Senior Manager: Sustainability

Mayer Brown LLP; London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Manager: Sustainability to lead their ESG initiatives. This role offers the chance to work collaboratively in a dynamic environment, where you will drive sustainability strategies and influence key stakeholders. The firm values excellence and innovation, providing you with the opportunity to make a significant impact on their sustainability goals. If you are passionate about environmental issues and possess strong communication skills, this position could be your next career milestone.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years’ experience in ESG and sustainability.
• Strong knowledge of global and EU legislative frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead sustainability initiatives and set strategic aims for ESG matters.
• Ensure compliance with energy and carbon reporting requirements.

Skills

ESG Knowledge

Sustainability Strategy Development

Communication Skills

Project Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Education

Degree Level Education

Professional Qualifications

Job description

Overview

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the world’s major corporations, funds, and financial institutions in their most important and complex transactions and disputes. We are recognised by our clients as strategic partners with deep commercial instincts and a commitment to creatively anticipating their needs and delivering excellence in everything we do.

We are a collegial and collaborative firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support, and development they need to grow, thrive, and realise their greatest potential all while supporting the Firm’s client service principles of excellence, strategic partnership, commercial instinct, integrated strengths, innovation, and collaboration across our international firm.

If you enjoy working with team members whose defining characteristics are exceptional client service, initiative, professionalism, responsiveness, and adaptability, you may be the person we are seeking to join our Firm Administration department in our London office as a Senior Manager: Sustainability.

Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with flexibility in accordance with the needs of the business.

Responsibilities

The Senior Manager: Sustainability will advance the Firm’s sustainability initiatives by helping to set and drive the Firm's strategic aims in relation to ESG matters. He or she will also help to create, implement and oversee new processes and procedures in relation to sustainability which help the Firm to set and meet its targets and stated aims.

Annual ESG rating

• Lead the relationships with CDP and Ecovadis and strive to improve the Firm's score while ensuring the respective annual assessments are completed by the deadline.

Emissions Reduction

• Determine if the Firm should make its emissions reduction targets public and seek accreditation by the Science Based Targets Initiative.
• Work with major offices to bring about a complete or substantial transition to renewable (or, if unavailable, low carbon) energy by 2032 (where this can be done at acceptable cost).
• Work with Procurement to establish incentives for major suppliers to reduce emissions.
• Review key policies (g. the Travel Policy) and provide suggestions for enhancements which are consistent with the Firm’s sustainability targets while accepting the need for essential business travel.

Client Responses

• Liaise with the BD and Legal Risk Management teams, to answer sustainability questions from existing clients and in pitches for new prospective clients.
• Compile database of responses for use in other client requests.

Compliance

• Ensure streamlined energy and carbon reporting for Mayer Brown International is done correctly each year.
• Ensure the Firm meets its California (and other U.S. State) reporting obligations.
• Keep EU reporting requirements under review and work with relevant office directors to ensure Firm compliance should legislation require regulatory disclosures.
• Find suitable partners to confirm limited and reasonable assurance of environmental figures the Firm must publish.
• Test and if appropriate sign up to a carbon accounting/regulatory platform which will in due course streamline data collection and reporting.

Awareness & Information Sharing

• Provide periodic updates to offices as opportunities arise on the sustainability work going on in the Firm.
• Provide periodic updates for inclusion in the Chair’s Weekly newsletter.
• Represent the firm credibly at external industry/law firm events where sustainability is on the agenda.
• Develop opportunities for wider partner and employee engagement g. Earth Day initiatives; and in Environmental apps (e.g. Deedster).
• Update Globalnet (Sustainability page) so employees and partners have an up-to-date resource including a relevant elevator pitch.
• Update mayerbrown.com on progress made on sustainability.
• Monitor sustainability developments globally (such as steps taken by peer law firms and client questions) to advise Firm leadership of pressures on the Firm and respond in a fashion that benefits Mayer Brown globally, and at office/regional level.
• Build networks with peer law firms to stay abreast of industry developments (g. via Willams Lea, Net Zero Now, Totum).
• Stay abreast of developments in voluntary offsets through contacts such as Ecoact and ACT such that Firm leadership can be advised when the market is mature enough for the Firm to consider participating in this market.

Environmental Policy

• Own the Global Environmental Policy and work with office Directors of Administration to implement the policy, including reducing use of single use plastics, water, paper and energy among other measures.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• Related professional qualifications an advantage

Experience, skills and personal attributes:

Professional Experience:

• At least five years’ experience with ESG and/or sustainability matters required
• Previous experience working with external bodies such as Ecovadis an advantage
• Strong knowledge of global and EU legislative framework and experience of creating related policies and guidance
• Experience of drafting internal communications for a variety of audiences including at a senior level

Performance Traits:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate effectively and in a professional manner with all levels of the Firm and outside vendors
• Ability to work in a diverse team environment and effectively support the demanding needs of the Firm
• Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines with shifting priorities
• Must be a self-starter with a high level of initiative
• Ability to influence and persuade senior stakeholders to get to the heart of issues and reach consensus
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills and the ability to handle multiple projects
• Maintains confidentiality and exercises discretion
• Exercises prioritisation and problem-solving skills

At Mayer Brown, we are committed to creating an inclusive work environment that offers our people the opportunity and support they need to succeed.

Our culture promotes mutual respect, acceptance, cooperation and productivity among people from all backgrounds and values different perspectives and ideas.

One of our core values at Mayer Brown is to promote diversity and inclusion at all levels within the business which is actively supported by our diversity networks - LGBT+, Fusion (Race & Ethnicity), Multi-faith, Women, Enable (Disability) and Work and Me (Family).

We are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that individuals may require throughout the recruitment process and once they have joined the Firm.

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