Head of Sustainability – The LINE

The position resides cross-functionally between multiple stakeholders, both external and internal. A highly motivated, and organized self-starter who thrives in a goal-oriented business culture will have the opportunity to document, build, analyze and improve project sustainability practices.

The position is strategic and needs to identify, understand, and communicate risks across the full spectrum of sustainability as it relates to the business case, funding, building design, and certification along with project management and execution.  The position will not manage the implementation of the sustainability programs directly but will provide oversight on behalf of the LINE proponent.

The Sustainability Strategy Director shall report directly to the Design Coordination Director and participate as a direct interface with all NEOM internal and external stakeholders, to confirm that relevant business and design strategies comply with the applicable International Codes and Standards. As a lead member of a strategic technical team, the Sustainability Strategy Director shall collaborate with the Real Estate Development Department to enhance the culture of design excellence, and elevate the quality of not only sustainability but from a development feasibility perspective. Thus, ensuring that each design cycle complies with the project’s financial objectives and is correctly certified before proceeding to the next design stage.

• Identify and effectively communicate all relevant sustainability-related risks to senior management that relate to both design and project execution.
• Identify, understand and effectively communicate all relevant drivers and requirements for the LINE design and execution from a sustainability perspective.  These will include but are not limited to:
  • Sustainability accreditation/certification
  • Equator principles
  • Sustainable Development Goals
  • NEOM company requirements
  • NEOM authority requirements
  • External stakeholder requirements e.g. independent investors
• Maintain a sustainability risk register that feeds into the overarching LINE risk register where necessary.
• Collect and analyze LINE-wide design and execution data on sustainability initiatives, programs, and risks.
• Collaborate with key internal and external stakeholders to provide senior management with relevant analysis and recommendations on sustainability accreditation alongside investor and other stakeholder requirements relating to sustainability risk.
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders (Urban Planning and Projects) to build and maintain comprehensive sustainability initiatives and programs for The LINE project.
• Serves as a leader and “go to” expert on emerging trends, frameworks, industry benchmarks, and issues related to the Sustainability sector as it relates to project design and execution.
• In collaboration with senior leadership, develop appropriate goals, metrics, and processes for measuring the performance of the project concerning Sustainability including safety, health, environment, community engagement, and NEOM’s key performance indexes.
• Partner with the NEOM Environmental Team to produce the Sustainability recommendations and reports; benchmark the performance of the project against its peers and identify and recommend improvement.
• Partner with relevant groups including NEOM Environmental Team to produce relevant investor-related reports.
• Partner with NEOM Projects and the Delivery Partner organization to understand the risks during execution and the management systems in place to avoid and/or mitigate sustainability risks during project execution.
• In collaboration with NEOM Environmental Team manage the interface with third-party auditors and interested parties across the full spectrum of stakeholders (including certification, lender audit, and lender reporting).
• Assist the Real Estate Development department in communicating and promoting sustainability initiatives and programs; participate in the development of a sustainability communication strategy.
• Develop regular updates, presentations, and reports for senior management and the NEOM Environmental Sector.
• Interface with the smart cities team and other stakeholders about environmental metrics, data tracking, and adaptive smart systems in the operational city development and how this feeds back to design.
• Leading the development and implementation of the carbon management plan, identifying, and setting the standards for carbon reduction projects and initiatives.
• Manage the continuous development and implementation of the circular strategy to reduce the environmental impact throughout all stages of the product development cycle
• Acting as the focal point for the Company’s CSR initiatives and relationships with key stakeholders
• Staying abreast of relevant research and trends in the areas of focus and promoting best practices
• Identify and effectively communicate all relevant sustainability-related risks to senior management.

• Track record of success and achievement demonstrated in built-environment sustainability, accreditation, corporate social responsibility, and community relations or a related field.
• Set organizational sustainability targets, develop plans to meet those targets, and oversee their delivery.
• Previous experience in Life Cycle Assessment and Carbon Management.
• All-around experience in Circular Economy with the responsibility to lead sustainable growth in the company.
• Sound understanding of environmental, economic, social, and governance issues within the real estate development and construction industry.
• Experience across development, and/or implementation of Sustainability Rating Systems such as WELL, LEED, Mostadam, Passive House, or equivalent and a strong understanding of sustainability accreditation and management.
• Experience implementing Equator Principles and International Finance Corporation Standards (including Environmental and Social Management Systems) on Giga projects, liaising and reporting to lender organizations.
• Proactively engaging with planning, design, and construction teams on all building design and execution-related environmental and sustainability issues.
• Oversight of building designers and sustainability specialists in the sustainability compliance of the assets.
• Leading compliance review of the Sustainable Building documentation and technical support and guidance related to sustainability across all stakeholders
• Strong research skills and ability to analyze and interpret data to create a new requests for proposals, tenders, and reports. Demonstrates learning agility, strong thinking, and analytical skills. Ability to get up to speed with new processes/procedures and able to adapt readily to change.
• Superior interpersonal and relationship-building abilities with the capacity to work independently and in a team environment with stakeholders at all levels, both internally and externally.
• Interface with the smart cities team and other stakeholders about environmental metrics, data tracking, and adaptive smart systems in the operational city development and how this feeds back to design.
• Ability to work in diverse cultures with diplomacy and an understanding of differences in international business environments.
• Exceptional decision-making skills, demonstrating a strategic and objective approach to challenges and opportunities.
• Demonstrated skills in managing multiple priorities while maintaining poise in difficult situations.
• Some international travel may be required.
• Strong leadership ability, rational judgment, and reasoning skills, with proven ability to communicate effectively at a design office, site, management, and client levels.

Qualifications

• Bachelors and/or Masters’s degree, with additional sustainability qualifications.
• Minimum 15 years experience in the design and development of large, complex, multi-disciplinary projects, globally recognized.
• Excellent communication skills, with a high standard of English (oral and written) and the ability to present confidently to small and large audiences.

• Design Coordination Director
• Proponent Executive Director
• NEOM Sector Management
• NEOM Contractors (Design & Construction)

• Industry associations and Standards bodies
• External auditor authorities
• Technology vendors and research institutes
• Related Government agencies