Strategic Sustainability Technical Director

Zutari; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 2,500,000 - 4,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Zutari is a long-established engineering advisory firm seeking a Lead for Strategic Sustainability Advisory. The role blends thought leadership, client advisory, and commercial leadership to position Zutari as a trusted sustainability partner across infrastructure, energy, industrial and corporate sectors.

The successful candidate will build a high-value advisory offering, integrate ESG with engineering capabilities, and engage earlier in client decision-making to capture upstream opportunities.

Qualifications

• 15–20 years of professional experience in sustainability, strategy consulting, or ESG advisory.
• Master’s degree required; other related degrees are advantageous.
• Professional sustainability or climate certifications are beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and growth of the Strategic Sustainability Discipline.
• Identify and develop sustainability advisory opportunities in private sector.
• Build relationships with corporate executives, sustainability leaders, and investment decision-makers.
• Originate and lead major sustainability engagements and cross-sell with other services.
• Advise clients on ESG strategy and integration into business models.
• Lead multidisciplinary consulting teams and define core advisory services.

Skills

Strategic Sustainability Advisory

Commercial Leadership

Thought Leadership

Client Relationship & Advisory

Integrated Capability Building

Education

Master’s degree in sustainability

Business / Engineering / Economics degrees advantageous

Job description

Zutari: Co-creating an engineered impact.

Zutari is a well-established, management-owned engineering firm with almost 90 years' experience. As human-centred engineering consultants and advisors, we are trusted by our clients, business partners, communities and other stakeholders across Africa.

We co-create engineering solutions that have a positive impact and improve people's lives. Zutari values inclusion and recognises the importance of a diverse, talented workforce, believing that people need other people to succeed.

What kind of talent do we pursue?

We employ people with the right attitude and a positive mindset, who are motivated by doing the right thing, getting things done and share a sense of urgency. People who have an impact in our teams and broader community. People who think differently and connect with those around them to co-create new opportunities and leave a meaningful legacy.

Lead the development and growth of aStrategic Sustainability Advisory Disciplinefocused onprivate-sector clientsacross infrastructure, energy, industrial, and corporate sectors. The role will combinethought leadership, client advisory, and commercial leadershipto position the firm as a trusted advisor on sustainability strategy, ESG integration, climate transition, and value-creation through sustainability. The successful candidate will build ahigh-value advisory offering that complements Zutari’s engineering, infrastructure, and environmental capabilities, enabling Zutari to engage earlier in client decision-making and capture upstream advisory opportunities.

Role Responsibilities

Business Development

• Lead commercial growth of the Strategic Sustainability Discipline.
• Identify and developnew sustainability advisory opportunitieswithin private sector.
• Build relationships withcorporate executives, sustainability leaders, and investment decision-makers.
• Originate, develop and commercialise sustainability advisory services spanning strategy development, ESG integration, climate transition, risk and opportunity assessment, and sustainability performance improvement.”
• Originate and leadmajor consulting engagements.
• Support cross-selling with infrastructure, environmental, and engineering services.

Client Advisory and Delivery

• Serve as asenior trusted advisor to executiveson sustainability and climate strategy.
• Leadstrategic sustainability engagements.
• Advise clients onESG strategy and integration into business models.
• Serve as SME to companies responding toclimate risk, transition pressures, and evolving regulation.
• Translate sustainability strategy intopractical operational and infrastructure implications for business unit or client?
• Lead multidisciplinary consulting teams

Service Line Development

• Build a differentiated sustainability advisory offering
• Define and developcore advisory services inclusive of methodologies and frameworks
• Integrate sustainability advisory with engineering capabilities, recruit and mentor sustainability consultants.

Thought Leadership and Market Positioning

• Publish insights on sustainability strategy and climate transition.
• Represent the firm atindustry forums and conferences.
• Develop and steward strategic partnerships with industry bodies, sustainability networks, investors, and development finance institutions to advance organisational objectives

Minimum requirements

• 15–20 years of professional experience in sustainability, strategy consulting, or ESG advisory.
• Experience advisingprivate sector clientsin infrastructure-related sectors such as:
• Demonstrated success inwinning and leading consulting engagements.
• Experience working inmultidisciplinary consulting environments.
• Experience operating atexecutive or board advisory level.
• Master’s degree in sustainability, environmental management, climate science, economics, or related field. Essential
• Degrees in business, engineering, economics, or environmental sciences are advantageous.
• Professional sustainability or climate certifications/ accreditations are beneficial.

Skills, and characteristics

• Strategic Sustainability Advisory: Ability to advise private‑sector clients on sustainability strategy, ESG integration and climate transition in a way that supports long‑term business value.
• Commercial Leadership: Ability to build, grow and monetise a high‑value advisory offering, identifying opportunities to engage clients early and generate upstream work.
• Thought Leadership: Ability to shape and articulate informed, credible perspectives on sustainability and ESG that position the firm as a trusted advisor.
• Client Relationship & Advisory Skills: Ability to build trusted relationships with senior client decision‑makers and influence strategic choices through insight‑led advice
• Integrated Capability Building: Ability to design advisory services that complement and integrate with engineering, infrastructure and environmental capabilities across the firm

Strategic Sustainability Thinking

Demonstrates the ability to interpret sustainability and ESG trends and translate them into actionable corporate strategy, infrastructure investment decisions, and measurable business performance outcomes.

Commercial Advisory Leadership

Demonstrates the capability to originate, scale and sustain a sustainability advisory business, converting insight and expertise into commercially viable services and revenue growth.

Systems and Value‑Chain Thinking

Applies a systems‑level perspective to diagnose and address complex sustainability challenges across sectors, organisations and value chains, balancing interdependencies, risks and opportunities.

Executive Advisory Capability

Demonstrates confidence and credibility in advising senior executives and boards, providing clear, strategic guidance on sustainability, ESG and climate‑related decisions.

Multidisciplinary Integration

Effectively integrates strategy consulting, sustainability expertise and engineering capabilities to deliver cohesive, end‑to‑end advisory solutions aligned to client and business needs.

We believe that a diverse workforce is key to our business success. We seek the best people for our jobs based on their skills, qualifications, and experience. We embrace the principle of equal opportunity in employment, and we work towards eliminating all forms of unlawful discrimination in our employment practices. In support of diversity and the equal opportunity principle, preference will be given to individuals from designated groups within South Africa.