South Pole is an energetic, global company offering comprehensive sustainability solutions and services. With offices spanning all continents across the globe, we strive to create a sustainable society and economy that positively impacts our climate, ecosystems and developing communities. With our solutions, we inspire and enable our customers to create value from sustainability-related activities.

Our Consultancy & Advisory Services team provides our clients with outstanding technical expertise that enables the successful implementation of complex sustainability projects. Our expertise spans across multiple topics including land and water management, climate strategies, renewable energies, environmental impact assessments, green products, climate policy, carbon pricing, climate finance, and sustainable finance, to name just a few. If you are a smart, ambitious and dynamic sustainability professional with a strong passion to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, the below position may be right for you!

Job summary: 

This role will be responsible for the timely delivery of high-quality consultancy mandates on sustainability topics for corporate clients with agricultural value chains (AVC), which includes (but not limited to) sectors like food & beverage, fashion & retail, cosmetics and agricultural trading/processing sectors. You will be accountable for the development and overall management of proposals, as well as for the implementation of projects in these sectors, for which you will supervise various project teams. You will provide technical guidance to the project teams and act as the main point of contact for the client. In addition, you will contribute to the development of new products and solutions at South Pole to address sustainability challenges for these sectors.

Main responsibilities:

• Manage and supervise large to complex sustainability consulting mandates throughout their entire project cycle: initiation, planning, design, execution, monitoring, controlling and closure.

• Plan and implement projects to ensure the most efficient and highest-quality implementation.

• Interact and build relationships with our international, regional and local clients and manage the timely delivery of mandates.

• Develop proposals with Key Account Management teams and regularly generate own leads, actively contributing to the business development activities of the company.

• Provide guidance and technical leadership in developing proposals and implementing advisory projects, as well as lead their technical review.

• Develop and improve specialised skills and knowledge linked to the topics and services offered by South Pole.

• Support the AVC practice in further developing South Pole’s thought leadership, services, products, marketing materials and offerings.

• Lead and directly manage teams of consultants in a multi-stakeholder and multi-geographies context.

• Coach and mentor junior consultants, transferring knowledge and skills and contributing to their professional development.

• Topics of engagement may include: supporting companies in understanding their environmental impact (GHG accounting, deforestation, water, biodiversity etc.), helping them set sustainability targets, developing strategies to reduce their environmental footprint, including on-farm mitigation options, value chain interventions, supplier engagement, and sustainable sourcing, among others..

Requirements:

Essential

• University degree, ideally at a Master’s level or higher, in a sustainability-related field. Environmental Sciences, Agronomy, Environmental Engineering or related disciplines

• Strong agricultural experience related to on-farm, supply chain, land use change emissions and mitigation options for both crops and/or livestock products

• Relevant work experience (the expectation is a minimum of 7 years) in sustainability consulting or related field. Specific consultancy experience with a particular focus on climate (must), water, biodiversity and forests in agricultural supply chains or working closely with consumer goods companies on these topics.

• Excellent project management skills, from both a technical and administrative standpoint, and proven ability to take ownership of projects and guide teams in a multi-stakeholder and multi-geographies context.

• Excellent quantitative, analytical and problem-solving skills (in particular within corporate sustainability strategy and sustainability standards)

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with proven expertise in creating, reviewing and delivering high-quality written documents (proposals and deliverables).

• Excellent stakeholder and client management skills.

• Industry-relevant connections with a network of potential clients, collaborators and other relevant stakeholders within the food, drink and agricultural sector.

• Demonstrable commercial skills and good business sense to be able to identify and seize opportunities in a challenging and competitive market environment.

• Proven ability to use MS Excel and/or Google Sheets for complex problem-solving and analysis

• Good working knowledge of all Google Suite applications and MS Word for creating high-quality deliverables (slide decks and reports)

• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced international environment.

Desirable

• Practical experience in and knowledge of:

• Methodology and tools for quantifying the environmental impact of agricultural value chains - (includes but not limited to) corporate greenhouse gas accounting, product carbon footprinting, life cycle assessment (including water and biodiversity impacts)

• Supporting clients to set ambitious science-based sustainability targets (climate, water and biodiversity) such as the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), SBTi for Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG), and Science Based Targets for Nature (SBTN)
• Helping clients identify practical actions to mitigate their environmental impact and meet sustainability targets such as regenerative agriculture practices, agroforestry, value chain interventions, supplier engagement programmes, improving traceability, changing governance structures etc.

• Undertaking scenario analysis and developing sustainability roadmaps modelling business growth, sustainability goals, climate trajectories and impact of environmental abatement solutions

• Comfortable working in a low hierarchical environment with a strong collaborative working style

What we offer:

At South Pole, we care about our employees as much as we care about the planet. South Pole is not just an employer, we are a Team. South Pole does not just offer people a job, we offer you a career. By joining our team, you will find strong purpose and deep meaning in everything you do. You will have the chance to make a real difference for our clients and for the planet, working alongside a passionate team of like-minded colleagues, while building your knowledge/skills and developing your career in a fun, dynamic, international and fast-growing organisation.

We’re a planet of 7.5 billion unique and different people. We all have a contribution to make; South Pole is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status or disability. Our recruitment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.