Global Sustainability Director

About IAAPA IAAPA is the global association for the attractions industry.
Our purpose is to bring the global attractions family together and our mission is to inspire, grow, and protect the industry through member connections.
IAAPA represents the diverse and ever-changing attractions industry.
For over a century, IAAPA has connected companies of all sizes and people of all levels to provide meaningful experiences for their guests around the world.
IAAPA hosts global events and conferences that provide a showcase for innovation, support trade, and facilitate the sharing of best practices.
We also provide valuable tools and resources that make member businesses smarter, safer, and more profitable while delivering guest experiences that delight and provide memories that last a lifetime.
Founded in 1918, IAAPA represents leading industry attractions; manufacturers, suppliers, and consultants; and individual members from more than 100 countries.
Members own and operate a variety of location-based entertainment venues and attractions including amusement parks, theme parks, attractions, water parks, resorts, family entertainment centers, zoos, aquariums, science centers, museums, cruise lines, and cultural and natural attractions.
About the Team If your passion is to create, design, and offer a unique experience to our members whose mission is to make people happy, then this is the team for you.
Your creativity, drive, and desire to take care of our global members will help us achieve our mission and make you successful.
Purpose 71% of IAAPA members see sustainability as "extremely or very important to their organization".
This is only one of the reasons why IAAPA is creating the new role of Global Sustainability Director.
The Global Sustainability Director facilitates the development of organization or community-wide sustainability goals and oversees the execution of plans, policies, programs, and practices aimed at achieving them.
Key Areas of Responsibility: This role will work closely with the global sustainability committee, regional sustainability committees/task forces and all departments to further develop and execute a sustainability strategy for IAAPA’s operations while inspiring the members to develop sustainability programs and promoting the exchange between and among them.
The director will identify areas of improvement by setting the right priorities with clear targets to prepare IAAPA as an association for this new chapter.
They will drive the sustainability agenda of IAAPA by analyzing opportunities to implement an approach to run IAAPA’s operations in a more sustainable way.
The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of global sustainability frameworks, tools and standards, experience in creating and executing sustainability programs, and the ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
Job Title: Global Sustainability Director Hours: Full time Location: TBD Report to: President and CEO in the introductory phase Overall Responsibilities: Internal Organization Further develop and implement IAAPAs sustainability strategy in line with IAAPA’s mission and vision selecting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) flagship initiatives and defining implementation roadmaps.
Ensure regulatory compliance on a global level.
Anticipate regulatory trends and their implications.
Establish adherence to the sustainability laws and regulations that apply to the attractions industry and the work of the association.
Oversee the sustainability of IAAPA trade shows and events worldwide and work closely with the department heads and regional VPs to incorporate sustainability in all aspects of the organization and logistics.
Analyze all aspects of running an association in terms of sustainability and integration of sustainability issues in daily work.
Develop metrics and key performance indicators to measure the success of sustainability initiatives.
Develop ESG communication strategy for internal and external stakeholders.
Prepare the completion and communications of company ESG report.
Advise on sustainability issues and work actively to ensure IAAPA’s leadership and employees maintain and increase their competence in sustainability.
Champion cultural change across the entire organization including through education.
Manage the budget for sustainability work.
Embed sustainability into processes and decision-making.
Revise key processes and related criteria/metrics/tools for decisions.
External relations and project management Design and implement sustainability programs, initiatives, and best practices for IAAPA members.
Provide strategic recommendations on global and regional sustainability trends that (could) impact the industry.
Oversee the association’s portfolio of sustainability projects.
Collaborate with industry leaders, governmental bodies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to stay abreast of the latest sustainability trends and technologies.
Serve as spokesperson on relevant issues in sustainability.
Establish/coordinate/execute the creation and dissemination of written materials such as bulletins, white papers, press releases, presentations for the members, etc.
Support the regions in creating and delivering educational materials and training programs to raise awareness and build capacity for sustainable practices within the attractions industry.
Work with external stakeholders on regulatory initiatives as for example a sustainability standard for the attractions industry.
Link external legislative and regulatory developments to sustainability in the attractions industry, helping members to understand the impact on their business and operations.
Oversee the development of professional standards, certification and facility accreditation programs on sustainability.
Member relations Serve as the liaison to the according global and regional sustainability committees and task forces including developing and managing annual work plans.
Build relationships of trust with members.
Maintain a network of stakeholder contacts within the industry.
Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with relevant organizations, institutions, and government bodies to enhance the industry’s sustainability efforts.
Be the IAAPA champion for sustainability and develop a pool of experts to support members in daily sustainability question Qualification, Knowledge, Skill Required: University degree or equivalent 5-7 years of relevant professional experience in the sustainability space, preferably with a background in a hospitality or MICE business.
Strong understanding of environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainability.
Proficient knowledge of IT applications.
Knowledge and experience of global policy and structure.
Experience in leading teams of up to 10 people Native speaker level in English required (in speech and writing); any additional language capacity is beneficial.
Flexible – international travel required.
Competences Collaborative: getting work done through and with others Courage: dealing with trouble, problem-solving Strategic: making complex decisions Organizational Positioning: communicating effectively Operating: getting organized and managing work processes efficiently Personal and Interpersonal: inspiring others Presence: the Director must be visible in the business and ensure the quality and service level and adherence to the values The above statements describe the general nature and level of work the individual(s) assigned to this position perform.
They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all required duties, responsibilities, and skills.
Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove tasks and assign other necessary obligations.
In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.