Business Sustainability - Senior Consultant at Forvis Mazars Group

Job Description    
An opportunity exists in the Business Sustainability Division of Mazars; an international professional services firm, based at Mazars House in beautiful Century City, Cape Town. Purpose: You will be a part of a dynamic team that provides comprehensive sustainability solutions and services that inspire and enable our customers to create value from sustainability-related activities. Your main purpose will be to consult with clients on the sustainability strategy regarding their business optimization, social equity, and environmental analysis.

Duties and Responsibilities    

• Proven project management capabilities and building team capacity.
• Strong knowledge of key sustainability frameworks and requirements in Africa, the EU, and the US.
• Ability to understand our client’s business model, develop a sustainability strategy for them and assist in sustainability report compilation. The reports to demonstrate the requirements of various frameworks such as GRI, SASB, ISSB, TCFD, to mention a few.
• Compiling annual responses to investor questionnaires such as CDP and DJSI and providing clients with guidance to improve their scores and their practice.
• Assessing the client’s current sustainability performance and working with key stakeholders to identify, prioritize, and strategically manage key sustainability issues.
• Identifying and tracking ESG and sustainability trends, best practices, frameworks, and standards communicating those relevant to internal and external stakeholders and using information to develop new services and client offerings.
• Competency in carbon footprint measurements and report writing to provide the client with key reduction strategies.
• Ensuring appropriate controls and measurement systems are in place for clients to support and maintain sustainability reporting integrity and assurance.
• Working closely with various specialists to implement strategies and annual environmental and social performance for clients.
• Knowledge of value drivers within Sustainability
• Project management skills with a demonstrated ability to work on multiple engagements effectively.
• Experience in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience in managing and coaching junior team members.
• Clear and effective communication skills
• Ability to build key stakeholder relationships, both internally and with clients

Minimum Requirements    
Educational / Professional Qualifications

• Relevat post-graduate qualification essential (sustainable development, business, finance, or accounting)
• Knowledge of the universal frameworks on sustainability and integrated reporting frameworks and standards is highly advantageous.
• Knowledge of the GRI Standards is an added advantage.
• In addition to the technical qualifications, experience and/or qualifications in a business management-related field would be beneficial (e.g. financial, change management, strategy, etc.)
• A minimum of 3 - 5 years of professional services experience within the sustainability field with a proven consulting background
• Commercially focused and adept in applying your sustainability knowledge to differing client situations.
• Good business developer with a good network within the business sustainability sector in South Africa
• Commitment to the B-BBEE transformation agenda

Personal Attributes

• Ability to work independently and a passion for learning.
• Self-starter and team player with good communication, interpersonal, and client servicing skills
• Proven ability to manage people and clients.
• Excellent technical ability in business transformation
• Motivating/Communicative leadership style with excellent verbal and written skills
• Strong project management, research, analytical and report-writing skills
• Problem solver and effective, efficient decision-maker
• Solutions Oriented
• Catalyst for change
• Ability to work in a dynamic environment, shaping and reshaping teams / services to meet evolving needs.