How to hire a sustainability consultant

How to hire a sustainability consultant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sustainability consultant hiring guide:

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

What does a sustainability consultant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your sustainability consultant 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 sustainability consultant 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 sustainability consultant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, sustainability consultants 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 presents sustainability consultant salaries for various positions.

   Type of Sustainability Consultant	Description	Hourly rate
   Sustainability Consultant		$17-52
   Director Of Sustainability	A director of sustainability is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the environment of the company's premises, including the efficiency of processes and the production impact on society. Directors of sustainability ensure that the business operates under strict adherence to regulatory requirements and environmental conservation... Show more	$38-86
   Consultant	Consultants are individuals who were tapped by a company or an organization to work on a specific activity, depending on their field of expertise. They act as guides for the organization in undertaking projects that are related to their field... Show more	$27-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Renewable Energy
   • Sustainability Projects
   • Architecture
   • Sustainable Design
   • Sustainability Programs
   • HVAC
   • Sustainability Strategy
   • GHG
   • Climate
   • Energy Efficiency
   • GRI
   • Sustainability Initiatives
   • Environmental Sustainability
   • Business Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead leadership conferences with groups of entry-level representative and other Jr. consultant to improve management skills.
   • Develop and manage campus organic gardens and greenhouse.
   • Manage several SDLC phases for enterprise systems used by state government agencies to perform environmental and environmental management.
   • Organize policy mini-conferences on distribute renewable energy systems and climate action planning.
   • Start as analyst, then Jr.
   • Establish production version for alternative BOM.

   More sustainability consultant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the sustainability consultant job description is a good way to get more applicants. A sustainability consultant salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a sustainability consultant in Iowa may be lower than in Maryland, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level sustainability consultant. Additionally, a sustainability consultant with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average sustainability consultant salary

   $64,240yearly

   $30.88 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sustainability consultant salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average sustainability consultant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$97,169	$47
   2	Ohio	$91,751	$44
   3	Michigan	$90,882	$44
   4	Connecticut	$88,354	$42
   5	Delaware	$87,314	$42
   6	Massachusetts	$86,177	$41
   7	New York	$85,877	$41
   8	Texas	$85,372	$41
   9	District of Columbia	$85,256	$41
   10	Utah	$79,724	$38
   11	Virginia	$79,093	$38
   12	Illinois	$78,320	$38
   13	Arizona	$76,374	$37
   14	Georgia	$71,933	$35
   15	Nebraska	$70,388	$34
   16	North Carolina	$69,108	$33
   17	Minnesota	$69,008	$33
   18	Pennsylvania	$68,613	$33
   19	Indiana	$65,771	$32
   20	Colorado	$65,221	$31

   Average sustainability consultant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Autodesk	$102,847	$49.45
   2	Turner & Townsend	$94,515	$45.44
   3	Accenture	$86,260	$41.47	225
   4	Logistics Management Institute	$83,342	$40.07
   5	Stantec	$81,714	$39.29	34
   6	Steven Winter Associates	$81,042	$38.96	6
   7	HDR	$80,505	$38.70	4
   8	Schneider Electric Industrial Services	$80,132	$38.52	1
   9	Wsp USA Buildings Inc.	$78,466	$37.72	10
   10	Greenstone, LLC	$77,296	$37.16
   11	Edison Mission Energy Funding Corp	$77,071	$37.05
   12	Partner Energy	$76,894	$36.97
   13	Carrier	$75,522	$36.31
   14	T.Y. Lin International	$75,287	$36.20
   15	Arup	$74,864	$35.99
   16	JLL	$74,155	$35.65	3
   17	ME Group	$72,860	$35.03
   18	Jordan & Skala Engineers	$72,530	$34.87	7
   19	AECOM	$71,963	$34.60
   20	Guidehouse	$70,275	$33.79	19

4. Writing a sustainability consultant job description

   A sustainability consultant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a sustainability consultant job description:

   Sustainability consultant job description example

   Navistar's Office of Environment & Sustainability has an exciting opportunity for an Environmental Sustainability Manager. The Environmental Sustainability Manager will be a part of the Office of Environment & Sustainability within the General Counsel's Office and play a key role in developing and expanding the sustainability program at Navistar. In this position you will be responsible for defining and executing strategies that implement our sustainability strategy, based in two key focus area of decarbonization and circular business.
   Responsibilities
   
   Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
   Developing measures to implement the sustainability strategy.
   Helping to develop environmental sustainability metrics and targets.
   Working with people across the company to measure their environmental impact and develop strategies to address those impacts.
   Working with global colleagues in affiliated companies to harmonize sustainability strategies.
   Ensuring that sustainability data is collected in a timely and sound manner.
   Developing metrics and reporting tools to keep top management informed on sustainability key performance metrics.
   
   Minimum Requirements
   
   Bachelor's degree At least 5 years of Sustainability or ESG (Environmental, Social, & Governance) experience
   OR
   Master's degree At least 3 years of Sustainability or ESG (Environmental, Social, & Governance) experience
   OR
   At least 7 years of Sustainability or ESG (Environmental, Social, & Governance) experience
   Additional Requirements
   
   Qualified candidates, excluding current Navistar employees, must be legally authorized on an unrestricted basis (US Citizen, Legal Permanent Resident, Refugee or Asylee) to be employed in the United States. Navistar does not anticipate providing employment related work sponsorship for this position (e.g., H-1B status)
   Company Overview
   
   Navistar is a purpose-driven company, reimagining how to deliver what matters to create more cohesive relationships, build higher-performing teams and find solutions where others don't.
   
   Navistar is the Lisle, Illinois-based parent company of International® brand commercial trucks and engines, IC Bus® brand school and commercial buses, all-makes OnCommand® Connection advanced connectivity services, aftermarket parts brands Fleetrite®, ReNEWed® and Diamond Advantage® and Brazilian manufacturer of engines and gensets MWM Motores Diesel e Geradores.
   
   With a history of innovation dating back to 1831, Navistar has more than 12,000 employees worldwide and is part of TRATON SE, a global champion of the truck and transport services industry.
   
   Accelerating the Impact of Sustainable Mobility
   
   Visit us at www.Navistar.com to discover more about our organization
   
   Navistar is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.
   
   #ridewithnavistar

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find sustainability consultants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any sustainability consultants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level sustainability consultants with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting sustainability consultants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 sustainability consultant

   Once you've selected the best sustainability consultant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new sustainability consultant. 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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How much does it cost to hire a sustainability consultant?