Director of Sustainability and CSR, Los Angeles Convention Center

Description

The Los Angeles Convention Center has retained SearchWide Global to find a detail-oriented, organized, innovative, and experienced professional to serve as the new Director of Sustainability and CSR.

The Los Angeles Convention Center attracts millions of visitors annually and is renowned internationally as a prime site for conventions, trade shows, and exhibitions.

Located in the cultural, business, and entertainment mecca of Downtown Los Angeles, the LACC is an integral economic component of the Southern California area.

It remains an enduring symbol of environmental sustainability and social responsibility for our community.

The Director of Sustainability and CSR will build on a robust sustainability program including, but not limited to, developing and executing resource recovery and material circularity programs, promoting educational and engagement campaigns, and working directly with clients to support green operations and activations while creating a strong culture around sustainability.

This role is also responsible for developing and implementing the CSR engagement strategy activity plan at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

This role will provide both administrative and operational support to drive the successful implementation of venue initiatives supporting Sustainability, Health & Wellness, and Philanthropy / Community Initiatives.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Work with VP, Operations, and local city designee to design a comprehensive zero waste plan for LACC with actional goals, improvement areas, a current map and material flow, and a tracking system for accountability.
• Develop & participate in pre-meetings with clients of the Los Angeles Convention center working to support and educate them on green operations and activations enhanving the overall sustainability initiatives as directed by the City of Los Angeles.
• Deploy sustainability communication and engagement assets to lead venue orientation training with clients, contractors, team members, and staff.
• Provide regular updates to the entire venue staff to share progress, recognize team members, and identify areas of improvement.
• Identify key opportunities and partnerships to expand the material circularity model throughout the season.
• Build and maintain connections with local partners and waste haulers to stay up to date on accepted divertible materials and options for resource recovery.
• Role model the LACC values and behaviors to deliver in everything that you do. Promote good customer relations by displaying a positive attitude, identifying needs, and meeting client expectations.
• Build and maintain relationships through detailed and sound communication with all LACC stakeholders and external parties to contribute to the successful running of events at LACC.
• Participate in broader Los Angeles sustainability groups and discussions, including the City of Los Angeles Sustainability arm.
• Work closely with all venue departments to integrate sustainability into operations.
• Utilize programs to track and report on key program metrics. Acquire weight tickets and chain of custody receipts by establishing relationships with waste haulers and resource recovery vendors.
• Update the mandatory venue data tracking and reporting spreadsheet monthly.
• Document operations and upload photos to shared folders.
• Create engaging visual reports throughout the season that can be shared venue-wide. Complete the post-event venue sustainability survey.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and ISO certification, plus other relevant sustainability & CSR obligations.
• Create & Maintain action plans, reports, registers, and CSR project tracking data.
• Coordinate CSR processes, working with other departments to collect data across the full sustainability spectrum.
• Review content for various corporate responsibility reports, internal documents, and external publications.
• Review and update CSR action plan and KPIs quarterly.
• Coordinate the delivery of Sustainability metrics and reports for delivery to stakeholders including monthly, quarterly, and annual reports.
• Collaborate with the Marketing Lead to regularly share venue sustainability highlights on all social channels.
• Collaborate with the Facility Manager to build enthusiasm and participation around venue sustainability efforts.
• Oversee Green Team and Green Events, i.e., Earth Day, America’s Recycle Day, Earth Hour, etc.
• Oversee and assist with the material sorting process of all recycling, composting, reuse, and donations materials to increase resource recovery and diversion from landfill.
• Analyze existing venue infrastructure, event setup, and waste flows to identify areas for improvement.
• Be present on show days (and non-show days as needed) to manage teams, and to ensure compliance and quality control of materials entering the waste stream.
• Other tasks as assigned by the VP, such as operations, are not limited to local community, client, staff, and vendor engagement.
• Assist with the production of CSR programs and community events.

QUALIFICATIONS :

• A minimum education level of : High School Diploma or its equivalency (Bachelor of Arts / Sciences Degree is preferred) area of study : Operations / Event Coordination, Event, or Campus Sustainability / Zero Waste Events.
• Minimum years of related work experience : 5 years in Sustainability, Human Resources, ESG or corporate social responsibility, at a large, global company, preferably in hospitality, CSR and / or sustainability experience, including corporate-level reporting and greenhouse gas accounting.
• Time management and the ability to excel in an unstructured environment. Exceptional data collection, management, analysis, reporting, and visualization skills are required.
• Demonstratable knowledge of global ESG and sustainability frameworks and regulations
• Must be able to multi-task and demonstrate sound judgment in stressful, highly active situations.
• Must be detail-oriented and can manage both fiscal and ancillary resources.
• Passion for driving environmental impact through both hands-on and administrative work.
• A strong sense of teamwork and ability to execute programs.
• Creative thinker and problem solver.
• Acute sense of judgment, tact, and diplomacy. Knowledge of building policies, city codes, and fire codes as they pertain to event management.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Must have reliable transportation.
• Variable work schedules are required, such as late hours, early mornings, extended hours, holidays, and weekends.
• LEED AP is preferred.
• Working knowledge of Momentus is preferred.

TOP PRIORITIES :

• Get to know the team and the building.
• Understand stakeholders and customers.
• Build relationships.
• Understand existing programs and customers who do it well and those that have not.

Draft a Sustainability Strategy and build a short and long-term plan that aligns with stakeholders' priorities.

If interested in learning more about this opportunity, contact the executive recruiter listed below.

Contact : Andrea Christopherson, Vice President SearchWide Global [email protected]