Assistant Vice President, ESG Strategy

Our Business

We are a global leader in environmental consulting - made stronger with the recent acquisition of Wood’s Environment & Infrastructure business and Golder - with world-class expertise in environmental, social and governance (ESG), climate resiliency & sustainability (CRS), and earth sciences. Combined we have over 20,000 multidisciplinary professionals worldwide collaborating daily to protect and conserve natural landscapes, create firm foundations for communities to stand on, and champion sustainable development to combat climate change. 
 
As part of the team, you will have access to an unparalleled network of resources and endless opportunities to collaborate on exciting projects with diverse teammates from across the globe.

This Opportunity

WSP USA has an immediate opening for an Assistant Vice President with a specialization in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy development and program implementation to support related consulting services delivered by WSP’s growing Sustainability, Energy and Climate Change practice. See wsp.com/advancingsustainability for a description of our team and capabilities.

The individual will serve as a visionary, idea-architect, and leader of staff as they build out SECC’s ESG consulting services--securing, staffing, developing, and managing client-facing engagements. The successful candidate will excel in the design, implementation, and management of ESG strategy, CSRD readiness, sustainability reporting, and (double) materiality assessments. Understanding the complexity of emerging regulatory spaces, they will thrive in situations of uncertainty, demonstrating skill and confidence in guiding clients and staff through new and uncertain territory. Candidates should be passionate about sustainability and resilience, exhibit technical knowledge in ESG, and demonstrate leadership skills and ability to deliver high-quality products through appropriate time and priority management while leveraging resources and removing barriers and obstacles for the project team. This position could work out of WSP's offices in either San Diego or San Francisco, CA; Boulder, CO; Chicago, IL, New York, NY; Portland, OR; Bethlehem, PA, Cleveland, OH; or Seattle, WA. Remote options will be considered for the outstanding candidate.

Your Impact

• Lead business development strategy, planning and activities with existing and prospective clients 
• Direct client delivery teams, including assessment and collection of team resources, capacity and talent to build and manage multi-disciplinary SECC teams
• Assess and build internal SECC skills and capacity to meet growing client and WSP business development needs through training, mentoring, and hiring of SECC staff
• Develop and oversee the design and implementation of client sustainability programs with multiple interconnected scopes across service offerings
• Provide clients with strategic guidance and thought leadership to design and implement ESG-related governance structures, envision and implement change management programs, and implement organizational systems
• Lead teams conducting materiality and double materiality assessments for a range of companies, including but not limited to companies subject to CSRD compliance requirements 
• Demonstrate firm knowledge of client ESG reporting strategies, sustainability disclosures, and other communications aligned with emerging voluntary frameworks and mandatory regulations (e.g., EU Taxonomy, DNSH, etc.)
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

In recognition of the full strategic suite of services offered by Advisory Services, the following degree requirements apply:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Degree(s) in sustainability, energy, environmental studies, business, public policy, or related discipline strongly preferred
• 10+ years of professional experience in sustainability, energy, or ESG management
• Demonstrated experience with designing and leading ESG strategy, sustainability reporting activities, and materiality assessments across a wide range of sectors
• Well-developed and empathetic leadership skills; adept at guiding teams with maturity, credibility, confidence, and integrity
• Ability to manage multiple projects and associated project teams concurrently
• Strong oral and written communication skills; ability to communicate results via Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, and related software and craft compelling presentati