As the Vice President of Sustainability and Impact, you will lead the strategic vision for environmental and social responsibility across a global portfolio of luxury hotel brands. You will oversee the entire lifecycle of sustainability, from influencing the design of new properties to auditing food and beverage operations and engineering workflows. This role is about transforming high-level goals into operational standards that define the guest experience across hundreds of rooms.
This position is unique because it bridges the gap between pure ESG reporting and experiential luxury branding. At Starwood Hotels, sustainability is not a backend compliance function but the core brand identity of properties like 1 Hotels and Treehouse Hotels. You will be responsible for ensuring that the promise of nature-inspired hospitality is backed by rigorous data, circular waste management, and regenerative practices that resonate with conscious travelers.
This suits someone who possesses a blend of technical environmental expertise and high-level communication skills, capable of influencing both private equity investors and on-the-ground hotel staff. You must be an expert storyteller who can back every narrative with verifiable impact data.
Job FAQs
What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?
As a senior leader, your primary mission is to architect and refine the global sustainability framework for the Sh Hotels & Resorts portfolio. This involves translating high-level corporate ESG goals into localized operational reality. You will be responsible for creating standard operating procedures (SOPs) that govern everything from energy efficiency in engineering to waste reduction in food and beverage departments.
Beyond operations, you will lead the consolidation of impact data for annual reporting and investor relations. You will act as a pivotal bridge between the boardroom and the front desk, ensuring that sustainability initiatives are not only measurable but also integrated into the brand’s marketing and guest engagement strategies. This includes overseeing third-party consultants for technical reporting and vetting new partners for environmental compliance.
Your day-to-day will also involve heavy educational components. You will develop internal training materials and resource libraries to empower property-level teams to own their local impact. By participating in development pitches, you will also play a role in securing developer commitment to the company’s stringent green building and operational standards during global expansion.
Key learning opportunities for this job
In this role, you will gain deep exposure to the integration of sustainability into luxury brand management. Unlike traditional ESG roles focused purely on compliance, this position offers the chance to learn how to harmonize rigorous environmental metrics with high-end guest expectations. You will likely master the nuances of green building certifications and sustainable site operations across diverse global jurisdictions as the company expands into markets like China, Australia, and Europe.
Additionally, you will hone your investor relations and capital management skills. Working closely with Starwood Capital Group affiliates, you will learn how to communicate the financial and brand value of sustainability to private equity stakeholders. Mentorship opportunities with the Sustainability Governance Committee and the CEO will provide a high-level view of how mission-driven leadership operates at a global scale.
How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?
The ideal candidate brings at least ten years of professional experience, with a minimum of five years in a technical sustainability role and another five in a leadership or supervisory capacity. A strong educational background in Environmental Science, Communications, or Engineering is required to navigate both the technical data and the storytelling aspects of the role. You should have a proven track record of managing complex, cross-functional projects in a corporate or hospitality environment.
Soft skills are paramount for this position. We are looking for an influential communicator who can move seamlessly between technical audits and marketing presentations. You must be comfortable working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented environment where you frequently act as an internal consultant for various departments. Proficiency in data visualization and reporting frameworks is essential to turn raw statistics into actionable insights for the executive team.
Advice to stand out and make a successful application
To stand out, move beyond general sustainability concepts and demonstrate a deep understanding of the Sh Hotels & Resorts brand ethos. Research their specific properties—like 1 Hotels or Treehouse—and identify how they differentiate themselves through design and operation. In your application, articulate how you have previously balanced operational efficiency with brand-aligned sustainability initiatives, preferably in a luxury or service-oriented sector.
Your resume should reflect a balance between technical analytical skills and creative communication. If you have experience navigating transition risks in international markets or have successfully influenced external developers to adopt green standards, highlight these examples early. Show that you are not just a reporter of data, but a strategic operator who can motivate employees and stakeholders at all levels to embrace environmental missions.
What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?
The focus of this role is holistic, covering the entire value chain of the hospitality experience. From an environmental perspective, you will be heavily involved in decarbonization through energy and water management, as well as waste orchestration, focusing on food waste and source reduction. This role ensures the company’s motto—'doing all the good we can'—is reflected in the physical footprint of the buildings and the supply chain of the F&B operations.
Socially, the role emphasizes employee and guest engagement. You will likely focus on creating a 'sustainable lifestyle' for guests, where wellness and environmental care overlap. You will also manage community impact through local partnerships and ensuring that social equity is reflected in property-level practices. Governance is also a key pillar, as you will be the primary liaison for the Sustainability Governance Committee, ensuring transparency for investors.
What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?
One of the primary challenges will be maintaining consistency across a rapidly expanding global portfolio. Implementing standardized sustainability SOPs in different regulatory environments like China, the UK, and Mexico requires deep adaptability. You may find it challenging to balance the stringent aesthetic requirements of luxury brands with the often utilitarian needs of high-performance green technologies and circular waste systems.
Another obstacle is behavioral change at scale. Moving beyond mere compliance to genuine culture-building across hundreds of employees with varying levels of sustainability awareness requires persistent effort and creative training. You may also face the challenge of aligning diverse stakeholders—from private equity owners to local property managers—who may have competing priorities regarding short-term costs versus long-term impact investments.
How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?
A typical day might begin with a strategy session with the CEO and the Sustainability Governance Committee to review progress on quarterly KPIs. You might then transition to a development pitch, where you present the brand’s sustainability value proposition to potential hotel owners and developers. Mid-day could involve reviewing a draft for an annual impact report or a press release with the marketing team to ensure messaging is accurate and avoids greenwashing.
In the afternoon, you might shift to operational troubleshooting, perhaps conducting a virtual audit of a property’s waste management system or reviewing new F&B product partners for sustainability compliance. Your day often ends with the development of educational content or digital communications aimed at property-level staff, ensuring the mission-driven culture remains strong across the global workforce.
What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?
As a VP-level role in a global management firm, growth is both vertical and lateral. The immediate path is toward more expansive executive leadership roles within the Starwood Capital Group ecosystem. As the sustainability landscape becomes more complex, this role could evolve into a more permanent C-suite position or a global lead for ESG specifically for the investment side of the business.
Furthermore, the high visibility of this role—engaging with international developers and global media—positions you as a thought leader in the sustainable hospitality industry. You will have the opportunity to represent the brand at major international conferences and climate summits, building a significant professional platform. The role offers a unique vantage point on global expansion, providing the skills needed to lead sustainability for any major international conglomerate.
The main stakeholders you might be interacting with
You will interact with a diverse group of stakeholders, ranging from C-suite executives and the Sustainability Governance Committee to property-level engineering and F&B teams. Your ability to speak the 'language' of each group is essential. At the corporate level, you will work closely with People Operations for training, Marketing for brand storytelling, and Engineering for technical building performance data.
Externally, your main stakeholders include third-party consultants, ESG auditors, and investor relations teams. You will also engage directly with developers and their consultants during the construction and acquisition phases of new hotels. Finally, although less frequent, your work directly impacts the guest experience, making the 'conscious traveler' a silent but primary stakeholder in every decision you make regarding the hotel environment.
CSR Jobs newsletter
Never miss the next opportunity
Get a curated selection of new CSR, ESG, and sustainability roles in your inbox. No daily noise, just useful opportunities.
You are subscribed
Want more relevant opportunities?
Share your LinkedIn profile so we can better understand the roles that may fit you. This step is optional.
You are all set!
Thanks for joining the CSR Jobs newsletter. Keep an eye on your inbox for sustainability opportunities.