North America Lead, Climate

APCO Impact is a unique consultancy that takes an integrated and focused approach to social impact and sustainability. We partner with corporations, brands, non-profits, foundations and governments to drive sustainability and weave positive social impact into decision-making at all levels. Our focus is on addressing root causes, changing systems and moving towards a more regenerative, equitable future. Our team brings together a range of experts across climate and sustainability, ESG, equity & justice, corporate purpose and philanthropy. Specialists in both strategy and operations, our teams are multi-generational and comprised of individuals who bring a mix of lived and professional experiences across the gamut of social and environmental issues. We are continually investing in our own knowledge so we are positioned to help clients see across trends and around the corner.

APCO Impact sits within APCO Worldwide, a global advisory and advocacy firm, allowing us to leverage specialized expertise in climate and sustainability, while also bringing to bear APCO’s global network of best-in-class policy, communications and advocacy professionals.

The North America Lead, Climate will be joining a team of professionals who operate across sectors and geographies to ensure our clients deliver transformational impact. This role will ideally be based in one of our offices in North America.

The Role:

The North America Lead, Climate will work closely with and report to the executive leadership at APCO. We are seeking someone who is a builder and collaborator with a deep commitment to urgent action on climate change, driving towards Net Zero by 2050 or sooner. This person has deep experience working with clients and has content experience and knowledge in some of the key cross cutting areas – climate finance, nature-based solutions, ESG metrics and reporting, infrastructure, policy, renewables, water, transportation, supply chain, oceans, circular economy, sustainable food production, and/or the SDGs. Experience with Race to Zero, SBTi, CA100+ Net Zero company benchmark, TCFD, TNFD, biodiversity, scenario development and disclosure a huge plus.

Core responsibilities:

The Senior Director will work to further develop and cohere a strong client practice, leading with client delivery in the climate and sustainability space.

New Business and Market Growth

• Cultivate, pursue and convert a pipeline of business development opportunities
• Expertise in climate and sustainability market growth, expansion and exposure

Reputation and Thought Leadership

• Help position APCO as a leading advisor in impact and sustainability by representing the company at key events and cultivating relevant speaking opportunities
• Build, maintain and harness a strong network
• Proactively develop thought leadership on the issues that will be critical to clients achieving their goals

Client Advisory

• Serve as a business strategy expert to advise leading companies and C-level executives on their most pressing environmental, social and governance challenges.
• Provide the highest level of client service through proactive account management, serving as a key client contact while also managing staff to successfully maintain and grow client relationships
• Establish APCO as a trusted business partner

Management and Team Leadership

• Grow and lead a team of high-performing, talented and diverse consultants with wide-ranging expertise (communications, media, ESG strategy, climate, sustainable finance and more)
• Identify, design and lead critical and complex practice development initiatives

About you:

You should have 15 years plus of full-time work experience, ideally with a strong strategy background from an agency, consultancy, business, non-profit or government with a focus on climate change and/or sustainability issues. You have a demonstrated track record and/or commitment to climate change and client-facing experience.

You are a team player who:

• Has a solid content background in climate and sustainability
• Enjoys solving complex problems in developing opportunities, ideas, and solutions
• Communicates your argument and perspective clearly and convincingly, verbally and in writing
• Brings experience in developing common agency- and consulting-style deliverables, such as synthesized issue insights and strategy options and recommendations
• Values delivering for, and collaborating with, clients, funders, and partners
• Has high integrity, a high bar for quality and rigor, hands-on attitude, and proactivity
• Is committed to applying and advocating for an equity lens in the workplace and in the work itself. This includes seeking and honoring diverse research inputs and interrogating and challenging biases and stereotypes

About APCO

Founded in 1984, APCO Worldwide is an award-winning, independently owned global communications, stakeholder engagement and business strategy firm with offices in major cities throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. APCO combines a global perspective with local expertise to help clients around the world manage challenges, opportunities, perceptions and reputations. APCO clients include corporations and governments; industry associations and nonprofit organizations; and six of the top 10 companies on the Fortune 500. The firm is a majority women-owned business.

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