Head of Social Value (Sustainability and ESG) - 12 Month FTC
Allwyn UK · Watford
At the heart of everything we do is our vision to change lives every day, and our mission to grow The National Lottery responsibly and champion its impact.
We are Allwyn UK, part of the Allwyn Entertainment Group – a multi-national lottery operator with a market-leading presence across the USA (Michigan and Illinois) and Europe, including Czech Republic, Austria, Greece, Cyprus and Italy.
While the main contribution of The National Lottery to society is through the funds to good causes, at Allwyn we put our purpose and values at the heart of everything we do. Join us as we embark on a once-in-a-lifetime, largescale transformation journey by creating a National Lottery that delivers more money to good causes.
We’ll talk a bit more about us further down the page, but for now – let’s talk about the role and who we’re looking for…
A bit about the role
This 12-month fixed-term role will lead the embedding of Allwyn's Social Value strategy, governance, processes and ways of working, ensuring they become fully integrated into business operations and owned by leaders across the organisation.
Provide leadership and direction to the Social Value team during a period of capability building, process improvement and embedding of new ways of working, while developing sustainable ownership across the business.
Working closely with the Chief Impact Officer and senior stakeholders, the role will ensure Social Value priorities are delivered efficiently, consistently and in a way that supports future organisational capability.
What you’ll be doing
Strategy & Leadership
- Co-ordinate the delivery of Allwyn's Social Value 2027 strategy to support Allwyn’s wider business strategy.
- Ensure Social Value contributes to wider commercial, reputational and organisational goals.
- Provide specialist advice, insight and challenge to senior stakeholders across the business.
- Establish and embed scalable Social Value operating models, governance processes and ways of working.
- Build organisational capability and accountability for Social Value activities across the business.
- Embed existing frameworks, guidance and documentation to support sustainable delivery.
Commercial & Financial Accountability
- Manage the Social Value budget and support the Chief Impact Officer with investment prioritisation decisions.
- Manage relevant supplier expenditure and maintain external partnerships.
- Lead prioritisation decisions to maximise impact and value.
- Hold operational accountability for delivery of the Social Value Fund, maintaining effective governance, monitoring and impact measurement, whilst overall executive ownership remains with the Chief Impact Officer.
- Develop business cases and investment recommendations to support Social Value priorities.
Inclusion and Accessibility
- Driving Allwyn's consumer DE&I agenda across the organisation around inclusion and accessibility as part of the broader Social Value strategy, working in close alignment with the Head of Customer Experience.
- Embed the use of Allwyn’s Inclusion Compass and accessibility commitments across the organisation, supported by the Social Value Manager.
- Work cross functionally to advocate for inclusive practices, products and experience, working closely with the Senior DE&I Manager (internal Workplace) role.
- Manage the partnership with Allwyn’s accessibility partner to ensure targets and deliverables are met in a timely way and against budget
Governance & Reporting
- Working with the Chief Impact Officer, deliver the Social Value governance framework, reporting cycle and KPI framework.
- Ensure robust measurement and reporting of Social Value outcomes.
- Lead reporting requirements for senior leadership, governance forums, Allwyn Group and external stakeholders.
- Oversee impact measurement, performance tracking and continuous improvement activity.
- Ensure appropriate risk management and controls are in place for Social Value activities.
- Responsible for Allwyn’s annual modern slavery statement and policy and appropriate oversight.
- Embed governance processes and reporting disciplines that can be maintained through existing business functions.
Net Zero & Environmental Impact
- Support implementation and governance of Allwyn's Net Zero roadmap and ensure effective reporting and stakeholder alignment
- Ensure environmental commitments are translated into operational delivery plans.
- Monitor progress against sustainability targets and ensure effective reporting and governance.
- Influence business decisions to balance commercial objectives with sustainability ambitions.
Volunteering & Community Impact
- Oversee the evolution of employee volunteering and community impact programmes, connecting colleagues with the purpose of The National Lottery, and ensuring outcome measurement (for example to our company EVP metrics).
- Simplify and modernise existing processes to increase meaningful participation while reducing administrative effort.
- Explore technology and automation opportunities to improve efficiency and reporting.
Stakeholder Management
- Build effective partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders.
- Navigate complex stakeholder and political environments where Social Value commitments intersect with public, community and regulatory interests.
- Represent Social Value across cross-functional forums and industry networks.
- Work with Communications and Public Affairs to enhance Allwyn's reputation through impactful storytelling and stakeholder engagement.
People Leadership
- Lead and develop a multi-disciplinary Social Value team.
- Create a high-performing, commercially aware and delivery-focused culture.
- Build capability within the Social Value team and wider business to enable sustainable delivery following the completion of the FTC.
- Coach and support key stakeholders to take ownership of Social Value priorities and processes.
- Ensure knowledge transfer, documentation and succession arrangements are in place to maintain capability and momentum.
- Ensure resources are aligned to organisational priorities.
What experience we’re looking for
Essential
- Significant leadership experience in Social Value, ESG and/or responsible business.
- Understanding of accessibility and disability inclusion frameworks.
- Strong commercial acumen and understanding of balancing social impact with business outcomes.
- Experience managing budgets, suppliers and investment decisions.
- Experience influencing senior leaders and Executive stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of social impact measurement and governance.
- Ability to navigate complex stakeholder and political environments.
- Experience leading multi-disciplinary specialist teams.
Desirable
- Experience working with public bodies, regulators, charities or community organisations.
- Knowledge of ESG, Social Value and sustainability reporting frameworks.
- Experience working with executive stakeholders.
Key Measures of Success:
- Social Value commitments delivered against agreed annual objectives. Accurate and timely reporting and governance.
- Positive progress against Net Zero, DE&I and volunteering targets.
- Social Value governance, reporting and operating processes embedded and adopted across the organisation.
- Clear ownership and accountability for Social Value priorities established within permanent business teams.
- Sustainable frameworks, documentation and ways of working implemented.
- Increased organisational capability and reduced dependency on specialist support.
- Successful transition of responsibilities and knowledge at the conclusion of the FTC.
- Improved efficiency and reduced administrative burden within Social Value processes.
- Positive stakeholder feedback and engagement.
About us
At Allwyn, we are dedicated to changing lives and growing the National Lottery responsibly, championing its positive impact on people, places, and the planet.
Innovation - We pride ourselves on it! We’re constantly looking for new ways to excite our customers, bringing new products to market to enjoy which is all supported by our responsible play values and making them accessible to all.
Giving back – Did you know that playing the lottery generates around £30m a week for charities and good causes in the UK? Our aim is to have doubled this number by the end of the first 10-year license.
Sustainability – Our aim is to become a net zero national lottery. We have 2030 targets to decarbonise our operations and energy. We’ve already transitioned to renewable energy providers, made our London and Watford offices zero gas, and ensured our fleet consists of low-emission vehicles. In addition, we’re working with our value chain partners to develop a net zero target date.
Empowering every voice – We believe in creating a culture where everyone feels they belong, can be themselves, has access to opportunities and can thrive for the benefit of good causes. Our diverse teams are working hard to make all parts of The National Lottery inclusive – whether people play a game in a store or online, because when everyone can play, everyone wins..
An inclusive reward offering with wellbeing at the centre
At Allwyn, inclusion is built into how we care for our people. Our benefits and policies support colleagues and their families at every stage of life and career. By prioritising wellbeing and belonging, we create a workplace where everyone feels valued, rewarded, and empowered to succeed. Our people are more than colleagues - they’re winners, driving positive change and making a real difference in communities.
Benefits
- Company Bonus Scheme
- Matched pension contributions up to 8.5%
- 26 days annual leave + 2 Life Days (and bank holidays)
- Single Private Health Cover
- Complimentary Private Medical
- Income Protection
- Flexible Benefits – EV Scheme, Money Coach, Will Writing, Mortgage Advice, Dental and Eye Care Schemes.
- Enhanced Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity, Adoption)
- Wellness Allowance £500
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Discounted Health Assessments
- Volunteering Days
- Matched Funding
We are a Disability Confident Leader which means we’ve taken proactive steps to ensure our workplace is accessible and inclusive for disabled and neurodivergent colleagues and candidates. As part of this we offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential requirements of the job.
If you need any assistance or adjustments to this job description or in the application process, please contact a member of the talent team at careers@allwyn.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help.