Vice President, Corporate Sustainability

You Lead the Way. We've Got Your Back.
With the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. When you join Team Amex, you become part of a global and diverse community of colleagues with an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities and each other. Here, you'll learn and grow as we help you create a career journey that's unique and meaningful to you with benefits, programs, and flexibility that support you personally and professionally.
At American Express, you'll be recognized for your contributions, leadership, and impact—every colleague has the opportunity to share in the company's success. Together, we'll win as a team, striving to uphold our company values and powerful backing promise to provide the world's best customer experience every day. And we'll do it with the utmost integrity, and in an environment where everyone is seen, heard and feels like they belong.
Join Team Amex and let's lead the way together.
The American Express Corporate Affairs & Communications (CA&C) team is a strategic function that works to promote and protect the American Express brand through public relations; corporate sustainability (CS); communications and colleague engagement efforts.
The VP of Sustainability will directly lead the implementation and support delivering against American Express' strategic framework for reporting and implementing environmental, social and governance priorities across the company and its global operations. In particular the VP is responsible for overseeing Amex's climate commitments and reporting, tracking, monitoring and achieving progress against our net zero goals. 
The VP of Sustainability will also collaborate with business units across American Express to support data quality, reporting and disclosures and other related initiatives and capabilities linked to sustainability reporting and initiatives.
The VP of Sustainability will report to the Head of Corporate Sustainability, lead the sustainability team responsible for climate and sustainability reporting and initiatives and work cross-functionally with other members of the Corporate Sustainability team, including the Community Impact team. They will partner closely with Controllership & Finance, Risk, the General Counsel's Organization, Audit and Compliance on data quality, controls, process and governance. They will also work with enterprise and international market teams across Corporate Affairs & Communications and other lines of business to support environmental initiatives and reporting priorities and provide input on products and initiatives related to our goals and reporting. 
This is a high-impact role within a dynamic and high-performing team that touches nearly every aspect of the business. The VP will serve as a key member of the Head of Corporate Sustainability's leadership team to deliver on the relevant goals, projects, and strategic priorities below including through American Express' ESG Steering Committee.

Responsibilities
There are 3 core areas of responsibility for this role:
Data, controls and compliance for Regulatory Reporting:
Support data quality and governance across environmental, social and governance metrics to support regulatory reporting in the U.S. and globally within AXP's strategic framework for Corporate Sustainability. Include relevant regulatory disclosures within Proxy and ensure third-party assurance for relevant disclosures.
Work with third-party consultants and ensure timely and quality reporting and approvals. Support transition of reporting from a voluntary to a mandatory reporting framework and onboard/ implement tools and processes to track, monitor, and evaluate progress and performance against sustainability goals and commitments required in reporting.
Ensure risk mitigation across data, goals, targets and metrics established to support regulatory reporting needs across key markets' reporting.

Global governance and implementation of sustainability requirements:
Understand and implement governance around sustainability, based on local and global regulatory requirements, in AXP's local markets including Australia, Canada, UK, EU and more. 
Engage with industry peers and bodies as well as third-party consultants as needed to analyze and apply insights relevant to American Express that promote and protect the brand and ensure compliance with new and evolving global regulatory requirements. 
Engage with relevant teams across the business responsible for external disclosures and regulatory reporting to produce timely, accurate and data-assured reports including: Corporate Secretary's Office, Controllership & Finance, Risk, the General Counsel's Organization, Audit and Compliance. Represent CS team in regulatory exams, investor queries, and other engagements.

Climate and environment strategy, oversight and project delivery: 
Overseeing AXP's climate and decarbonization program, roadmap and reporting, including developing controls, processes and quality assurance to support reporting and tracking against AXP's Net Zero commitment, GHG Inventory Preparation, TCFD Index and other climate-related disclosures.
Provide guidance across the enterprise on implementation of AXP's Net Zero strategy, including in key markets and across key lines of business.  

Onboard and implementing data management solutions and processes for climate and other sustainability metrics.
Serve as a subject matter expert on climate risk management, climate regulation, and reporting and coordinate with third-party consultant(s) to support quantitative climate-related physical and transition risk scenario analyses in collaboration with other business units.

Required Qualifications:  
At least 8-10 years of experience within Financial Services and in an ESG, climate/climate risk management, and/or sustainability focused role.
Bachelors' degree (required) and Masters degree (preferred) in relevant field including Sustainability Management, Environmental Studies, Sustainable Finance, Risk Management, Business Administration, etc.
Expertise in reporting, including developing environmental, social and governance reporting and metrics to support regulatory filings or other frameworks.
Expertise and fluency in climate reporting, decarbonization strategies, net zero standards, GHG reporting and climate risk management standards
Demonstrated success in applying ESG, sustainability, and/or climate risk management in alignment with company strategy and business needs and cross-functional program implementation
Expertise in adapting strategy for local and business implementation, ideally within a corporate finance sector setting. 
Exceptional team management skills including management of team members overseeing a highly technical and complex portfolios that require cross-enterprise engagement and buy-in
Ability to coordinate and respond to regulatory, investor and client requests and delivery in partnership with relevant business units.
Broad networks across the sustainability sector, and ability to engage with sustainability industry organizations and coalitions including SBTi, CDP and other key organizations.
Expertise and meticulous attention to detail regarding sustainability content and data.
Familiarity/ experience onboarding data management solutions for climate and other sustainability metrics.
Excellent presentation abilities including ability to plan, prepare and deliver presentations for high-level internal and external stakeholders including the Board of Directors and committees.

Preferred skills:
Strategic and entrepreneurial mindset with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
Ability to navigate a complex and matrixed organization
Expertise and leadership in designing and implementing systems for monitoring and managing climate, sustainability and risk metrics
Strong project management and organizational skills to operate in a fast-paced and dynamic environment and effectively set and meet deadlines
Outstanding interpersonal and verbal and written communication skills
Collaborative approach and ability to work cross-functionally and globally with stakeholders at all levels of the organization
Operate well under pressure with a high degree of composure and professionalism

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the U.S is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions
Salary Range: $185,000.00 to $260,000.00 annually + bonus + equity (if applicable) + benefits
The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we'll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.
We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:
Competitive base salaries 
Bonus incentives 
6% Company Match on retirement savings plan 
Free financial coaching and financial well-being support 
Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits 
Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 
20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy 
Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 
Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 
Career development and training opportunities

For a full list of Team Amex benefits, visit ourColleague Benefits Site.
American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law.
We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.
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