Associate Director - Sustainability

London, England, United Kingdom

12/13/2024

At Mace, our purpose is to redefine the boundaries of ambition. We believe in creating places that are responsible, bringing transformative impact to our people, communities and societies across the globe. To learn more about our purpose, culture, and priorities, visit our strategy site.

Within our consult business, we harness our unique combination of leading-edge practical expertise and project delivery consultancy to unlock the potential in every project.

Full-time experienced sustainability manager, responsible for leading projects and activities within a strategic client account, delivering service excellence and agreed outcomes within time, cost, and quality requirements. Guides and coordinates with all relevant parties to understand and deliver project objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs), providing day to day management and leadership of the project and the project team, and client relationship.

The successful candidate will join the existing global responsible business team and deliver client-facing consultancy services including the advisory, management and co-ordination of various climate change, sustainability and/or social value related activities on projects and/or programmes. The role will also support Mace’s wider corporate ambitions to reduce client carbon emissions by 10 million tonnes, generate £700m value to society, and deliver 500 hectares of new biodiversity net gain.

The Project

This is an opportunity to work with our Mace global project management office and sustainability teams, with a major blue-chip client in the banking sector, on an extensive transformation of their business and capital works programmes. This significant programme of works with one of the most ambitious client organisations has arisen through our unique project management office (PMO) approach.

This multi-year commission is a fantastic platform to help our people, and our clients people grow together and accelerate careers along with the capital works programme.

Our Values Shape The Way We Consult And Define The People We Want To Join Us On Our Journey, They Are

• Safety first - Going home safe and well
• Client focus - Deliver on our promise
• Integrity - Always do the right thing
• Create opportunity - For our people to excel
  
  

We are looking for a sustainability leader to support of the implementation of the client’s PMO as the account leader for Europe and Americas based out of our London offices, working alongside our appointed Asia Pacific and Middle East lead.

You’ll Be Responsible For

• Leading projects with this strategic client account, delivering service excellence and agreed outcomes within time, cost, and quality requirements.
• Guiding and coordinating with all relevant parties to understand and deliver project objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs), providing day to day management and leadership of the project and the project team, and client relationship.
• Delivering internal fee expectations (where appropriate) together with appropriate risk mitigation and change management.
• Ensuring that client projects and programmes are appropriately resourced with necessary contingency plans.
• Promoting growth in client accounts through service excellence and horizon scanning.
• Ensuring the successful delivery of the project(s) in line with all stakeholders’ expectations, ensuring service excellence is delivered.
• Overseeing project timeframes and budgets, ensuring successful delivery of project(s), highlighting, and managing any risks, challenges, mitigations, and opportunities.
• Appropriately forecasting resource requirements, balancing profitability with delivery needs and ensures that a robust succession plan is in place to deliver project security.
• Overseeing management of the client, Mace team, and all external/project stakeholders to ensure effective completion of the project in line with client expectations. Actively drives collaboration between all parties.
• Task managing the account delivery team, ensuring they are suitably onboarded to the project(s), providing feedback, and coaching to support the development of their competencies and careers.
• Understanding and reports on performance of the project against all stakeholder KPIs, as well as internal KPIs such as, but not limited to, income, margin, resourcing, utilisation, project carbon metrics and client carbon savings, and provision of case studies and bid collateral.
• Delivering continuous improvements in service delivery and processes through application of best practice, innovation and lessons learned.
• Understanding the client and acts as CRM lead for responsible business, owning the RB CRM plan, sharing peer, sector, and industry insights with the client and Mace colleagues to add value to them and/or the project(s).
• Identifying and acts on opportunities to cross-sell or up-sell services to the client.
• Engaging with the client regarding future project pipeline and opportunities, addressing internal Mace capability and readiness to support upcoming opportunities, delivering ‘Horizon Scan’ pieces to prepare the business.
• Supporting the internal Mace bid process from ‘Go/No-go’ decision making through to bid submission, award, and mobilisation.
• Actively networking and seeks understanding of best practice, utilising the full depth of knowledge of Mace group, the centres of excellence, Mace way control centre, Mace way, and knowledge hub to identify and capture opportunities to improve service delivery and expand the account.
• Being a technical expert and promote innovation in a particular area of sustainability in property, driving management and delivery of initiatives to reduce waste, water consumption, energy, and promoting the adoption of sustainable buildings practices.
• Being a pro-active generalist, able to cover all major issues of sustainability with all relevant stakeholders when necessary.
• Supporting growth of the account through bid support, innovation, client liaison, and external profile-raising of Mace/Mace services.
• Supporting the drive for Mace to be a leader in climate change and sustainability.
  
  

You’ll Need To Have

• Extensive experience in the corporate real estate sector, preferably with financial institutions.
• Proven leadership in implementing environmental policies, parameters, and regulatory requirements, including alignment with SBTi and carbon neutrality targets.
• Strong track record in developing and operationalizing strategic sustainability measures to enhance reputation and stakeholder relationships, delivering demonstrable social, economic, and environmental benefits.
• Experience developing client-specific climate change, sustainability, and/or social value strategies for individual projects and programs, including defining project outcomes and ensuring their delivery.
• Practical experience in project management, contractor management, stakeholder engagement, or delivering employment & skills requirements within the construction and real estate sectors.
• Excellent knowledge of sustainable building design principles, encompassing embodied and operational carbon reduction, energy efficiency, and net-zero carbon (NZC) strategies for both new build and refurbishment projects. Understanding of program, cost, and operational impacts of NZC strategies is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to drive design teams to understand and respond to environmental constraints and opportunities, maximizing positive environmental outcomes.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical topics into layman's terms and articulate the value proposition of sustainability to diverse audiences.
• A passion for sustainability and a proven ability to champion and encourage behavioural change within organizations.
• Commitment to developing and promoting innovation and best practices in sustainability, effectively communicating these advancements to the wider business and clients.
• Proven ability to support work-winning activities and bidding processes, demonstrating strong business acumen.
• Excellent client relationship management skills, with the ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with clients and stakeholders, including design team members, contractors, subcontractors, and regulatory bodies.
• Ability to identify and act on opportunities to cross-sell or up-sell services to clients.
• Proficient in horizon scanning, identifying emerging trends and opportunities in the sustainability landscape, and preparing the business for future challenges and opportunities.
  
  

You’ll Also Have

• Strong leadership skills, with the ability to guide and coordinate project teams, manage client relationships, and deliver successful project outcomes within time, cost, and quality constraints.
• Excellent collaboration skills, actively fostering teamwork and communication between all project stakeholders.
• Ability to task manage and mentor account delivery teams, providing feedback and coaching to support professional development.
• Ability to understand, track, and report on project performance against key performance indicators (KPIs), including financial metrics (income, margin, resourcing, utilization), project carbon metrics, and client carbon savings.
• Experience in developing and maintaining CRM plans for responsible business, sharing relevant industry insights with clients and colleagues.
  
  

Mace is an inclusive employer and welcomes interest from a diverse range of candidates. Even if you feel you do not fulfil all of the criteria, please apply as you may still be the best candidate for this role or another role within our organisation.

We are also open to discussing part-time, flexible, and hybrid working options if suitable within the role.