Sustainability Lead

Parsons; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 400,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

Parsons is seeking a highly experienced Sustainability Lead to provide strategic leadership, technical oversight, and sustainability management for a major airport, infrastructure, and airfield development project in Saudi Arabia. You will drive sustainability strategies across the lifecycle, ensuring alignment with international standards and client objectives.

You will lead certification efforts, coordinate with design teams, and manage carbon, water, and energy initiatives while guiding

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering or related field.
• Master’s degree in Sustainability or related discipline preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in sustainability management or sustainable infrastructure delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of the project sustainability strategy and framework.
• Establish sustainability objectives, targets, KPIs, and monitoring requirements.
• Provide strategic sustainability guidance to project leadership, engineering teams, contractors, and stakeholders.
• Ensure sustainability objectives are integrated into design, procurement, construction, and operations.
• Coordinate with design and project teams to achieve targeted sustainability ratings (LEED/BREEAM/Envision/Estidama).
• Review energy modelling, carbon inventories, and water conservation strategies.
• Lead sustainability workshops, reporting, and regulatory compliance.
• Monitor KPIs, carbon reduction, energy performance, and waste management across the lifecycle.
• Support carbon reduction initiatives including renewable energy and low-carbon materials.
• Maintain effective communication with project stakeholders and authorities.

Skills

Sustainability management

Environmental engineering

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Airport infrastructure experience

Carbon management

Energy efficiency

Sustainability reporting

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Engineering

Master's Degree in Sustainability

Tools

LEED

BREEAM

Envision

Estidama

Job description

In a world of possibilities, pursue one with endless opportunities. Imagine Next!At Parsons, you can imagine a career where you thrive, work with exceptional people, and be yourself. Guided by our leadership vision of valuing people, embracing agility, and fostering growth, we cultivate an innovative culture that empowers you to achieve your full potential. Unleash your talent and redefine what’s possible.

Job Description:

Parsons is looking for a highly experienced Sustainability Lead to provide strategic leadership, technical oversight, and sustainability management support for a major Airport, Infrastructure, and Airfield Development Project.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring sustainability strategies across the project lifecycle, ensuring alignment with international sustainability standards, client objectives, environmental requirements, and airport development best practices.

The Sustainability Lead will support sustainable delivery across all project components including passenger terminals, runways, taxiways, cargo aprons, aircraft stands, external infrastructure, utilities, buildings, and airport operational facilities.

The role requires extensive experience in sustainability management, green building practices, environmental performance, carbon reduction strategies, energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and stakeholder coordination within major airport or infrastructure projects.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Lead the development and implementation of the project sustainability strategy and sustainability management framework.
• Establish sustainability objectives, targets, KPIs, and performance monitoring requirements.
• Provide strategic sustainability guidance to project leadership, engineering teams, contractors, and stakeholders.
• Ensure sustainability objectives are integrated into design, procurement, construction, and operational phases.
• Support the Delivery Partner in achieving project sustainability commitments and environmental goals
• Provide sustainability leadership across major airport development elements including:
  • Passenger terminals and airport buildings.
  • Runways and taxiways.
  • Cargo facilities.
  • Aircraft aprons and stands.
  • Roads and external infrastructure.
  • Utilities and infrastructure networks.
  • Airport support facilities.
• Review project strategies related to:
  • Energy efficiency.
  • Carbon reduction.
  • Water conservation.
  • Sustainable materials.
  • Waste management.
  • Climate resilience.
  • Environmental performance.
• Ensure sustainability principles are embedded within airport planning and delivery processes.

• Lead sustainability certification activities and compliance requirements for airport facilities.
• Manage implementation of green building rating systems including:
  • LEED.
  • BREEAM.
  • Envision.
  • Estidama or equivalent sustainability frameworks.
• Review sustainability documentation, calculations, and evidence submissions.
• Coordinate with design teams to achieve targeted sustainability ratings.
• Monitor sustainability credits, gaps, and improvement opportunities.

• Develop and monitor carbon management strategies throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support implementation of carbon reduction initiatives including:
  • Energy-efficient building systems.
  • Renewable energy solutions.
  • Low-carbon materials.
  • Sustainable construction methods.
  • Operational efficiency improvements.
• Review energy modelling studies and sustainability assessments.
• Support development of carbon inventories, emissions tracking, and reduction plans.
• Promote low-carbon solutions while maintaining operational reliability.

• Lead sustainability initiatives related to water efficiency and resource management.
• Review strategies for:
  • Water conservation.
  • Rainwater management.
  • Wastewater reuse.
  • Sustainable drainage systems.
  • Irrigation efficiency.
• Coordinate with utilities and engineering teams to optimize resource utilization.
• Support implementation of sustainable water management solutions suitable for airport environments.
• Review engineering and architectural designs to ensure sustainability objectives are achieved.
• Coordinate with:
  • Architecture teams.
  • Civil engineering teams.
  • MEP disciplines.
  • Utilities teams.
  • Airfield engineering teams.
  • BIM and digital engineering teams.

• Participate in design reviews, value engineering workshops, and sustainability assessments.
• Identify opportunities to improve environmental performance and lifecycle value.
• Monitor contractor compliance with sustainability requirements during construction.

• Review contractor sustainability plans, environmental management plans, and reporting.
• Support implementation of:
  • Sustainable construction practices.
  • Waste reduction strategies.
  • Resource efficiency measures.
  • Sustainable procurement requirements.
• Conduct sustainability audits and site inspections.
• Monitor environmental performance indicators during construction activities.
• Coordinate with:
  • Client representatives.
  • Airport authorities.
  • Environmental agencies.
  • Government entities.
  • Consultants.
  • Contractors.
  • Specialist sustainability advisors.

• Lead sustainability workshops, reviews, and reporting sessions.
• Support environmental approvals, sustainability submissions, and regulatory compliance.
• Maintain effective communication with project stakeholders.
• Develop sustainability reports, dashboards, and performance updates.

• Monitor sustainability KPIs and project targets.
• Track progress against:
  • Carbon reduction goals.
  • Energy performance targets.
  • Water efficiency targets.
  • Waste diversion objectives.
  • Certification requirements.
• Provide sustainability recommendations to project leadership.
• Support preparation of project closeout sustainability documentation.

What Required Skills You'll Bring:

• Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Engineering, Sustainability, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Building Services Engineering, or related discipline.
• Master's Degree in Sustainability, Environmental Management, or related field is preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in sustainability management, environmental engineering, or sustainable infrastructure delivery.

• Proven experience supporting major:
  • Airport developments.
  • Aviation infrastructure projects.
  • Transportation programs.
  • Large-scale infrastructure developments.
• Strong experience implementing sustainability strategies during design, construction, and operational phases.
• Experience managing sustainability requirements within:
  • Delivery Partner environments.
  • PMC organizations.
  • EPC projects.
  • Client-side project teams.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating sustainability consultants, contractors, and multidisciplinary teams.

• Strong knowledge of sustainability principles, environmental management, and sustainable infrastructure practices.
• Experience with sustainability rating systems including LEED, BREEAM, Envision, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of:
  • Carbon management.
  • Energy efficiency.
  • Renewable energy integration.
  • Water conservation.
  • Waste management.
  • Climate resilience.
  • Sustainable materials.
• Understanding of airport sustainability requirements and operational constraints.
• Experience preparing sustainability reports, assessments, and compliance documentation.
• Strong analytical, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Ability to manage sustainability objectives within complex multidisciplinary projects.

What Desired Skills You'll Bring:

• Professional sustainability certification such as:
  • LEED AP.
  • BREEAM Assessor.
  • Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP).
  • WELL Accredited Professional.
  • Carbon Management Certification.
• Experience delivering sustainability strategies for international airport mega-projects.
• Knowledge of ICAO environmental guidance and aviation sustainability requirements.
• Experience with carbon-neutral airport initiatives and net-zero strategies.
• Experience working under FIDIC or similar international contract frameworks.
• Experience supporting Design-Build, EPC, PMC, or Delivery Partner project delivery models.
• Strong stakeholder management experience with airport authorities, regulators, and government entities.

Parsons equally employs representation at all job levels no matter the race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability or genetic information.

We truly invest and care about our employee’s wellbeing and provide endless growth opportunities as the sky is the limit, so aim for the stars!