Job Description

This role is part of the broader Global Corporate Responsibility function focused on driving sustainable, inclusive growth. The Global Corporate Responsibility function sits within the Global Executive, led by Gillian Hinde, Global Corporate Responsibility Leader, and reporting into Harsha Basnayake, Global Managing Partner (Business Enablement and Risk).

The Sustainability Leader is accountable for shaping and driving EY’s global Sustainability agenda, mobilizing EY teams across geographies to deliver measurable, climate-positive action through local initiatives, alliance-enabled programming and innovation-focused programs. The role provides leadership across the Global Corporate Responsibility team and the wider firm to set priorities, align cross-functional stakeholders and ensure delivery against key global outcomes within the Sustainability pillar, including how EY and EY Ripples address the intersection of AI and the environment.

This includes leading the development and execution of the Sustainability strategy and roadmap, establishing an effective operating rhythm and governance, and enabling capability-building to accelerate engagement and impact. As of June 2026, the portfolio includes an emphasis on freshwater, climate and nature resilience in the context of AI usage, how AI can lead to innovation in sustainability sector and how EY can bring value and expertise to this exciting period of transformation. Key programs include campaigns such as EY Earth Week (e.g., during April), accelerator programs such as the EY SDG Accelerator: Freshwater x AI, the Acumen x ServiceNow climate tech accelerator, etc. as well as citizen science programs such as Zooniverse. Finally, the role includes organization and delivery of annual thought leadership and events related to sustainability. The role partners across service lines, enabling functions and alliance teams to strengthen integration of sustainability into client-facing and internal priorities, and tracks progress through clear KPIs and executive-ready reporting. The role requires strong strategic judgement, senior stakeholder influence and program leadership to scale high-quality delivery globally.

Your key responsibilities

Lead EY Ripples Sustainability Programs and Accelerators

• Originate, design and oversee delivery of flagship accelerators, campaigns and activations that advance environmental outcomes and strengthen EY’s market position. Current examples include the EY SDG Accelerator: Freshwater x AI, EY Earth Week sustainability activations, Zooniverse citizen science programs, the Acumen x ServiceNow climate tech accelerator and the IBM Impact Accelerator.
• Translate complex challenges into scalable programs with clear workplans, resourcing models and partner roles.
• Ensure program KPIs (engagement, impact, quality) and capture lessons learned to continuously improve.
• Manage and develop delivery capacity, including a Toronto-based secondee and broader GDS support, ensuring clear accountability and high performance.

Drive the Global Ripples Sustainability Agenda

• Set the global vision, priorities and annual roadmap for the Sustainability focus area, aligned to EY Ripples and Global Corporate Responsibility strategy.
• Establish clear governance, operating rhythm and decision forums to drive consistent execution across regions and service lines.
• Own the global Sustainability portfolio performance, including defining success measures, tracking outcomes and reporting progress to senior leadership.
• Lead priority Sustainability campaigns centered on freshwater, climate resilience and nature, convening internal stakeholders and supporting aligned thought leadership, communications and activation with BMC.

Manage and Deliver AI x Environment Program and Narrative for EY Ripples

• Lead EY Ripples' AI x Environment strategy, collaborating across EY Sustainability, Responsible Business, etc. to shape the firm's narrative on AI's dual role as both an environmental challenge and a force for positive impact.
• Design, launch, and scale programs at the intersection of AI and environmental sustainability with clients, alliances, and nonprofit partners. Lead project governance, including scoping, milestone management, issue resolution and executive-ready communications, with a strong focus on how AI impacts environmental sustainability in the design, management and delivery of new programs.
• Serve as a cross-functional connector, translating EY's environmental commitments into measurable, globally activatable initiatives through EY Ripples.

Enable EY Teams to Take Climate‑Positive Action

• Design and scale a global engagement approach that mobilizes EY people across geographies to take measurable, climate-positive action.
• Lead the development and rollout of capability-building offerings (e.g., Sustainability Skills Labs), partnering with SMEs to ensure relevance and quality.
• Set standards and guidance for local initiatives, enabling consistent alignment while supporting regional innovation and experimentation.

Coordinate Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Serve as the primary connector across regions, service lines and enabling functions to align environmental sustainability priorities and execution, including a focus on leveraging AI responsibly.
• Lead alliance collaboration workstreams (e.g., with IBM, Microsoft, SAP, ServiceNow and selected emerging collaborators) to co-create initiatives, strengthen external positioning and elevate joint value propositions.
• Engage senior stakeholders to remove barriers, secure sponsorship and accelerate delivery of priority programs.

Build Networks to Strengthen Environmental Impact

• Build and maintain a high-impact internal and external network of sustainability stakeholders to strengthen program delivery and influence.
• Represent Sustainability in senior internal forums and external events; contribute to panels, briefings and thought leadership content as a recognized sustainability leader.
• Identify and connect opportunities across the firm (e.g., RFP support, client introductions, alliance priorities) to amplify relevance and impact.

Skills and attributes for success

• Strategic leadership: ability to set direction, priorities and an executable roadmap for a global environmental sustainability portfolio.
• Senior stakeholder management and influence, including confident engagement with executive leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Alliance and partner collaboration experience (e.g., technology alliances and corporate collaborators), with the ability to co-create and deliver joint initiatives.
• Strong program and portfolio governance: defining KPIs, managing risks/dependencies, driving cadence and ensuring delivery quality across multiple workstreams.
• Commercial and market acumen, specifically in how sustainability impacts sectors / industries: ability to connect sustainability impact work to client priorities, support pursuits/RFPs and spot opportunities to scale.
• Credible sustainability subject-matter knowledge and a continuous learning mindset, including staying close to emerging themes and best practices.
• Executive-ready communication skills: concise writing, storytelling and facilitation; confidence presenting and representing the focus area in internal/external forums.
• People leadership and team enablement, including managing secondees/virtual teams and coaching others to deliver at pace.
• Global mindset, cultural fluency and resilience in ambiguous, fast-changing environments.