Part 1: Career Planning

General Area: Sustainability

Career Type: Business Management
Job: Senior Director of Global Sustainability
Typical Job Setting: Corporate Office, typically in large cities
Opportunities for Advancement: There are few opportunities for internal advancement because sustainability
departments are typically very small.

Job Outlook: High job prospects. The estimated increase of new jobs is 29% (according to the University of New
Haven)

Education Requirements: Bachelors Degree (typically in science, Engineering, or business management) and a
Masters in Business Administration (According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Typical Duties, Responsibilities, Tasks, Activities Related to Job

Lead and facilitate the
direction for Sustainability
at company

Lead boards and teams

Engage with external

stakeholders

Manage Emerging Issues

Sustainability
Communications
Leadership

Develop, review, and continuously improve the companys Global

Sustainability Framework
Define, standardize, and track progress for the global goals and
milestones (specific, measurable, and time-based) and oversee the
data management strategy and progress
Review and approve global Non-Governmental Organization(NGO)
partnerships
Work with business departments and leaders to assist their
sustainability integration
Provide thought leadership for how to incorporate sustainability into
business plans
Oversee the working groups for effectiveness in addressing
sustainability goals
Align Sustainability goals with Corporate Plan to Win Goals and
Objectives
Share Pillar best practices and learnings among team
Cultivate and promotes positive working relationships with
counterparts in area of the world functions
Develop and execute a sustainability engagement strategy that
addresses the companys need to engage at different levels (partner,
dialogue and inform key third parties/organizations/NGOs)
Recommend strategic direction and approach with individual
stakeholders.
Identify and participate in key conferences and networking
opportunities.
Participate in strategic, high-impact speaking opportunities to share
our work and progress.
Identify, understand, prioritize, and track emerging and current
issues related to sustainability
Develop strategies to effectively address these issues
Orchestrate and facilitate getting input from the right leaders at the
right time to ensure effective communication
Contribute to policies and analysis for company positions on these
issues
Partner with Global Communications/Marketing/Digital teams, both
internally and externally, to develop and execute a proactive
communications plan that shares our story and delivers specific and
tangible results
Lead our effort on environmental reporting and content on official
company website and other social media channels; coordinate

working with other internal stakeholders to report on goals

Represent the company externally, including with the media
Drive change in education and awareness of sustainability efforts
People/Relationship Management:
Build and maintain relationships that motivate, guide and and/or
reinforce the performance of others toward goals
Develop self and others to improve performance in current role and
to develop for future roles
Provide leadership, direction and coaching to staff
Supervise department staff employees
(Information in table was taken from a job opening description from the McDonalds Corporation)

Job Qualifications

College degree (MBA and sustainability studies and courses)

A decade of prior experience and knowledge with addressing sustainability issues
Stellar written and verbal communication skills
Strategic focus and a business minded perspective
Experience developing and managing relationships with internal and external stakeholders
Experience working with multiple teams and functions
An independent perspective
Able to offer differing opinions, when appropriate
Able to search for ways to improve processes and help others see the benefits of change
Demonstrated ability to influence and motivate others.
Previous knowledge and experience within a corporation or business
(Information from table adapted from job opening description from the McDonalds Corporation)

Salary Range:
Recent MBA graduates
$80,000-$120,000
Average income of director-level workers
$150,000
Common director-level salaries range
$120,000-$130,000
Vice President-level leader average
$220,000
Top Vice President-level base salary range
$300,000-$350,000
(Information adapted from article by Ellen Weinreb, the CEO of a sustainability recruiting firm)

Clarissa Itzel Villegas Smith

1234 Toast Street, Gigiri
Nairobi, Kenya 0010

(000)-123-4567 (office)
(602)-618-4908 (cell)
clarissa.smith@unhabitat.org

Objective
To obtain the position of Sr. Director of Global Sustainability of the McDonalds Corporation
Education
Carleton College
Bachelors of Environmental Science and Technology
GPA: 3.8

Northfield, Minnesota
September 2015-June 2019

Cornell University - Johnson Graduate School of Management

MBA, Sustainable Global Enterprise Immersion
GPA: 3.9

Ithaca, New York

August 2021-May 2023

Work Experience
Sustainability Assistant
Carleton College (Northfield, MN)
Collaborated with departments and groups on campus to incorporate sustainability
Proposed and implemented changes to university facilities and programs
Conducted research and obtained data on energy and resource consumption
Created multimedia publicity and facilitated outreach events

September 2016-June 2019

Project Management Sustainability Consultant

July 2019-August 2021 & July 2023-April 2025
Arup Group Limited (United Kingdom and South Korea)
Provided sustainability and LEED assessment to Engineering and building projects
Advised building project managers on how to achieve LEED certification
Revised building plans to included sustainable labor and building practices
Communicated with project and community stakeholders
Summer Intern with the United Nations Department of Management
United Nations Headquarters (New York, NY)
Assisted in drafting and preparing official documents
Documented legal and internet research
Evaluated current and past UN projects
Wrote speeches for senior leaders

June-August 2020

Program Management Officer

April 2025-March 2033
United Nations Human Settlements Program (Nairobi, Kenya)
Designed programs and projects to ensure effective and efficient utilization of project resources
Performed workload assessments and delegated tasks
Determined reallocation of program funds
Facilitated requests that ensured compliance to policies
Facilitated staff and contractor recruitment
Supervised local staff
Skills and Abilities
Fluent in English, French, Spanish, and Korean
LEED certification expert
Project Management
Public Speaking

Facilitating meetings
Critical and creative thinking
Strategic Planning
Goal-oriented

References available upon request.

References
1. Sustainability Job Outlook
2. Info on Sustainability Manager job market
3. Bureau of Labor Statistics info on Sustainability Careers
4. Sr. Director of Global Sustainability job posting from the McDonalds CorporationCarleton College Sustainability
Assistant description
5. Description of the Sustainable Global Enterprise Immersion MBA program at Cornell University
6. Article about Sustainability/Corporate Social Responsibility Professionals' compensation by the CEO of a
sustainability recruiting firm
7. ARUP Group Limited projects in South Korea
8. LEED Certification Programs information
9. United Nations Summer Internship Program FAQs
10. Description of the United Nations Habitat/Urban Future Program
11. United Nations Human Settlements Program Management Officer Job Opening description
12. Management Skills List
13. Resume components