3.14.2008 - 09:41am ET

(CSRwire) March 14, 2008 - SustainAbility is a London-based company with offices in New York, Washington and Zurich. We specialize in helping business understand and respond constructively to the challenges of sustainable development. We combine working as consultants with alternative means of influence through our research and campaigning work.

Global climate change has emerged as one of the most profound issues for business and society and as such is of critical importance to our work with companies and other organisations as well as to our own business practices. Consequently, SustainAbility is seeking a Director of Climate Change Programs to take our climate change service offering to the next level. While SustainAbility has for many years incorporated climate change into our research and our client work, the growing urgency for business and governments to take dramatic action requires that we also increase our capacity to drive progress on this critical challenge. The Director will have overall responsibility to coordinate, expand and integrate SustainAbility's portfolio of climate change services across our global client, research and advocacy activities.

The Director will also be responsible for leadership of our work with energy sector clients, and will be a member of SustainAbility's global management team, contributing to the company's organizational strategy and development.

The successful candidate will be an experienced professional who has worked for at least seven years with or within the corporate sector, has experience working with energy companies, and has had responsibility for designing and implementing a climate change strategy. He/she will possess a strong knowledge of (a) climate change science, (b) the policy/regulatory environment of climate change, and (c) how leading businesses are responding. The Director will be based in our London office, and will report to Jeff Erikson, VP Client Services.

A brief job description is provided below.

Program and Knowledge Development – 15%

The Director will develop a portfolio of services related to climate change, and will be responsible for strengthening SustainAbility's climate change knowledge base and our ability to deliver climate change strategies and research. Responsibilities will include:

− Developing strategic approaches to climate change for clients

− Developing specific climate change service offerings

− Identifying and compiling existing tools, frameworks and protocols and applying them to our client, research and advocacy work

− Developing new tools to help our clients – and our staff – better understand, and manage the various facets of climate change

− Tracking public policy developments and interpreting them for our staff and our clients

− Identifying, compiling and disseminating leading practices in the private sector

− Sharing experiences and insights with other team members

SustainAbility client projects – 50%

The Director will lead or support projects in the energy sector, and across SustainAbility’s entire client portfolio, lending his/her expertise on climate change to address particular client needs in concert with our sector teams. Responsibilities will include:

− Developing strategic approaches to climate change for clients

− Defining work scopes

− Developing and implementing project management plans

− Managing internal project teams

− Leading or supporting project delivery, e.g. meetings, interviews, site visits, research, drafting of findings, analysis and reports

− Delivering high-quality, timely work product to our clients

− Managing project budgets

− Leading project follow up (including new business opportunities)

− Developing relationships with clients and partners

− Disseminating learning to SustainAbility’s Core Team

SustainAbility research, communication, advocacy and campaigning (RCAC) – 15%

The Director will lead or support SustainAbility research, communication, advocacy and campaigning by lending his/her climate change expertise to enhance SustainAbility's thought leadership. Responsibilities will include:

− Shaping our internal positions and recommendations for action

− Identifying how business, governments and societal actions might evolve over the longer-term to address the challenge of climate change

− Contributing to reports and other RCAC work products

− Participating in public outreach of the research, including presentations at conferences, interviews with media, press releases and other external communication

− Identifying and pursuing opportunities beyond research and client projects to actively advocate for system change

− Support the development and implementation of SustainAbility-led campaigns

Leadership and Management – 10%

The Director will lead the implementation and evolution of Sustainability's energy sector strategy. While energy sector team members will not all report to the Director, he/she will have responsibility for ensuring that the sector strategy is implemented, including:

− Translating the current energy sector strategy into actions to be pursued by members of the sector team

− Developing specific plans for implementation of the strategy, and assigning responsibilities to sector team members

− Conducting regular team meetings to track progress and identify new opportunities an challenges

− Reviewing the sector strategy on a periodic basis and adjusting based on changing market needs

− Developing annual goals, plans and targets for the energy sector team

− Providing overall team leadership

The Director will be a member of SustainAbility's management team, and in that capacity will have the following responsibilities:

− Participating in management team meetings/calls

− Providing insights and perspectives on the management and direction of the organization

− Contributing to internal management discussions and debates

− Communicating management decisions to Core Team members, as appropriate

− Participating in the implementation of leadership decisions

New business development – 10%

SustainAbility's strategy focuses on key sectors and program areas. Most new business development is undertaken in the context of one of these sectors or programs. The Director will be responsible for helping to strengthen SustainAbility's business offerings across its entire portfolio by:

− Clearly defining SustainAbility's climate change services and developing a compelling service offering appropriate for all sectors

− Working with SustainAbility's sector leads to integrate climate change services into sector strategies and offerings

− Leading business development plans in the energy sector

− Leading or supporting new project proposals, or portions of proposals related to climate change

− Negotiating terms of climate change projects with potential clients and research partners

− Identifying opportunities for new projects or services

− Participating in conferences, workshops and seminars

− Writing articles for publication

− Helping to develop and nurture press contacts and external relationships

Key requirements: Essential

− At least seven years of relevant business, government or NGO experience

− Demonstrable understanding of and commitment to addressing the social and environmental dilemmas resulting from climate change

− Ability and willingness to maintain ongoing relationships with stakeholders holding different and sometimes conflicting views

− An understanding of the energy sector and the challenges it faces

− Knowledge of the critical policy issues and options to address climate change

− Worked on the development and implementation of a climate change strategy within a business, or demonstrable experience in engaging with and/or consulting business

− An advanced degree in business or a field directly relevant to climate change

− Proven track record of business development and maintaining client relationships, including working with senior decision makers in companies

− Proven self-starter, who can lead and deliver projects at high level

− Experience in managing projects to deadlines

− Excellent team worker

− Excellent written and spoken English

− Demonstrable commitment to quality

− Prepared to work in central London, and willing to travel

− A desire to learn and develop

Desirable

− Public speaking and advocacy experience

− Specialist insight into a particular aspect of the broader sustainability agenda

− Knowledge of another language and/or insight into another country or region

− Experience supervising or managing people or teams

− Business or public sector consulting experience

Other information

− This is a full-time position and will be based in our London office

− Salary will be commensurate with experience and range between £45,000 and £70,000

− We expect the position to start on 1 June 2008 but there is some flexibility in this timing

− Travel is expected as a regular job requirement. While most of travel is expected to be in Europe and the US, periodic travel to other regions is also likely

− SustainAbility provides a generous benefits package to all employees, which includes: 22 days annual leave, profit-share, season ticket/bicycle loans, private healthcare, long-term sickness insurance, sabbatical, enhanced maternity / paternity benefit, pension contributions, and travel insurance.

− Interested and qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and CV to humanresources@sustainability.com by April 15, 2008

SustainAbility believes that diversity adds value to our business. We hire team members who reflect the rich array of diverse cultures, ideologies, and values that are part of the broad global workforce. SustainAbility does not discriminate on the basis of race, religious beliefs, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship status, marital status, political beliefs/affiliation, disability, or social or cultural background.