About this role
Our client is seeking a highly motivated and talented individual to fill the role of Director to support the Director for Europe with a growing client portfolio and growing European team, with a specific focus on the French market.
This unique position offers a very exciting opportunity to engage with clients on a broad spectrum of sustainability services, and ultimately drive significant positive environmental and social impact.
Passion and a determination to deliver excellence are essential qualities as is a commercially astute and innovative approach to delivering client solutions.
About The Company
The company is an independent, pan-European sustainability consultancy specialising in the commercial real estate sector. They have an extensive client base, including well-known high-profile names in the commercial real estate sector and pride themselves on being able to translate technical building elements into simple, effective investment communication.
The company has a number of clients in France, or with French assets, and are working on existing projects there. However they believe strongly that France is taking a leadership role in driving the built environment to decarbonise and as a result, this is a key growth opportunity for the company. This role has corresponding growth potential and, backed by our entrepreneurial spirit, offers a unique opportunity for the right person.
They have a team of intelligent, passionate and dedicated professionals who are all experts in their fields. their approach is to provide an exceptional level of service, delivered by experienced professionals, whilst ensuring solutions are practical, simple to understand and tailored to each client’s specific requirements.
They are committed to fostering a working environment based on dignity and respect, in which everyone has a voice. They prize the diversity of their people and seek to provide equality of opportunity for all.
Core Responsibilities
The core responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
- Establish and lead a local presence in the French real estate market, setting up and growing a local France base within the company.
- Help expand European business into the France market, engaging French clients and act as the company spokesperson in France.
- Help lead the growing team in Europe to deliver ESG strategy, net zero carbon, climate resilience, social impact, smart buildings, big data and building-level sustainability improvement programmes for clients.
- Lead (in local market) and support engagement with clients and external parties across pan-European investment portfolios (e.g. heads of sustainability, asset managers, property and facilities management teams in real estate, financial and corporate sector client space.
- Support clients to evolve their investment process to fully integrate ESG considerations.
- Support with business development activities towards expansion of existing client work as well as new client engagement.
- Tactical input to the development of new products and services, and continual evolution of The company IP through direct involvement or support to our service lines (technical teams covering ESG strategy, climate resilience, health/wellbeing, social value, data intelligence etc).
Essential Skills & Requirements
The right candidate must have the following essential skills:
- Knowledge of the investment sector, preferably in the real estate sector.
- Expert or developing expert in real estate investment with expertise in and/or a passion for sustainability issues and their application to real estate investment.
- Proven client relationship management and stakeholder management (internal and external) skills.
- Commercial acumen (monitoring budgets, achieving target profitability/margin).
- Passion for furthering the sustainability agenda
- Understanding of managing programmes, competing priorities and multiple projects.
- Ability to transform complex sector-specific language into everyday terms and concepts.
- Strong presentation skills to a range of commercial client audiences.
- Proven business development skills.
- Highly articulate and numerate with clear, highly developed communication skills.
- Solid proven people management skills
- Leadership skills with the ability to set up, recruit and lead a local team, including day-to-day business practicalities of running an entity.
- Team player.
- Comfortable under pressure.
- Fluent in French and English.
Desirable Skills & Requirements
- Experience in managing pan-European stakeholders.
- Knowledge of the built environment, preferably commercial real estate investment management and finance.
- Environmental and energy audit experience for commercial buildings.
- Business development experience.
- Familiarity with TCFD, net-zero carbon, EU SFDR, GRESB, BREEAM In Use, Fitwel or WELL certification, environmental data and environmental legislation.
- Degree or Masters in ESG related subject would be welcomed but is not expected
- Likewise, membership of a recognised professional body (e.g. Chartered Environmentalist) would be welcomed.
Benefits to The Successful Candidate
- Opportunity to be part of a leading ESG Real Estate team in Europe, and to play a pivotal role in the development of the European business.
- Competitive salary based on level of skill and reviewed annually in line with performance
- Attractive bonus structure
- Flexible working hours
- Remote/home working in agreement with line manager
- Two days per year to volunteer for charity
- Excellent ongoing professional development support
Employee remuneration and benefits:
Details of potential compensation levels and overall benefits packages will depend on individual candidates and is to be discussed with the company.