Global Sustainability Integration and Program Management Lead

About the role

In this role, you will work directly with one of our high-profile clients, acting as an embedded extension of their in-house Sustainability Team. As a member of the JLL Sustainable Operations Team with a deep knowledge of the needs of our client’s program, you will ensure they are capturing JLL’s full suite of sustainability services. You will act as an accelerator and partner-collaborator enabling our client to increase engagement across stakeholders and progress towards goals. You will ensure effective integration across business/functions throughout the real estate lifecycle influences behavioral changes, including change management ownership, required to achieve scope of work delivery and goals.

This role requires a strategic and programmatic approach to embed sustainability thinking and practices across the real estate lifecycle. This role oversees a global team of approximately 35 (and growing) sustainability professionals that will deliver Sustainable Operations products, solutions, and tools. This role is part of the Technical Services and Sustainable Operations (TSSO) Workplace management team at JLL.

Location: Seattle or Arlington strongly preferred. This position is remote, U.S.-based.

Responsibilities

• Strategy Development & Delivery
  • Deliver Results: Focus on bottom-line business metrics and large-scale outcomes rather than tracking incremental tasks.
  • Dive Deep: Unearth root causes in critical operational dips while maintaining a wide strategic lens.
  • Invent and Simplify: Remove organizational friction and redesign bloated processes into streamlined architectures.
  • Systemic Problem Solving: Identify structural gaps in processes and long-term trends, crafting strategies that scale far beyond a single team.
  • Single-Threaded Ownership: Take absolute accountability for major programmatic outcomes across organizational boundaries with minimal oversight.
  • Design and implement a global platform delivery model aligned with client needs, quality targets, and delivery objectives.
  • Work with Strategic Account executives to develop account delivery plans that support client retention, cross-selling, client satisfaction, and account growth.
  • Develop and execute sustainability strategies and corresponding program components designed to optimize client sustainability performance in collaboration with client sustainability teams.
  • Own and advance a multi-faceted global sustainability strategy with accountability across the client's real estate portfolio lifecycle.
• Client Leadership & Relationship Management
  • Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key clients and internal stakeholders (Business Line Leads, Client Relationship Managers, Sales teams, Account Directors).
  • Contribute to the client corporate sustainability strategy and drive the delivery of key objectives.
  • Drive strategic direction and guidance on ways to enhance and expand service delivery, including leveraging supply chain partners, internal collaborations, and the broader JLL Sustainability Platform.
  • Ensure high levels of execution and client satisfaction across all services, with a focus on exceeding targets.
  • Identify and drive actions at each phase of the real estate lifecycle aligned with client objectives.
  • Bring applicable JLL tools and processes to the client for problem-solving and innovation.
  • Advise clients on opportunities for JLL to support larger programmatic elements, providing solutions.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Integration
  • Effectively network cross-functionally with other JLL service lines (technology, finance, projects, IFM, consultants, procurement) to elevate sustainability outcomes for your client.
  • Integrate feedback and remove roadblocks to accelerate innovation and service delivery.
  • Create a solution-oriented environment where the team consistently identifies leading-edge best practices that deliver value while meeting account requirements and JLL processes.
  • Establish strong working relationships with global and regional workstreams to deliver local targets as well as overarching global targets.
  • With a cross-functional view, effectively manage changes in partnership with stakeholders, which have the potential to impact sustainability objectives.
• Team Leadership & Development
  • Lead and direct large global (AMER, EMEA, APAC) multifunctional teams in partnership with client teams.
  • Manage an effective, global sustainable operations team capable of delivery according to scope of work and schedule.
  • Lead and grow an existing team of sustainability practitioners in lock-step with organizational and client demand growth.
  • Develop a culture focused on client success, people development, teamwork, accountability, continuous improvement, and innovation.
  • Direct end-to-end employee management: hiring, onboarding, leading, developing, and mentoring team members.
  • Diversify and develop the workforce to meet the evolution of client demand, with a strong emphasis on technology skills.
  • Drive consistency of delivery across the regional/global team including reporting requirements, policies, and procedures.
• Financial & Operational Performance
  • Own P&L responsibility for the account under management with demonstrated financial acumen: cost control, expenditure management, revenue forecasting, and key business metrics.
  • Maintain accountability for cost management applicable to Platform elements and ensure efficiency as a percentage of revenue.
  • Know your numbers and actively track financial performance against targets.
  • Drive accountability for operational delivery, quality metrics, and business outcomes.
• Communication, Advocacy & Excellence
  • Communicate robustly with key stakeholders to drive innovation, integration of feedback, and identification of opportunities.
  • Ensure success stories are tracked, documented, and communicated to maximize awareness and engagement regarding the overall sustainability program and client success.
  • Provide strategic input and lead program components (content development, maintenance, reporting) in assigned areas of expertise.
  • Demonstrate innovative thinking and proactive management in bringing new ideas and solutions to the client; ensure effective rollout.
  • Develop and enhance systems and processes for delivering best-practice sustainability performance and use of utility/sustainability management systems.
  • Understand the implementation of sustainability across the commercial real estate lifecycle, including stakeholder roles, strategic decision-making, data tracking, and monitoring.

Requirements

• University Degree, prefer MBA (Science, engineering, math, or related fields).
• Passionate about working towards a sustainable future.
• An excellent understanding of the key sustainability issues for corporate occupiers of real estate including, but not limited to: decarbonization, embodied carbon, circularity, resource preservation, biodiversity, climate risk, health & wellbeing, and social value creation.
• 10+ years demonstrated experience in leading, managing, and influencing cross-functional teams.
• 10+ years demonstrated experience with change management across multi-faceted situations and cross-functional teams; change management certification is desirable.
• Experience working with corporate clients, commercial property, property managers, and an understanding of the landlord and tenant relationship is desirable.
• Excellent ability to build relationships with clients and their internal teams.
• A strong track record integrating sustainability into organizations’ operations.
• Experience working in a collaborative way with clients and other stakeholders to develop and implement ambitious and robust sustainability programs.
• Proven project and program management experience and excellent communication skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in written and numeric work.
• Ability to obtain buy-in and engagement from employees at all levels.