seeking directors who can bring informed, independent judgement to it rather than treating it as a peripheral concern.

This is a governance appointment. The role is to provide oversight and constructive challenge on the organisation’s ESG strategy, sustainability commitments and related risks and reporting — not to run the sustainability function, which remains the responsibility of management. The successful candidate will translate real ESG expertise into effective board-level contribution, and will serve as a full member of the board across all its responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities

  • Providing the board with informed oversight of the organisation’s ESG and sustainability strategy, and its alignment with the wider business strategy
  • Bringing independent challenge to sustainability commitments, targets and the credibility of the plans to meet them — guarding against both under-ambition and greenwashing
  • Overseeing the organisation’s approach to climate and environmental risk, and its integration into the board’s wider risk management
  • Contributing board-level perspective on social and governance factors, stakeholder expectations and reputational considerations
  • Overseeing the integrity and rigour of sustainability reporting and disclosure, as regulatory and investor expectations continue to develop
  • Contributing as a full member of the board to strategy, performance oversight and constructive challenge across all matters, and serving on relevant committees
  • Upholding independence and the standards of governance expected of a non-executive director
Qualifications

What we’re looking for

  • A senior career in sustainability, ESG, climate or a closely related field (for example Chief Sustainability Officer, Director of Sustainability/ESG, or equivalent)
  • Genuine, current understanding of sustainability strategy, ESG risk, and the evolving reporting and regulatory landscape
  • The ability to operate at board level — providing oversight and challenge, not execution — and to engage the whole board on ESG in commercial, not merely technical, terms
  • Independence of mind, sound judgement and the confidence to challenge constructively
  • Existing board experience is welcome; we will also consider first-time non-executives of the right calibre with a genuine appetite for governance
Job Benefits

Terms and commitment

This is a non-executive appointment on an initial three-year term, renewable by mutual agreement. The role carries a competitive non-executive fee, with directors’ and officers’ liability insurance and an indemnity in place. The time commitment is typically several days per quarter across board and committee meetings, preparation and occasional additional matters, with a number of meetings held in person on a hybrid basis.

Contacts

NED Capital is a founder-led board and non-executive search firm placing non-executive directors, committee chairs and board chairs across the UK. Every search is led personally by Adrian Lawrence FCA, a Fellow of the ICAEW and former listed-company finance director. All approaches are handled in strict confidence.

To apply for this role or to discuss board opportunities, please get in touch through our non-executive director recruitment service.

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Employment Type
Part-time
Beginning of employment
1st December 2026
Duration of employment
3 years
Industry
ESG
Job Location
London, South East, United Kingdom
Working Hours
9-5
Base Salary
£10,000-£10,000 Per year
Date posted
September 18, 2026
Valid through
November 30, 2026
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Position: Non-Executive Director - ESG and Sustainability Oversight

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