Chief Sustainability Officer

Cushman & Wakefield • New York, NY

1d • $276,250 - $325,000

About The Position

Cushman & Wakefield is seeking a visionary and business-savvy Chief Sustainability Officer / Global Head of Sustainability Consulting (Senior Managing Director) to lead and expand the firm’s sustainability strategy and consulting platform. This executive role blends internal stewardship with external advisory leadership and is directly accountable for scaling revenue-generating sustainability services, particularly for the firm’s Global Occupier Services (GOS) clients and institutional real estate investors/owners. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of integrating sustainability into real estate solutions, developing strategic client partnerships, and leading high-performing teams to deliver ESG value across the real estate lifecycle. This role is central to ensuring Cushman & Wakefield remains a market leader in delivering tangible environmental and financial impact to our clients and stakeholders.

Requirements

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in sustainability, ESG, or environmental consulting, with at least 5 years in commercial real estate, real assets, or infrastructure sectors.
• Demonstrated success in leading a revenue-generating sustainability practice, preferably within a real estate or consulting firm.
• Deep technical knowledge in ESG reporting, climate strategy, carbon measurement, energy systems, and building performance.
• Proven ability to engage and influence executive stakeholders (internal and external), with strong client relationship skills.
• Track record of innovation, solution design, and thought leadership in sustainability.
• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Engineering, Architecture, or related discipline.

Nice To Haves

• MBA or master’s degree in sustainability, public policy, or environmental science.
• Professional certifications such as LEED AP, WELL AP, or PMP.
• Experience working with global enterprise clients and institutional investors in a commercial real estate context.
• Familiarity with ESG regulatory trends and sustainability frameworks across key markets (North America, EMEA, APAC).

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and evolve Cushman & Wakefield’s global sustainability strategy, aligned with corporate goals and stakeholder expectations.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to C-level leadership across the company and to global occupiers and institutional real estate investors to ensure sustainability is embedded across the built environment.
• Lead and grow a high-impact sustainability advisory business focused on revenue generation, targeting corporate occupiers and institutional investors.
• Oversee delivery of sustainability services including but not limited to: - Net zero strategy & carbon accounting - Climate risk and resilience planning - ESG data management, reporting, and disclosures (e.g., GRESB, CDP, TCFD) - Green leasing and portfolio optimization - Energy, water, and waste efficiency programs - Green building certifications (e.g., LEED, WELL, BREEAM)
• Partner with Global Occupier Services and Capital Markets teams to co-develop tailored sustainability solutions for large enterprise clients.
• Identify new market opportunities, build client relationships, and drive pipeline growth and revenue performance for advisory offerings.
• Represent Cushman & Wakefield at client meetings, industry forums, conferences, and webinars as a thought leader.
• Lead and mentor a global team of sustainability professionals across consulting, data analytics, and strategy.
• Collaborate with internal departments (e.g., Property Management, Project & Development Services, Facilities Management) to embed sustainability across service lines.
• Set and track KPIs to evaluate sustainability performance and ensure data integrity in internal and external reporting.

Benefits

• Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work.
• In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive