Australia Engagement Lead

World Benchmarking Alliance; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 153,000; Full time

Job summary

World Benchmarking Alliance in Australia seeks a senior sustainability professional to co-lead the national engagement strategy. You will leverage biodiversity and nature expertise to assess company performance, identify opportunities, and build relationships with key players across the value chain.

You will partner with the Australian Stakeholder Lead to align with WBA’s global research agenda, influence policy dialogues, and ensure meaningful improvements in corporate accountability for

Qualifications

• 8+ years of sustainability experience with strong technical expertise in biodiversity, nature, or food and agriculture.
• Strong analytical and communication skills to translate data into insights for engagement strategies.
• Excellent understanding of biodiversity, nature, food and agriculture challenges across value chains.

Responsibilities

• Identify trends, gaps and opportunities in company performance to inform Australia engagement.
• Analyze company data and research to highlight progress, gaps and required actions.
• Build and nurture relationships with high-priority companies, business platforms and stakeholders in Australia.
• Represent WBA externally in bilateral meetings, industry forums and policy dialogues to raise profile and influence.
• Scope developments and risks across biodiversity and related sustainability issues to shape engagement approaches.
• Share insights from Australia with WBA to connect with wider research and workstreams.
• Collaborate with the Australian Stakeholder Lead to deliver the broader strategy.

Skills

Biodiversity

Nature & ecosystems

Food & Agriculture

Analytical skills

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Project management

Strategic thinking

Job description

About WBA

The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) is an independent, non-profit organisation that measures how businesses impact people and planet so that together, we can hold companies accountable for contributing to sustainable development. We assess the world’s 2,000 most influential companies using open-source research and methodologies that provide a clear roadmap for companies to understand their performance, identify gaps and strengthen their approach to environmental and social sustainability. Through our engagement with companies, we help them interpret our findings, share emerging good practice and build understanding of what credible transition planning looks like, supporting continuous learning and improvement.

WBA is a Teal-inspired organisation, intentionally shaping a distinctive organisational culture. Drawing on principles of Regenerative Leadership, we are building a workplace where collaboration, trust, learning and personal growth are prioritised alongside high performance.

Why This Role Matters

You will strengthen and co-lead on the delivery of a dedicated engagement strategy in Australia that started at the beginning of 2025. This is a chance to play a critical role in shaping WBA’s work in Australia, focusing on closing the corporate accountability gap through company and stakeholder engagement. You will be part of WBA’s Company and Industry Engagement Team, a global team with expertise and mandate to meaningfully engage the companies we assess, to drive company learning and improvements in performance.

The Opportunity

• You will use your technical expertise in biodiversity, nature, or food and agriculture issues to identify key trends, gaps and opportunities in company performance and inform WBA’s engagement with high-priority companies
• You will unpack WBA’s company data and research to identify compelling findings, trends and insights that can help demonstrate where companies are making progress, where gaps remain and what action is needed to drive improved sustainability performance
• You will proactively identify, build and nurture relationships with high-priority companies, business platforms and other key organisations in or linked to Australia through their value chains, using WBA’s research and insights to stimulate company learning and encourage stronger corporate action
• You will proactively seek out and deliver opportunities to represent WBA externally in bilateral meetings and events, including industry forums, conferences, roundtables and policy dialogues, building WBA’s profile and influence with relevant stakeholders
• You will scope developments, risks and opportunities across biodiversity, nature, food and agriculture and related sustainability issues, and use these insights to shape WBA’s company engagement approach in Australia with the goal of closing the corporate accountability gap
• You will bring insights and learning from your engagement in Australia back into WBA, sharing company practices insights and connecting these to WBA’s wider research and engagement workstreams
• You will work closely with the Australian Stakeholder Lead to deliver WBA’s broader Australian strategy

What You'll Bring

• 8+ years’ relevant experience in the field of sustainability with strong technical expertise in one or more areas including biodiversity and nature, or food and agriculture
• Strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to analyse company-level data, identify trends and patterns, and turn complex information into clear, compelling insights that inform engagement strategies and drive improved company performance
• A good understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing companies and their supply chains in relation to biodiversity, nature, food and agriculture and/or other interconnected sustainability transitions, and the ability to navigate across different sustainability themes
• A proactive approach to external engagement, with the confidence and initiative to identify opportunities, build relationships and engage constructively with companies, business platforms and other stakeholders
• Confidence and clarity in communicating complex sustainability issues to WBA’s key stakeholders, including companies, financial institutions, policymakers and civil society organisations, both in bilateral meetings and public forums
• Strong existing sustainability networks in Australia, particularly with companies, business platforms, financial institutions, policymakers and/or civil society organisations relevant to WBA’s work
• Excellent strategic and innovative thinking, and strong project management skills, with the ability to turn research and analysis into practical insights that can inform company engagement and support learning and action
• Collaborative, thoughtful, and calm under pressure, you thrive in a fast paced, changing environment and are comfortable taking initiative and working independently

Quick Facts

• Working Hours' Time Zone: Mainly Sydney hours, some flexibility including the ability to regularly join internal meetings that are GMT AM timezone (this will average about two days a week working with an overlap with GMT AM timezone)
• Job type: Full time (40 hours per week), fixed term 14-month contract (contract duration based on project funding)
• Annual Salary Range: EUR 75,000 - 95,000 or AUD 119,000-150,000