Sustainability Director Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Sustainability Director resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Sustainability directors are tasked with ensuring that a company’s operations are environmentally friendly and socially responsible. They’re often at the forefront of their organization’s sustainability efforts, working with teams across the business to develop new initiatives that align with their company’s values.
If you’re looking to make a difference in the world while also building your career in a fast-growing field, sustainability might be the right place for you. Follow these tips and resume example to write a fantastic sustainability director resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write a Sustainability Director Resume
Here’s how to write a sustainability director resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
When you’re writing bullet points, it can be tempting to simply list your responsibilities. But that’s not enough to make a strong impression. Instead, you should use your bullet points to demonstrate how you contributed to the organization’s mission and goals.
For example, rather than saying you “managed sustainability initiatives,” you could say you “developed and implemented sustainability strategy to reduce energy consumption by 20% across all company locations by 2020, resulting in a 15% reduction in energy usage in first year.”
The second bullet point paints a much clearer picture of what you did and the results of your work. And it also provides a specific number to demonstrate your impact.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
Keywords are especially important when you’re applying online. Most companies use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to screen resumes. This program looks for keywords related to the position you’re applying for in order to determine whether your skills are a match. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.
To help you get noticed, we’ve compiled a list of commonly used sustainability keywords:
- Sustainability
- Sustainable Development
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
- Environment
- Environmental Sustainability
- Sustainable Agriculture
- Carbon Footprint
- Energy
- Environmental Policy
- Green Building
- Waste Management
- Strategy
- Energy Management
- Climate Change
- Water Conservation
- Integrated Water Resource Management
- ISO 14001
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Environmental Management Systems
- Cross-functional Team Leadership
- Community Outreach
- Public Speaking
- Project Management
- Nonprofit Organizations
- Event Planning
- Social Media
- Grant Writing
- Leadership
- Research
- Strategic Planning
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a sustainability director, you need to be proficient in a variety of software programs and systems in order to effectively manage and implement sustainability initiatives. This might include experience with energy management software, carbon accounting software, and water conservation software. You should also be familiar with sustainable building practices and LEED certification.
Additionally, it is important to be able to effectively communicate your sustainability goals and objectives to a variety of audiences. This might include experience with public speaking, writing grants, and developing marketing materials.