Director - Climate Change & Sustainability Services (CCaSS) - KSA
EY · Riyadh
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.