New occupational area
for service providers
The sample included a notably large number of job offers from service providers and consulting companies. If we combine all specializations, they make up a percentage of 30.9 %. However, auditors make up a particularly large share of this percentage (14.9 %). Some of the large consulting firms have multiple open jobs at once, as they are doubly affected by the issue: Sustainability is a new field of business for them, as companies must have their sustainability reports externally audited under new ESG reporting obligations. At the same time, major consulting firms are themselves obligated to conduct ESG reporting. Job offers from IT service providers are also somewhat more frequent (4.1 %). Many other employers offer corporate services – from engineering to environmental and sustainability consulting, to auditing and certification companies.
After auditors, job offers from financial service providers (mostly banks) take second place (8.7%). They are required to review their products and services in light of sustainability aspects or evaluate risks associated with investments, as part of a push towards sustainable finance.
Mechanical engineering, vehicle and systems engineering is another major work area for specialists (7.3 %). However, many other industries are also represented among the sample.
Specialists with
management skills in demand
There are a surprisingly large number of positions involving management duties in the area of sustainability management. Almost one fifth of the job advertisements analyzed includes such duties (19.5 %). Employers are in particular looking for specialists with the skills and experience to lead project teams and projects. Almost seven out of ten management positions are directed towards these individuals (68.7 %). Frequently, future employees will take on organizational responsibilities as part of team management (23.9 %); they will serve as the link between management and staff. Five candidates will even lead sustainability management at their new employers.