Our Opportunity
GPJ is hiring a Sustainability Lead to join our growing team.
This role is hybrid, requiring you to report on-site to one of the following office locations a minimum of 2 days/week: Austin, Boston, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City, or San Francisco.
Your Role
As the Americas Sustainability Lead at GPJ, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our sustainability strategy and steering our agency and clients toward an environmental, social, and economic conscious future. This is a strategic and high-impact role where you will drive a culture of sustainability across three key stakeholder groups: employees, the supply chain, and existing and prospective clients.
You will serve as the primary voice of sustainability and a source of expertise within the agency. Your work will focus on creating a robust sustainability offering that the agency can sell to clients, ensuring our events not only meet business objectives but also embody our commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
- You will be a core member of our sustainability community, serving as the regional lead for the Americas and working closely with the global Corporate Responsibility Council.
- Building on agency work done to date, you will create a comprehensive sustainability strategy aligned with agency values and industry best practices.
- You will lead the end-to-end rollout, implementation, and administration of the ISO 20121 Management System for GPJ US. You will coordinate internal audits and management reviews to ensure continuous improvement and readiness for external ISO 20121 audits.
- You will identify and engage key stakeholders, and conduct formal assessments to identify significant sustainability issues.
- You will establish and monitor measurable goals and key performance indicators to track progress in alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and broader ESG reporting frameworks.
- You will create internal excitement and build a community of advocates to foster a culture of sustainability within the organization. You will design sustainability programs and educational initiatives to build robust subject matter expertise and talent across the agency.
- You will partner with Practice and Account leads to create wedge offerings and ensure sustainability goals are integrated into account plans and the business planning process.You will assist in monetization efforts by identifying clients that value sustainability and proactively presenting opportunities to drive deeper impact.
- You will guide the agency in publishing thought leadership and case studies, partnering with Marketing to secure PR and appearances at industry events.
- You will collaborate with GPJ Fabrication, suppliers, and internal teams to promote sustainable practices and source sustainable materials / equipment.
- You will partner with the DEI&B lead to ensure US initiatives remain aligned with overall agency ESG goals and metrics.
- You will support global sustainability reportings, assessments, and ratings alongside the CRC, including platforms like EcoVadis and CDP. You will address requirements from assessments and ratings specific to US operations and identify improvement potentials in collaboration with the CRC.
- You will lead the development of internal policies and procedures to ensure compliance with environmental laws and certifications.
- You will be instrumental in supporting RFP/RFI requests ensuring Sustainability is consistently and accurately represented
Your Skills
Strategic Thinking & Leadership
- A visionary mindset capable of conceptualizing and implementing innovative strategies to drive long-term impact.
- Strategic thinking with the ability to integrate sustainability seamlessly into the overall business strategy of the agency.
- Goal-driven approach with a proactive nature in setting and achieving ambitious sustainability objectives.
Technical & Analytical Expertise
- ISO Standards Expertise: Familiarity with ISO 20121 is mandatory; knowledge of ISO 14001, 45001 or ISO 9001 is a significant plus.
- Analytical Skills: Strong ability to assess the environmental and social impact of events, track key performance indicators, and make data-driven decisions.
- Sustainable Procurement: Proven ability to vet suppliers based on life-cycle impact and source sustainable materials.
- Fabrication Knowledge (Preferred): Understanding of material lifecycle management, Design for Disassembly, and modular construction systems.
Collaboration & Communication
- Excellent communication skills to articulate complex sustainability concepts clearly to diverse internal and external stakeholders.
- The ability to collaborate across various departments to ensure a cohesive and integrated approach to sustainability.
- Passion and enthusiasm for creating positive change and inspiring colleagues and stakeholders alike.
Your Competencies
High Ethical integrity: You possess unwavering high ethical integrity with a commitment to transparency, data honesty, and strict compliance with internal policies and external regulations. You are committed to accurately representing the company’s sustainability performance and actively prevent risks related to greenwashing or misleading claims.
Systems & Frameworks: You are skilled in translating international standards and frameworks (e.g. ISO 20121) into actionable internal processes and management systems.
Problem-Solving: You are adept at identifying challenges and developing practical, effective solutions.
Communication: You can clearly and persuasively articulate complex sustainability topics to both internal and external audiences.
Attention to Detail: You have a meticulous approach to data gathering and reporting to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Influence: You have the ability to drive change and secure buy-in across different departments and regions.
Project Leadership: You can manage and guide projects to successful completion, even in complex, cross-functional environments.
Your Experience
Experience & Education
- Substantial experience in sustainability roles, specifically within event management or marketing settings.
- A proven track record of successfully implementing sustainability initiatives within the events industry.
- Previous leadership or management experience, demonstrating the ability to lead and inspire cross-functional teams.
- Demonstrated ability to bring innovative and creative solutions to integrate sustainability into complex environments.
- Relevant certifications and qualifications.
- A demonstrated commitment to staying informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and global best practices
Travel & Mobility
- This role is based in the US and requires in-office attendance two days a week.
- Occasional travel (up to 25%) may be required to support global initiatives or team meetings.
- You should also be comfortable working flexible hours to accommodate time zone differences with our global teams.
Your Impact
You will be critical to positioning GPJ as an industry leader in event sustainability. Your efforts will directly lead to:
- Enhancing GPJ’s standing as a responsible and forward-thinking agency in the global market.
- Identifying new revenue opportunities and wedge offerings through sustainable products and services.
- Driving efficiencies through waste stream optimization and improved resource management.
- Providing a distinct advantage in the market by meeting and exceeding the sustainability expectations of top-tier clients.
- Ensuring the Americas region contributes effectively to the agency’s global ESG goals and international reporting standards.
Salary Range: $130k – $140k
Salary is dependent on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) experience, skills, and location.
Who We Are
GPJ is the world leader in experiential marketing. Our 29 global offices are filled with fearless people dreaming up ideas that are transforming industries and bringing the most respected brands to life in powerfully, exciting ways. We are a part of the Project Worldwide family. An independent, employee-owned global network of complementary, wholly owned agencies.
You read that “employee-owned” part, right? You heard us correctly. You work hard, she works hard, we all work hard… we all succeed and reap the rewards. We have an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – providing our employees with an ownership interest. We thought you would want to know that. In fact, there is a lot more you would want to know about us, like our FTO policy (no more “accruing” time off), our employer matching 401(k) plan (no vesting period), and our low employee contribution healthcare option. But we are getting ahead of ourselves here, let’s talk about this exciting opportunity first and we can fill you in on our perks & benefits later.
GPJ is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, citizenship, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected class. In addition to federal law requirements, GPJ complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. GPJ expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on any protected class.
