How to hire a senior sustainability advisor

How to hire a senior sustainability advisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior sustainability advisor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior sustainability advisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior sustainability advisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your senior sustainability advisor job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a senior sustainability advisor for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior sustainability advisor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior sustainability advisors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior sustainability advisors.

   Type of Senior Sustainability Advisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Sustainability Advisor		$32-71
   Business Development Internship	A business development intern is responsible for supporting the organization's goals and objectives in providing the best services to clients and ensuring a smooth flow of operations with maximum productivity and efficiency. Business development interns observe the operational processes of the department and perform duties under the supervision of a direct manager or tenured staff... Show more	$12-20
   Business Internship	In a business internship, the responsibilities will vary by the directives given by the supervising staff. However, one of the primary duties as an intern is to perform support-related tasks for the department or office where they are assigned... Show more	$12-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Leed
   • Climate

   Responsibilities:

   • Prepare annual GHG emissions statement, manage annual assurance with auditors, and assist with sustainability reporting.
   • Create climate strategy by working with stakeholders on goals, targets and implementation programs.
   • Facilitate and participate in departmental policy meetings concerning healthcare, Medicaid, social services, telemedicine, grant opportunities and budgeting.
   • Develop strategic framework and system-wide goals with supporting cross-functional team structure to streamline implementation of CSR strategy.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior sustainability advisor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A senior sustainability advisor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, senior sustainability advisors' average salary in hawaii is 54% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior sustainability advisors 55% less than senior-level senior sustainability advisors.
   • Certifications. A senior sustainability advisor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a senior sustainability advisor's salary.

   Average senior sustainability advisor salary

   $100,813yearly

   $48.47 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior sustainability advisor salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 12, 2026

4. Writing a senior sustainability advisor job description

   A good senior sustainability advisor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a senior sustainability advisor job description:

   Senior sustainability advisor job description example

   ISS Corporate Solutions (ICS) help companies design and manage their corporate governance, executive compensation, and sustainability programs to align with company goals, reduce risk, and manage the needs of a diverse shareholder base by delivering best-in-class data, tools, and advisory services.
   
   Companies increasingly focus on refining their disclosures and management practices around their environmental and social practices, impacts, and risks. Boards and executive teams seek expert guidance on industry norms and best practices, stakeholder expectations, reporting standards and frameworks, and a better understanding of prevailing ESG ratings, such as ISS ESG Corporate Rating and ISS QualityScore.
   
   ISS Corporate Solutions (ICS) is a subsidiary of ISS that provides publicly traded companies with advisory services and software solutions to help solve a wide range of critical environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. The Sustainability Advisor role on the ICS team is a fast-paced client-facing role that provides advisory and consulting services on critical environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues to senior executives at the world's largest companies.
   The Role
   In this role, you will combine your subject matter expertise and communication skills with our market-leading proprietary data and tools to help progressive companies understand how to evaluate and respond to perceptions of ESG risk and to educate executives and board members about the changing ESG landscape.
   
   Most of our sustainability work involves helping companies optimize their public environmental and social disclosures to increase transparency in alignment with standards, frameworks, and stakeholder expectations. On a daily basis, you will:
   
   Work as a member of sector-focused team specializing on key issues most relevant to the industries the team covers.Form and sustain ongoing relationships with senior client executives and management teams to understand their needs and provide them with context and advice tailored to their challenges and goals.Analyze evolving ESG trends-including reporting standards, rating systems, and shareholder expectations-to identify key disclosures on which clients should focus.Produce and deliver polished client deliverables and discuss them in detail with sustainability and legal executives.Synthesize information from our ESG databases and platform to uncover actionable intelligence on ESG disclosures and practices.Develop industry-leading intellectual capital and thought leadership on ESG topics, including whitepapers, toolkits, webinars, and presentations for individual clients and at industry conferences.The role requires 10% travel or less, typically for conference attendance and occasional client visits.
   
   Qualifications
   Degree in Business, Finance, Sustainability, Environmental Science, or a related field with an exceptional performance record1-3 years of successful work experience related to climate change analytics, strategy, corporate reporting, or related role Technical comfort (including the ability to quickly learn and train on customized computer applications) Strong understanding of climate related business risk and climate business strategy development Familiarity with GRI, SASB, TCFD, and other market standards and guidelines Effective time management skills and ability to meet deadlines Excellent organization, multitasking, and prioritization skills
   Analytic
   Strong analytical skills Superior problem-solving skills Intellectual curiosity and ability to master complex concepts and technical subject matter quickly Ability to diagnose client needs and identify relevant resources Proficiency in distilling data using Excel, SQL, or other tools Extreme attention to detail Proactive in turning to others for assistance when required Ability to understand intersection of various sustainability reporting standards
   Communication and Client Focus
   Team player, working collaboratively with peers and managers to best serve our clients Ability to present professionally and authoritatively Excellent written and oral communication skills Ability to foster and maintain collaborative relationships in a cross-functional environment Capacity to quickly establish relationships with executives and be seen as a resource Demonstrated poise and grace under pressure Should be solutions-focused and contribute to team's continuous improvement
   
   *We offer a hybrid work schedule of 3 days in office and 2 days work from home. Most offices have returned to working in-office.
   
   #LI-MK1 #ASSOCIATE #CONSULTING #ICS
   
   Featured Benefits include:
   Medical, Dental and Vision - multiple PPO plans to choose from 401(k) Plan with a competitive Company Match up to 9% inclusive of Safe Harbor contribution FSA and Commuter benefit programs Generous Paid Time Off (annualized minimum of 20 days vacation, 11 holidays and separate paid sick leave) Flexible Work & Hybrid policies may apply Paid Parental Leave
   
   ISS is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with the Veteran and Disability Acts.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior sustainability advisor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior sustainability advisor job on Zippia to find and recruit senior sustainability advisor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit senior sustainability advisors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior sustainability advisor

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior sustainability advisor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new senior sustainability advisor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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