Director - Climate Change & Sustainability Services (CCaSS) - KSA

EY; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

EY in Saudi Arabia seeks a Director to lead Climate Change and Sustainability Services across government, sovereign wealth, and private sector. You will shape and deliver ESG transformation programs, build senior client relationships, and guide multidisciplinary teams.

The role requires deep technical sustainability expertise, business development capabilities, and experience managing complex engagements with public sector and industry leaders.

Qualifications

• 12–15+ years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience in sustainability, ESG, climate change, public sector transformation, or strategy consulting.
• Proven track record leading complex engagements.
• Demonstrated business development and sales experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead large-scale sustainability, ESG, climate, and responsible business transformation engagements.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives, board members, regulators, and government stakeholders.
• Oversee engagement quality, risk management, commercial performance, and client satisfaction.
• Provide strategic guidance on sustainability strategy, ESG governance, climate risk, decarbonization, sustainability reporting, and related regulatory requirements.
• Drive revenue growth and market expansion for the KSA CCaSS practice.
• Identify, shape, and convert new opportunities across public and private sector clients.
• Lead proposal development, RFP responses, and strategic pursuits.
• Build and strengthen relationships with key client stakeholders and alliance partners.
• Contribute to account planning and cross-service line collaboration.
• Lead and support services across Sustainability strategy, Climate decarbonization, ESG governance and operating models.
• Represent EY at industry events, client workshops, and conferences.
• Contribute to market insights, thought leadership publications, and sustainability research.

Skills

Sustainability strategy

Climate risk

Program leadership

Public sector experience

Executive stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Proposal and pursuit leadership

Team leadership

Communication skills

Arabic and English proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Professional sustainability credentials

Job description

The Opportunity

EY is seeking a high-performing Director to join the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) practice. The successful candidate will play a leadership role in shaping and delivering sustainability and ESG transformation programs for government entities, sovereign wealth portfolios, public institutions, and leading private sector organizations across Saudi Arabia.

The role requires a combination of deep technical sustainability expertise, strong client relationship skills, business development capabilities, and experience leading multidisciplinary teams to deliver complex engagements.

Key Responsibilities

Client Leadership & Engagement Delivery

• Lead large-scale sustainability, ESG, climate, and responsible business transformation engagements.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives, board members, regulators, and government stakeholders.
• Oversee engagement quality, risk management, commercial performance, and client satisfaction.
• Provide strategic guidance on sustainability strategy, ESG governance, climate risk, decarbonization, sustainability reporting, and related regulatory requirements.

Business Development & Growth

• Drive revenue growth and market expansion for the KSA CCaSS practice.
• Identify, shape, and convert new opportunities across public and private sector clients.
• Lead proposal development, RFP responses, and strategic pursuits.
• Build and strengthen relationships with key client stakeholders and alliance partners.
• Contribute to account planning and cross-service line collaboration.

Technical Leadership

The Director will be expected to lead and support services across areas including:

• Sustainability and ESG strategy
• Climate change and decarbonization
• Sustainability reporting and assurance
• ESG governance and operating models
• Sustainable finance and responsible investment
• Impact assessment and measurement
• Environmental and social advisory programs

These focus areas align with EY CCaSS solution clusters including Sustainability Advisory, Climate & Decarbonization, Environment, Health & Safety (EHS), and Sustainability Reporting & Assurance.

Team Leadership

• Coach, mentor, and develop managers and senior managers.
• Contribute to recruitment, talent development, and performance management activities.
• Build a high-performing sustainability team in line with EY's growth ambitions in Saudi Arabia.
• Promote collaboration across MENA and global sustainability teams.

Thought Leadership

• Represent EY at industry events, client workshops, and conferences.
• Contribute to market insights, thought leadership publications, and sustainability research.
• Support the development of innovative sustainability solutions aligned with evolving market needs.

Requirements

Experience

• 12–15+ years of relevant professional experience.
• Significant experience in sustainability, ESG, climate change, public sector transformation, strategy consulting, environmental advisory, or related fields.
• Proven track record leading complex consulting engagements and managing senior client relationships.
• Demonstrated business development and sales experience with responsibility for revenue generation.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Sustainability, Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Economics, Business, Public Policy, Finance, or a related discipline.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Professional sustainability credentials (GRI, ISSB, SASB/FSA, TCFD, GHG Protocol, CFA ESG, LEED, etc.) are desirable.

Key Skills

• Sustainability strategy and ESG transformation
• Climate risk and decarbonization
• Program and project leadership
• Government and public sector experience
• Executive stakeholder management
• Commercial acumen and market development
• Proposal and pursuit leadership
• Team leadership and coaching
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Arabic and English proficiency preferred

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking a commercially minded sustainability leader who combines deep technical expertise with the ability to develop client relationships, identify growth opportunities, and build high-performing teams. The successful candidate will be a market-facing leader capable of supporting EY's continued expansion across Saudi Arabia's sustainability and transformation agenda.