Energy and Carbon Manager

An Energy and Carbon Manager is a sustainability professional who oversees energy and carbon management in terms of both environmental and economic impact.

The role’s central purpose is to deliver energy and carbon reduction initiatives across an organisation’s operations. Working with department and team leads, as well as suppliers, customers and other stakeholders, an Energy and Carbon Manager undertakes research, designs, implements and manages energy and carbon reductions and monitoring systems.

View live job opportunities

Two people in an office looking at data and graphs on two devices

The information in our job profiles aims to give a general overview of the role and a guideline to what it involves. The content is not intended to be exhaustive and roles will vary depending on the organisation and sector. The salary ranges are a guide only, as these are dependent on the size and location of the organisation.

Entry level salary range

£26.5k – £38k

Early career salary range

£36.5k – £53k

Experienced salary range

£47k – £85k

Senior leadership salary range

£68k – £140k

How does this role align to the green agenda?

The role of an Energy and Carbon Manager is directly connected to the green agenda. Its core purpose is to reduce the amount of the Earth’s resources an organisation uses across its operations. By decreasing energy consumption through the implementation of various policies and strategies and promoting the use of sustainable and renewable energy resources, an Energy and Carbon Manager can have a very tangible impact on their employer’s environmental performance.

The role looks at supply chains, carbon emissions, and net zero goals to plan how an organisation can be more energy efficient in the most economical way. They will work to understand and implement the best ways of collecting, evaluating, and reporting on relevant data including cost and carbon. The Energy and Carbon Manager may be responsible for a specific business area, a certain site or location, or they may oversee energy use across their full organisation.

Three people looking at a laptop. One person is holding a light bulb

Skills and capabilities

Technical knowledge

A scientific background is useful as an Energy and Carbon Manager. Data handling experience, numerical ability and project management skills are especially important. A strategic outlook and a technical understanding of energy conservation and efficiency methods are also essential to the role. Knowledge of environmental legislation and environmental and sustainability management systems, such as ISO 14001 and ISO 50001, is often required.

Transferable skills

Analytical thinking
Attention to detail
Collaborating
Continuous learning
Decision making
Effective communication
Influencing and leading
Innovating
Listening
Management
Organising
Planning
Presenting
Problem reframing and resolution
Project management
Relationship development
Systems thinking
Writing.

Find out more about upskilling What are green skills?

A day in the life

Daily life as an Energy and Carbon Manager varies from one employer to the next. For some, this is a fully autonomous role, while others have the support of a large team. Monitoring energy use to create accurate carbon footprints and meet targets, and writing complex reports to deadline are both key regular tasks. Planning ways of reducing energy use, and implementing those plans are central to the role, and a broad range of project management skills will be used every day.

Typical duties and responsibilities include:

Developing and rolling out ways of reducing energy consumption
Communicating with colleagues, customers, contractors, and suppliers on the importance of reducing energy consumption and advising on practical ways to do this
Writing organisational policy and procedures on energy consumption and conservation
Collecting data, record keeping, and data analysis
Doing site inspections and surveys to monitor energy use
Catching up on legislative changes, best practice developments, and setting new targets
Report writing to inform, educate and engage
Utility budget forecasting and budget management.

Three people in high-visibility jackets and hard hats inside a building

Much of the job involves advising on legislative compliance, as well as sector-specific codes of practice, to make sure requirements are understood and met. Some individuals in this role are required to create energy and carbon use policies for their organisation to follow, and /or set targets for them to achieve. These may reflect wider governmental or sector specific targets.

While much of the day-to-day work of an Energy and Carbon Manager is done on a computer, some requires an effective face-to-face presence. For example, while delivering training, communicating plans, and advising colleagues on how they can help reach organisational targets.

Energy and carbon managers often work alongside suppliers, contractors, council services and other organisations when carrying out site inspections and energy surveys. Fieldwork and office-based work are both involved.

Learning and culture changes are sometimes part of an Energy and Carbon Manager’s role. The job is to change both behaviour and thinking on energy use. The position of Energy and Carbon Manager exists in both the public and the private sectors, in organisations of all sizes and industries.

Entry routes

Qualifications

Training and professional membership

Work experience

Potential career progression

There are several career directions that an Energy and Carbon Manager can take, depending on the further training they have undertaken, and the industry in which they have gained their experience. Depending on the organisation and team size, there might be opportunity to move into a more senior environmental or energy role internally.

Energy Consultancy. Working in an independent capacity to advise organisations on energy policy and processes.

Environmental Engineering. If you have a strong science background, you may progress into environmental engineering, depending on the role. This is a job focussed on specific concerns, like waste disposal, controlling environmental hazards, or improving the recycling of resources.

Chartered Energy Manager. If you accumulate enough experience and become a member or fellow of the Energy Institute (EI), you can become a Chartered Energy Manager.

Estates / Facilities Management. Energy and Carbon Managers can move into estate and facilities management roles, which may have a focus on overseeing and reducing energy.

Relevant sectors

Energy and Carbon Managers are needed in businesses across all sectors and organisations,

Learn about the green agenda across different sectors

View sector pages

Information kindly supplied by:

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is a provider of integrated healthcare services, including mental health, intellectual disability, and physical health services.

View website

Success stories

A squiggly career led to a new perspective for Daniel Anderson

Social Value Apprentice Honey Marland is just starting out in her first sustainability role

Fiona Quinlan-Wells: a decade of change

Mat Owen’s career pivot has taken him in a new sustainability direction

Oghosa Erhahon on inspiring the next generation in the Global South

Photo of Emma Pye at a desk in front of her laptop

Founding a sustainable business: Emma Pye’s journey to independence

Just cause: Muhammad Ali shares his experience in a green role for the Ministry of Justice

Beth Knight advocates for diversity of thought in sustainability

Charlotte Bonner shares her experience of learning as you go, and the benefits of being thrown in at the deep end

Nevin Rose explains how his degree apprenticeship gives him just the right blend of work and learning

View all case studies