Why work for Sunderland City Council?

Sunderland is a fantastic, forward-looking city undergoing significant transformation and economic regeneration, creating the very best conditions for our 280,000 residents who live here and those who come to the city to work. 

Sunderland is one of the few cities in the UK to be situated on the coast. It also benefits from easy access to the countryside, is a short drive from two international airports, has direct rail access to London, and is less than a twenty minute drive from Durham and Newcastle. 

The city also continues to be a source of world-changing social and industrial history and is now home to the UKs largest motor manufacturer, Nissan, who export from Sunderland to over 45 world markets. 

We have a growing cultural scene, with Sunderland Empire theatre attracting high-profile West End productions, the Fire Station - Sunderland's premier live music and performance venue, the National Glass Centre, Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens and Northern Gallery of Contemporary Art all close to the city centre. 

Investment

Sunderland is a city of ambition and more than £1.554 billion of private and public money will have been invested in the city by the end of 2024, funding renewal and revival across the region, from the seafront and the city centre to building locations of national strategic significance. 

Sunderland provides countless opportunities across manufacturing, business, retail and leisure industries making it ripe for new investment.

Our City Plan

Our City Plan provides the blueprint for all partners and communities to work together to achieve our shared economic and social ambitions for Sunderland, which collectively guide the city's continued transformation.

The city's people and communities are at the heart of the City Plan, which continues to be delivered at pace with significant investment and developments under way to achieve our vision to create a connected, international city with opportunities for all. 

Riverside Sunderland is just one of our many developments which will transform a 32-hectare site at the heart of the city into a dynamic, carbon-neutral urban quarter. 

Smart City

By 2030 we aim to equip Sunderland with a world-class infrastructure, offering our people and businesses with the means to inspire and succeed.  We will ensure a connected, inclusive and digitally enabled future for our city and welcome innovators and trailblazers to help us achieve our aims. 

Find out more about our plans for a Smart City.

Our Low Carbon Ambition

In March 2019 Sunderland City Council declared a climate emergency. The council set the target for our operations to be carbon neutral by 2030.  

Tackling climate change is too great a task for any one organisation. That's why in Sunderland we have a citywide approach involving partners, businesses, residents, employees, visitors, the voluntary community and social enterprise sector, and our children and young people.

Sunderland's 2030 Shadow Board is chaired by the Leader of the council and brings together senior representatives of all major partner organisations from all sectors within our city. In 2020 the Shadow Board developed the Low Carbon Framework, which sets out a plan for the city to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 through seven strategic priorities:

• Our behaviour
• Policies and operational practices
• An energy-efficient built environment
• Renewable energy generation and storage
• Low carbon and active transport
• Green economy
• Consumption and waste

This framework was adopted by city partners in December 2020 and significant action has been taken to-date to help us make progress in each priority area and to measure and reduce our carbon emissions.

Green Champions

We are looking for employees who would like to learn more about environmental sustainability, to spread the word about our goals to be carbon neutral (2030 for the council and 2040 for the city) within their teams or service areas, to get involved in Low Carbon campaigns and activities, to share ideas, to help us identify solutions and to be the voice of council colleagues.  

This role is open to anyone in our organisation, regardless of experience or existing knowledge and can be a great addition to a CV. Green champions might:

• have a personal interest in sustainability or want to learn more about it
• feel enthusiastic about a particular area such as cutting waste or increasing energy efficiency
• seek volunteering opportunities
• want social connection with new colleagues
• have ideas of improvements that the council can make to improve our sustainable ways of working
• want the opportunity to make a difference
• we'll provide all information and support and aim to offer accredited training 

Use of electric vehicles 

There are ten Nissan LEAF pool cars available for business use by Sunderland City Council employees, including Sunderland Care and Support (SCAS) and Together for Children (TfC).  

Travel passes  

Employees can access passes for all modes of public transport.

Bike Hub

Our Bike Hub acccess to shower and changing facilities. Bikers breakfasts are available in Brew & Bake at City Hall.  

Cycle to Work Scheme  

The Cycle to Work Scheme enable council employees staff (not contract) to acquire bikes and equipment through Cycle Solutions up to the value of £2,500. This cost is repayed to Sunderland City Council via salary sacrifice over 12 months.

BetterPoints  

The council has teamed up with BetterPoints, an app that tracks travel movements via GPS using smartphone technology and rewards users with points for using more sustainable modes of transport like walking, cycling and using public transport. Points can then be exchanged for rewards such as discounts in local shops, free coffees, vouchers, or charity donations.  

Volunteer days  

Three volunteering days per year are available to all employees. The volunteering opportunities available within Sunderland include sustainable volunteering activities, such as habitat management, litter picks and beach cleans, gardening and tree planting.