Associate-Carbon & Net Zero

We are seeking an ambitious and collaborative Associate to lead the Carbon and Net Zero discipline within the Decarbonisation and Resilience team in Sustainability Advisory GCC.

The successful candidate will be accountable for developing a high-performing and sustainable Carbon and Net Zero team. This includes maintaining their own project utilisation, planning team workload and utilisation, supporting recruitment, building skills and capacity, assuring technical quality, and creating a healthy pipeline of work.

Responsibilities

Discipline and Team Leadership

• Lead the Carbon and Net Zero discipline within the Sustainability Advisory GCC, setting clear priorities for delivery, capability and growth.
• Maintain strong personal contribution to chargeable project delivery, while actively managing team workload, resource planning and forward pipeline to improve and sustain team utilisation.
• Identify recruitment needs, support hiring and onboarding, and build a balanced team structure aligned with the forward pipeline.
• Mentor and upskill existing team members and new joiners by providing structured guidance, knowledge sharing and exposure to relevant project work.
• Assess capability and training needs, provide coaching and technical guidance, and create opportunities for team members to broaden their experience.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative and accountable team culture with a strong focus on quality, wellbeing and continuous improvement.

Technical Leadership and Quality Delivery

• Act as the technical champion for Carbon and Net Zero within Sustainability Advisory GCC, providing technical direction, quality assurance and best-practice guidance across projects, proposals and client deliverables, with deep expertise in several of the following areas: organisational and project GHG accounting; net zero and decarbonisation strategy; whole-life carbon assessment; carbon management; carbon assurance; climate policy; and carbon inputs to environmental assessments.
• Lead multidisciplinary project delivery, ensuring robust methodologies, clear governance, effective resource planning and high-quality outputs.
• Prepare, review and quality-assure technical reports, carbon models, strategies, proposals and other client deliverables.
• Apply relevant standards, guidance and protocols, including the GHG Protocol, ISO 14064, PAS 2080 and appropriate UK and international carbon-assessment requirements.
• Promote consistent tools, templates, quality controls and lessons learnt across the discipline.

Project, Client and Commercial Management

• Lead projects and workstreams from scoping through delivery, managing programme, budget, risks, dependencies and stakeholder expectations.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with project directors, clients, technical specialists and delivery teams through clear communication, sound judgement and a solutions-focused approach.
• Manage commercial allocation for the GCC-based team, support fee development and monitor project performance.
• Apply commercial awareness and, where relevant, cost-benefit analysis to develop practical recommendations and support client decision-making.
• Support resolution of delivery challenges and provide timely escalation where project quality, programme or commercial outcomes may be at risk.

Growth and Collaboration

• Develop the pipeline for Carbon and Net Zero services within Sustainability Advisory UK and across other WSP business units and geographies.
• Build relationships with UK and global discipline leads to understand demand, position GCC capability and secure sustainable work for the team.
• Identify opportunities and lead or support bids, proposals, capability presentations and client discussions.
• Help shape and broaden the team's service offering in response to market needs, changing standards and client priorities.
• Collaborate across disciplines to create integrated propositions with climate resilience, sustainability certification, environmental assessment, infrastructure, buildings, energy and other relevant teams.

Qualifications

• Typically 10+ years of relevant experience in carbon management, net zero, climate change, decarbonisation, sustainability or a related field.
• A relevant bachelor's or master's degree in sustainability, environmental science, engineering, energy, climate change or a related discipline.
• Demonstrable experience of leading carbon and net zero projects, technical workstreams and multidisciplinary teams in a consultancy or comparable professional environment.
• Strong technical knowledge in GHG accounting and carbon management, with experience in areas such as net zero strategy, whole-life carbon, PAS 2080, ISO 14064, carbon assurance, decarbonisation pathways or GHG assessment for environmental studies.
• Experience of technical review and quality assurance, including the ability to challenge assumptions, review complex calculations and communicate findings clearly.
• Demonstrable project and commercial management capability, including scoping, budgeting, resource planning, risk management and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience of people leadership, capability development, recruitment or workload and utilisation management.
• Demonstrable contribution to business development, successful bids, proposals or the growth of client accounts and service offerings.
• Good knowledge of relevant UK and international legislation, standards, assessment methodologies and market developments.
• Strong analytical, research, technical writing, presentation and communication skills.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively across disciplines, cultures and geographies, with international project experience highly desirable.
• Professional membership and chartered status, or active progress towards chartership, are desirable.