Director, Sustainability - Strategy & Implementation at Essex in Bay Area

Job description

City San Mateo State California Job Location San Mateo Corp Office Position Type Regular The Director of Sustainability - Strategy & Implementation , provides strategic leadership for the Company's sustainability program, with responsibility for overseeing financial evaluation, project research, project delivery & implementation, and ongoing performance management. This role requires extensive finance and project management experience with the ability to independently build accurate financial models tailored to each project's technical, operational, and economic dynamics; evaluate investments against the Company's required financial metrics; and conduct forecasting and valuations. The Director leads a team to deliver sustainability projects and meet applicable compliance requirements. The role aligns sustainability investments and initiatives with corporate strategy, capital priorities, and long-term value creation. WHAT YOU WILL DO: Lead the Company's Sustainability projects by establishing overall strategy, priorities, aligning project investments with business objectives and capital plans, and driving continuous improvement in financial and sustainability performance. Serve as the enterprise subject matter expert on sustainability industry norms, trends, emerging investments, technical solutions, and typical project costs; assess emerging risks and opportunities and translate findings into practical recommendations. Lead project research, feasibility assessments, and design planning for sustainability investments, including solar, EV charging, electrification, energy and water efficiency, and waste reduction. Evaluate site conditions, technical alternatives, green building standards, implementation requirements, and expected costs with internal partners and technical specialists. Independently develop, validate, and maintain financial models tailored to each proposed project's dynamics, including capital and operating costs, utility rates, production or savings assumptions, incentives, useful life, maintenance, replacement costs, and implementation timing. Document assumptions and test their reasonableness against project data and market benchmarks. Conduct investment analysis, cash flow forecasting, and project valuations using appropriate metrics, including net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), return on investment (ROI), payback period, and lifecycle cost. Perform sensitivity and scenario analyses to assess risks and confirm whether proposed projects meet the Company's required financial metrics before recommending approval. Prepare project business cases, capital budgets, and spending forecasts; prioritize investments with Finance and Investment Management, evaluate changes in scope or costs, and update financial models and recommendations when project assumptions change. Analyze high volumes of financial, utility, operational, and sustainability data to support project selection and performance evaluation. Establish baselines and dashboards to monitor completed projects against approved financial models, forecast results, investigate variances, and recommend corrective actions. Manage projects from research and design through procurement, construction, commissioning, and closeout. Establish scope, budgets, schedules, milestones, and accountability; coordinate internal stakeholders and vendors; and resolve issues to deliver projects within approved cost, quality, and timing expectations. Lead competitive vendor selection and negotiate contract scope, pricing, payment terms, warranties, performance commitments, and service requirements in coordination with Legal and other relevant teams. Benchmark proposals against industry costs and monitor vendor performance and contractual obligations. Provide oversight, technical and financial guidance, and development support to the sustainability team. Assign responsibilities, review models and deliverables, and establish controls to ensure effective project compl