Sustainability Director

Cushman & Wakefield • Philadelphia, PA

2d

About The Position

In this role, you will collaborate directly with one of our prominent clients, leading the Sustainability Program Team to deeply understand their needs and ensure they benefit from C&W’s global sustainability expertise. You will be responsible for integrating sustainability across the entire real estate lifecycle, from site selection and fit-outs to occupancy, maintenance, and overall experience. This position will involve frequent interactions with client leadership, requiring the ability to develop and present high-level business cases while influencing senior stakeholders. This role is vital to fostering a successful client relationship by driving sustainability performance, mitigating risks, and enhancing processes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in subjects such as sustainability management, science, engineering, business, or equivalent through experience (master’s degree preferred).
• At least 10 years of relevant experience managing large-scale programs for Fortune 100 corporations.
• At least 5 years of experience managing people and teams.
• Expert understanding of relevant standards from The GHG Protocol, CDP, and TCFD.
• Proven track record in sustainability program management in real estate including strategic planning, transaction management, project/construction management, and facilities management.
• An experienced leader with the ability to command a strong presence and build relationships across all engaged stakeholders.
• A skilled communicator with experience influencing and shaping program strategy and delivery.
• Ability to inspire, motivate, and guide team members towards achieving their goals.
• Proven experience in leading diverse teams, fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Strong decision-making skills with the ability to take responsibility for team outcomes.
• Critical thinker with an understanding of processes, interconnections, and relationships.
• A knack for innovation and problem-solving with a collaborative, solutions-oriented working style.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities effectively and meeting deadlines on schedule.
• Passion for serving clients and delivering a positive client experience.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills – including experience making presentations to clients and their stakeholders – conveying complex technical information to a non-technical audience.

Responsibilities

• Own client real estate sustainability strategy and drive the delivery of key objectives.
• Conduct assessments to identify environmental impacts within the organization, then design and implement comprehensive sustainability strategies, and develop annual goals and recommendations aligned with business objectives.
• Review current sustainability program and enhance with the creation of a comprehensive program aligned with organizational goals, including waste reduction, energy efficiency, water conservation, and responsible sourcing.
• Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of Sustainability Program across client’s portfolio, working collaboratively with stakeholders to successfully implement program and initiatives to reach client’s objectives.
• Maintain strong relationships with key client stakeholders including real estate and business unit leadership.
• Be the single point of contact for all aspects of the strategy and tactical delivery of the client’s Sustainability Program.
• Act as the key interface for real estate leadership, Portfolio Management, Project Management, Sustainability, Design and Construction, Facilities Management, and Sustainability teams to drive delivery of the program at pace, communicating successes and challenges along the way to key stakeholders.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to understand opportunities and challenges to the program, build consensus, and translate those into a robust program approach and framework.
• With cross-functional view, effectively manage changes in partnership with stakeholders, which have the potential to impact sustainability objectives.
• Track all real estate sustainability initiatives throughout their lifecycle.
• Develop and implement an appropriate governance structure for the program – including communications on strategies, plans, and progress toward goals using the appropriate metrics or KPIs to all levels of staff.
• Track, analyze, and report on sustainability metrics, including energy, water, waste, and other ESG metrics.
• Report internally on sustainability initiatives and metrics, including ESG compliance reporting at the local, state, and federal levels.
• Support external reporting and third-party assurance, as requested.
• Develop and enhance systems and processes for delivering best practice sustainability performance and use of sustainability management systems for monitoring and/or reporting purposes
• Ensure success stories are tracked and communicated to ensure a high level of awareness and engagement is achieved regarding the overall Sustainability Program
• Research emerging sustainability technologies, best practices and emerging sustainability trends, to identify potential opportunities for improvement within the organization, and inform program development.
• Maintain awareness of global sustainability trends, tools, and metrics, and support the integration of sustainability best practices into client’s sustainability program.
• Demonstrate innovative thinking and proactive management in bringing new ideas and solutions to the client, and ensure they are rolled out effectively.
• Provide technical expertise, strategic leadership, and support for all various client facilities on sustainability issues.

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: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees