Vice President of Sustainability and Impact

Job description

Grow with us... Life at Starwood Hotels is based on a simple idea: the world is beautiful and we want to keep it that way. But we can’t do it alone. That’s why hiring thoughtful and inspiring Team Members and Leaders who understand that our people, collaboration, stellar service, and respect for nature are so important to us. OUR COMPANY Come grow with a company where purpose and possibility meet. Starwood Hotels is home to some of the most dynamic brands in the world. We exist to improve the planet—one hotel at a time—and we’re defined by impact, purpose, and a deep respect for the world around us. (And yes, we even compost our bad ideas.). 1 Hotels invites guests to live in rhythm with nature—offering spaces that restore, inspire, and come alive from day to night, where sustainability, wellness, and social energy exist in thoughtful balance. Treehouse Hotels brings back the wonder of childhood hideaways—cozy, curious, and just a little mischievous. It’s a place to play, dream, and drift off the script, where handcrafted details and nostalgic touches turn every stay into a story. Baccarat Hotels carries forward a 250-year legacy and the spirit of l’art de vivre—the French art of celebrating life—with beauty, ritual, and moments of delight. Recognized by Newsweek as a 2024 Most Loved Workplace, Starwood fosters a culture where creativity thrives, collaboration is second nature, and people are valued for who they are and what they bring. If you’re ready to bring your whole self to a team where thoughtful work leaves a lasting mark—you belong here. OUR OPPORTUNITY It’s an exciting time at Starwood Hotels as we have significant global expansion underway with locations such as Cabo, China, Toronto, London, Australia, Paris and beyond, in our future! With our growth comes new opportunities to hire even more extraordinary people as we branch out into new territories. Here’s what we’re currently looking for: Vice President of Sustainability & Impact SH Hotels & Resorts is in search of a forward-thinking Vice President of Sustainability & Impact to manage and measure the sustainability initiatives across Starwood Hotels, reporting directly to the Senior Vice President, Operations and the Sustainability Governance Committee. OUR PROMISE – Do all the good we can. We focus on the simple things that make life better. We are caring and thoughtful. Rooted in excellence, we deliver good-natured and informed service, perfectly executed to evoke a sense of fulfillment and well-being. Actions define us. We take small steps that add up to a big difference. Our hope is that our choices set us on a path towards living better for ourselves and the world around us. Here's what you'll do: Sustainability • Work with the CEO and the Sustainability Governance Committee to enhance and build on our global sustainability initiatives • Create and manage internal educational materials including developing and conducting training sessions with all departments, supporting them in communicating our cause and the efforts behind SH being sustainable, and working with corporate operations to create sustainability-related SOPs • Work with People Operations and Corporate Operations teams to evaluate sustainability performance against SOPs • Act as the primary liaison with hotel operations and staff to keep all sustainability information up to date by building effective relationship with store management and using internal communication tool • Procure and centralize relevant sustainability reporting (recycling, energy, water, etc) and function as the main consolidator of sustainability information to inform initiative statistics • Proficiency in creating reports and presentations that will be used to present new ideas for sustainability generally, to cross-functional teams, to external partners and SH leadership • Communicate key programs and KPIs with investor relations team/ develop investor-focused communications collateral • Develop internal reporting framework and resource library for ongoing sustainability programming to support marketing and communications teams • Management & oversight of waste, recycling, food waste, and source reduction strategies for each property • Support annual data collection and report out against KPIs that need support in improvement. The outcomes of this work will inform the education needed for property-level teams. • Develop and perform sustainability training for the property-level teams • Maintain and update a database of communications, key facts, and stories to support press releases, interview questions, or marketing collateral • Provide internal educational communications digitally and on a regular-basis to support internal team engagement and be the point of contact for property level sustainability teams to support their ongoing goals and initiatives • Contribute to the development of an overall sustainability framework and strategy with internal and external-facing goals/KPIs, of which aforementioned goal would be a part. Use the quarterly goals to set 1-3(or 5) as the basis for ongoing communications and reporting as needed Marketing • Manage the overall sustainability activity calendar with the goal of creating meaningful new partnerships with local organizations. The goal being to develop business/brand-related local events with those partners such that hotels can eventually manage those relationships themselves • Develop media and marketing materials related to sustainability, including annual corporate campaigns in coordination with the marketing team, and key property-level fact sheets • Develop, execute and maintain a communications, marketing and branding strategy designed to drive SHH&R’s sustainability narrative through creative and engaging storytelling via multiple platforms (digital and print) to a range of stakeholders (internal and external) • Create internal and external educational materials, including but not limited to property-level trainings and SOPs, company-wide newsletters, social media support, and online materials • Identify, measure and report key metrics to evaluate the impact and success of communications and marketing strategies and activities; make evidence-based recommendations on next-level communications goals and strategies. Development: • Create and maintain educational / sales materials to be included in the development pitch decks that demonstrate the compelling argument behind our drive for sustainable hotels and resorts – both from the physical buildings and operational perspectives • Participate in discussions with prospective developers and their consultants to educate and secure their commitment to our sustainability guidelines. Food and Beverage: • On an annual basis, evaluate properties to establish current best practices and areas of improvement. Develop an action plan around F&B to improve environmental and sustainability performance, as well as key “story-telling” around our F&B identity. • Create a strategic plan for achieving the overarching F&B identity goal • Perform quarterly audits against the goals established above, including course-corrections as needed. • Provide sustainability training for the local F&B teams • Support the Marketing team on communications, press releases, and story-telling critical to support the brand’s identity • Vet and review products and partners for sustainability requirements Engineering / Buildings: • Work with Sustainability and Engineering teams to measure and report key metrics to evaluate the impact and success of communications and marketing strategies and activities; make evidence-based recommendations on next-level communications goals and strategies. • Assist in creating reports and presentations, along with centralizing the relevant sustainability reporting data (recycling, energy, water, etc) to present new ideas for sustainability generally, to cross-functional teams, to external partners and SHH&R’s leadership • Help to translate sustainability outcomes into action with case studies and narratives, and translate to Corporate and Field Marketing teams who will identify the appropriate methods of communication, if it’s on our 1 Hotels App, the website, onsite signage, or through in-person communication • Manage 3rd party consultant to assist with internal, investor and stakeholder annual reports Must-Have’s and Nice to Have’s • Minimum 5 years similar technical experience and minimum five years supervisory experience • Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required to facilitate clear and concise communication with a high level of professionalism. • Must possess legal work authorization to work in the United States • Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Communications or Engineering About us... As a mission-driven company, our purpose is our true north, and our compass guides the way. The purpose we live by impacts the lives of our team members, drives the experiences for our guests, builds community with like-minded travelers and takes care of the planet we live in. Founded in 2006 by Barry Sternlicht, Starwood Hotels is a luxury hotel brand management company and affiliate of global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group. Starwood Hotels is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe in a diverse, sustainable workforce with an empowered, inclusive culture. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis covered under applicable law. If you require any special accommodations, please visit People Operations.