Director, International Sustainability

Role Purpose & Context

Role Summary

The Director, International Sustainability is here to set our global sustainability strategy and make sure we actually deliver on it. You'll be leading a team that drives our environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance across all our international sites, ensuring we're compliant with a growing mountain of regulations like CSRD and the German Supply Chain Act. This isn't a desk job; you'll be out there, or at least virtually out there, getting things done. This role sits right at the intersection of our corporate strategy, operational realities, and external expectations. You'll be taking high-level commitments from the C-suite and turning them into practical, actionable plans for our regional teams, making sure our global footprint is not just responsible but also resilient. When you do this well, we're seen as a leader in our sector, attracting talent and investors, and avoiding hefty fines. When it goes wrong, we're facing reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and a very unhappy board. The challenge here is balancing ambitious goals with the messy reality of global operations and conflicting priorities. The reward, though, is seeing tangible, positive change on a massive scale.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Chief Sustainability & Compliance Officer
• Direct reports: Roughly 3-8 direct reports, typically Regional Sustainability Managers or Senior Sustainability Specialists, plus dotted line influence over site-level teams.
• Matrix relationships: VP, Global ESG, Head of Sustainability & Compliance, Director of Responsible Business,

Key Stakeholders

Internal:

• C-Suite (CEO, CFO, COO, CHRO)
• Regional VPs of Operations
• Legal & Corporate Affairs
• Investor Relations
• Product Development & R&D
• Procurement & Supply Chain Leadership

External:

• Regulatory Bodies (e.g., EU Commission, national environmental agencies)
• Institutional Investors & ESG Rating Agencies (e.g., MSCI, Sustainalytics)
• Industry Associations & NGOs
• External Auditors (for assurance of ESG data)
• Key Suppliers & Business Partners

Organisational Impact

Scope: This role directly shapes our company's global reputation, regulatory risk profile, and long-term resilience. Your decisions influence our ability to attract capital, retain customers, and operate in increasingly scrutinised markets. Get it right, and you're a strategic enabler; get it wrong, and you're a significant liability. Honestly, it's a make-or-break position for our future.

Performance Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

1. Metric: ESG Rating Improvement
2. Desc: Year-over-year improvement in our key external ESG ratings.
3. Target: Improve average ESG rating across MSCI, Sustainalytics, and CDP from 'BBB' to 'A' over a 3-year period.
4. Freq: Annually, following rating agency updates.
5. Example: If our current MSCI rating is 'BBB' and Sustainalytics is 'Medium Risk', a successful year might see MSCI move to 'A' and Sustainalytics to 'Low Risk', reflecting our improved transparency and performance.
6. Metric: Absolute GHG Emissions Reduction
7. Desc: Reduction in Scope 1 & 2 greenhouse gas emissions across all global operations, aligned with our Science-Based Targets (SBTi).
8. Target: Achieve a 5-7% year-over-year reduction in absolute Scope 1 & 2 emissions, validated by SBTi.
9. Freq: Annually, reported to the board and externally.
10. Example: Reducing our total Scope 1 & 2 emissions from 100,000 tonnes CO2e to 93,000 tonnes CO2e in a year, demonstrating tangible progress towards our 2030 target.
11. Metric: CSRD Assurance Opinion
12. Desc: Ensuring our sustainability reporting under CSRD receives an unqualified 'limited assurance' opinion from external auditors.
13. Target: 100% of required disclosures under CSRD receive an unqualified 'limited assurance' opinion, moving towards 'reasonable assurance' where feasible.
14. Freq: Annually, as part of the financial audit cycle.
15. Example: Successfully navigating the first CSRD reporting cycle, with auditors confirming that our reported data and processes are sound and reliable, without any major qualifications or disclaimers.
16. Metric: Executive Compensation Linkage
17. Desc: The percentage of executive leadership's variable compensation tied to specific, measurable ESG targets.
18. Target: Link >15% of executive leadership's variable compensation to specific ESG targets within 18 months, increasing to >25% within 3 years.
19. Freq: Annually, reviewed by the Remuneration Committee.
20. Example: Working with HR and the Remuneration Committee to integrate Scope 1 & 2 emissions reduction targets into the annual bonus structure for the COO and regional VPs, showing real accountability.

Qualitative Metrics

1. Metric: Strategic Influence & Buy-in
2. Desc: Your ability to influence C-suite and regional leadership to integrate sustainability considerations into core business decisions, not just as an add-on.
3. Evidence: You're proactively invited to strategic planning sessions, not just compliance reviews. Your recommendations on CapEx for sustainable initiatives are consistently funded. Regional VPs actively seek your input on operational changes that might impact ESG performance. You'll know you're doing well when people come to you *before* they make a big decision, not after.
4. Metric: Team Development & Retention
5. Desc: The growth and stability of your direct and dotted-line teams, ensuring we have the right talent to deliver our global sustainability agenda.
6. Evidence: Low voluntary turnover within your direct team. Positive feedback from your reports on mentorship and career development opportunities. Your team members are seen as go-to experts within the organisation, and you're actively developing successors for key roles. We'll be looking at your team's engagement scores, too.
7. Metric: Proactive Regulatory Foresight
8. Desc: Your ability to anticipate upcoming regulatory changes and prepare the organisation, avoiding reactive scrambling.
9. Evidence: We're never caught off guard by new legislation (e.g., CBAM, CSDDD). You've already briefed the board and relevant departments months in advance, and we have a clear action plan. Our legal team trusts your insights on emerging ESG risks. You're seen as the 'early warning system' for sustainability.
10. Metric: Reputational Resilience
11. Desc: How well we maintain our external reputation and manage potential sustainability-related crises or criticisms.
12. Evidence: Minimal negative media coverage related to ESG issues. Positive engagement with NGOs and industry bodies. Our external communications consistently reflect our genuine progress and commitments, avoiding accusations of greenwashing. When a tricky situation arises, you're the one leading the calm, credible response.

Primary Traits

• Trait: Influential
• Manifestation: You're the person who can get a sceptical CFO to fund a multi-million pound water recycling project by building a bulletproof ROI model that includes water scarcity risk pricing. You get buy-in from 30 plant managers across different countries on a new global data collection process, even though you don't have direct authority over them. You can present complex regulatory impacts to the board in a way that makes them sit up and take notice, not just nod politely.
• Benefit: Honestly, this role has immense responsibility but limited direct authority over the operational teams who actually need to implement the changes. Your success depends entirely on your ability to influence peers, senior leaders, and operational staff to change their long-standing behaviours and priorities. If you can't get people on board, even with the best strategy, it'll just sit on a shelf.
• Trait: Pragmatic Idealist
• Manifestation: You passionately advocate for a circular economy model, but you also present a phased, cost-sensitive implementation plan that won't completely disrupt Q3 production targets. You acknowledge the ethical imperative of what we do, but you can also speak the language of risk mitigation, operational efficiency, and brand value to the finance team. You know when to push hard for the ideal, and when to accept a realistic, incremental step forward.
• Benefit: Pure idealism often gets dismissed as 'fluffy' or 'unrealistic' in a commercial setting. Pure pragmatism, on the other hand, never pushes for the necessary, transformative change we need. This role needs someone who can bridge that gap, translating ambitious sustainability goals into credible, financially sound business plans that actually get approved and implemented. It's about making the perfect the enemy of the good, but also ensuring the good is always striving for better.
• Trait: Systematic Thinker
• Manifestation: You can map the downstream impact of a raw material substitution in Asia on the product's carbon footprint in Europe, and then connect that to its disclosure requirements under CSRD. You link a safety incident in one plant to a potential reputational risk for investors globally. You see the connections between seemingly disparate issues – a new regulation in Germany, a water shortage in India, and an investor query about human rights – and understand how they all fit together in our global system.
• Benefit: Sustainability isn't a silo; it's an interconnected system of environmental, social, and financial risks and opportunities that touch every part of our business. You need to see the entire value chain, anticipate second- and third-order consequences of any decision, and understand how changes in one area ripple through the whole organisation. If you only see individual trees, you'll miss the forest fire coming.

Supporting Traits

• Trait: Resilient
• Desc: You'll need to bounce back after a major initiative is de-funded or a critical project gets delayed for 'business reasons'. This job has its fair share of setbacks, and you can't let them derail your long-term vision. You pick yourself up, learn, and find another way forward.
• Trait: Diplomatic
• Desc: You'll constantly navigate tension between the legal team's caution and the marketing team's desire to make bold claims. You're good at finding common ground and building consensus, even when stakeholders have very different agendas. It's like being a UN negotiator, but for carbon footprints.
• Trait: Forensically Detail-Oriented
• Desc: You're the one who catches the unit conversion error in a GHG emissions spreadsheet before it goes to the auditor. You spot the missing data point that could invalidate an entire report. At this level, a small error can have massive consequences, so that eye for detail is absolutely critical.
• Trait: Insatiably Curious
• Desc: You proactively learn about emerging topics like biodiversity credits, TNFD (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures), or new circular economy models. The sustainability landscape changes constantly, so you need to genuinely enjoy staying ahead of the curve and bringing new ideas to the table.

Primary Motivators

1. Motivator: Driving Global Impact
2. Daily: You'll be directly responsible for reducing our company's environmental footprint across continents, improving working conditions in our supply chain, and ensuring we contribute positively to society. Seeing your strategy lead to tangible reductions in emissions or improved social metrics will be a huge driver.
3. Motivator: Navigating Complexity & Solving Big Problems
4. Daily: This role is all about tackling incredibly complex, interconnected challenges – from global climate change to intricate supply chain human rights issues, all within a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. If you love dissecting a messy problem and building a clear path forward, you'll find this deeply satisfying.
5. Motivator: Shaping Organisational Strategy
6. Daily: You won't just be executing; you'll be at the table helping to define where we go next. This means influencing the C-suite, shaping investment decisions, and embedding sustainability into the very fabric of our business. If you thrive on strategic leadership and making a real difference at the top, this is for you.

Potential Demotivators

Let's be frank, this job isn't for everyone. If you're looking for a smooth, predictable ride where everyone immediately agrees with your brilliant ideas, you'll probably find yourself pretty frustrated here. The reality is often messier than the job description suggests, and you'll need a thick skin and a lot of patience.

Common Frustrations

1. The Global Data Scavenger Hunt: Spending 60% of your time chasing, cleaning, and begging for basic operational data (energy, water, waste) from 40+ international sites, many of which still use paper records or decade-old spreadsheets. It's like being a detective, but with less glamour and more Excel.
2. Operational Resistance: Hearing 'My bonus is tied to production output, not your carbon footprint' from plant managers who view your data requests and initiatives as a distraction from their 'real job'. Getting buy-in often feels like pulling teeth.
3. The 'Cost Centre' Stigma: Constantly fighting for budget and headcount while being perceived as a non-revenue-generating compliance function, despite your work directly impacting brand reputation and risk management. You'll often feel like you're justifying your existence.
4. Performative Leadership: Enduring executives who deliver inspiring keynote speeches on climate change but then reject the CapEx request for the factory upgrades required to actually meet the targets they just announced. It can feel like two steps forward, one step back.
5. Alphabet Soup Overload: The sheer mental fatigue of keeping track of and explaining the differences between CSRD, ESRS, IFRS S1, IFRS S2, GRI, SASB, TCFD, TNFD, CSDDD, and CBAM to stakeholders who just want a simple answer. It's a constant learning curve, and sometimes it feels like drowning.
6. Assurance Nightmare: The immense pressure of preparing data for third-party assurance, knowing that a single unsubstantiated number could lead to a qualified opinion and undermine the entire sustainability report. Every number needs to be defensible, and that takes a lot of grunt work.

What Role Doesn't Offer

1. A quiet, predictable routine: Expect constant shifts in priorities, urgent regulatory updates, and unexpected operational challenges. No two days are truly alike.
2. Instant gratification: Many sustainability initiatives have long lead times. You'll plant seeds that might not bear fruit for years, and you need to be okay with that.
3. Unquestioning obedience: You'll rarely have direct authority over the people who need to implement your plans. You'll spend more time influencing and negotiating than commanding.
4. A purely technical role: While technical knowledge is crucial, a significant part of this job is about people, politics, and persuasion. If you prefer to just crunch numbers in a corner, this isn't it.

ADHD Positives

1. The fast-paced, constantly evolving nature of global sustainability, with new regulations and challenges emerging regularly, can be highly stimulating and engaging for those with ADHD.
2. The need to quickly pivot between strategic oversight, team management, and urgent regulatory responses can play to strengths in rapid task switching and dynamic problem-solving.
3. The role's emphasis on big-picture, systemic thinking and identifying interconnected risks and opportunities can be very appealing, allowing for creative and expansive problem-solving.

ADHD Challenges and Accommodations

1. The 'Global Data Scavenger Hunt' and the need for meticulous, repetitive data verification for assurance can be particularly challenging. We can support with dedicated data analysts and AI tools for initial data extraction, allowing you to focus on strategic oversight and validation.
2. Managing a diverse team across different time zones requires strong organisational skills. We can provide executive assistant support for scheduling and project management tools to keep track of multiple workstreams.
3. The 'Alphabet Soup Overload' of regulations might lead to overwhelm. We'd encourage using AI-powered regulatory summarisers and dedicating specific time blocks for deep work without interruptions.

Dyslexia Positives

1. The strategic, conceptual nature of defining global sustainability programmes, rather than just detailed text production, can be a strong fit.
2. Strengths in visual thinking, pattern recognition, and connecting complex ideas often shine in understanding systemic sustainability challenges and mapping value chains.
3. The emphasis on verbal communication, influencing, and presenting to senior leadership can be a natural strength, where clarity of thought outweighs perfect written prose.

Dyslexia Challenges and Accommodations

1. The extensive documentation and detailed reporting requirements for CSRD and other frameworks can be demanding. We use advanced reporting platforms (like Workiva) with built-in templates and review workflows, and we can provide editorial support for final report drafting.
2. Reviewing lengthy regulatory texts or detailed audit reports might require extra time. Access to text-to-speech tools and AI summarisers can help process information more efficiently.
3. Ensuring accuracy in complex data tables for assurance is critical. We have dedicated data quality checks and a robust review process involving multiple team members to catch any errors.

Autism Positives

1. The logical, systematic approach required to design and implement global management systems (e.g., ISO 14001) and carbon accounting methodologies can be very well-suited.
2. A strong focus on facts, data integrity, and evidence-based decision-making aligns perfectly with the demands of sustainability reporting and assurance.
3. The ability to identify patterns, spot inconsistencies, and deep-dive into complex regulatory frameworks can be a significant asset in navigating the 'Alphabet Soup' of ESG standards.

Autism Challenges and Accommodations

1. The heavy emphasis on influencing, navigating organisational politics, and managing diverse personalities across cultures can be tiring. We'd support with clear communication protocols, pre-meeting agendas, and direct feedback channels. You won't be expected to be a social butterfly, but rather an effective leader.
2. Unexpected changes in priorities or 'Regulation Whiplash' might be challenging. We aim for clear communication of strategic shifts and provide tools for managing workload flexibility.
3. Sensory considerations in open-plan offices or during international travel might be a factor. We offer flexible working arrangements, noise-cancelling headphones, and quiet spaces for focused work.

Key Responsibilities

Experience Levels Responsibilities

1. Level: Director, International Sustainability (Level 006)
2. Responsibilities: Define and drive our global sustainability strategy, translating board-level ambitions into concrete, actionable programmes across all our international business units. This isn't just theory; it's about making it happen on the ground.
3. Lead and mentor a diverse team of Regional Sustainability Managers and Specialists, fostering a culture of high performance, continuous learning, and accountability. You'll be their go-to for tough decisions and career guidance.
4. Own our entire ESG reporting and disclosure process, ensuring full compliance with complex global regulations like CSRD, ESRS, IFRS S1/S2, and TCFD. This means preparing everything for external assurance, making sure every number is defensible.
5. Act as the primary interface for executive leadership and the board on all sustainability matters. You'll present our progress, challenges, and strategic recommendations, answering the tough questions they'll inevitably have.
6. Architect and oversee the implementation of global environmental management systems (e.g., ISO 14001, ISO 45001) and carbon accounting methodologies (GHG Protocol) across all our operations, ensuring consistency and data integrity.
7. Develop and implement robust supply chain due diligence programmes, proactively identifying and mitigating human rights and environmental risks in our global value chain, staying ahead of regulations like the CSDDD.
8. Represent the company externally at key industry forums, regulatory consultations, and with investors and NGOs, shaping our reputation and influencing the broader sustainability agenda. You'll be our voice in the room.
9. Manage the sustainability budget (typically £2M-£10M+), making strategic investment decisions for technology, programmes, and headcount that deliver maximum impact and value. You're accountable for how that money is spent.
10. Supervision: You'll operate with a high degree of autonomy, reporting to the Chief Sustainability & Compliance Officer. We'll have monthly strategic alignment meetings, but day-to-day, you're expected to lead your function and make independent decisions. You're the expert here, so we trust your judgment.
11. Decision: You'll have full authority to define and execute the global sustainability strategy within the agreed-upon framework. This includes budget allocation up to £10M+, hiring and firing decisions within your department, and selecting key vendors and technology platforms. Any decisions with significant M&A implications or those requiring board-level approval will, of course, be made in consultation with the C-suite.
12. Success: We'll know you're successful when our ESG ratings consistently improve, we meet or exceed our SBTi targets year-on-year, and our CSRD reports sail through external assurance without a hitch. More broadly, you'll have successfully embedded sustainability into our core business processes, making it a natural part of how we operate, not just a separate initiative. Your team will be thriving, and our external reputation will be stronger than ever.

Decision-Making Authority

• Type: Global Sustainability Strategy Definition
• Entry: No involvement. Follows defined processes.
• Mid: Contributes data and insights to support strategic discussions.
• Senior: Develops specific workstream strategies and makes recommendations to leadership.
• Type: Budget Allocation (within function)
• Entry: No budget authority. Requests resources from supervisor.
• Mid: Manages small project budgets (up to £5K) with approval.
• Senior: Manages workstream budgets (up to £50K) with Director input.
• Type: Regulatory Interpretation & Compliance Approach
• Entry: Applies established interpretations to routine tasks.
• Mid: Interprets regulations for specific operational areas, escalating ambiguities.
• Senior: Provides expert interpretation for complex regulatory requirements, advising on compliance strategies.
• Type: Team Hiring & Development
• Entry: No hiring authority. Focuses on personal development.
• Mid: Provides informal guidance to new joiners. Participates in junior interviews.
• Senior: Mentors 0-2 junior team members. Provides input on hiring decisions.
• Type: External Representation
• Entry: No external representation, unless specifically delegated for data collection.
• Mid: Participates in external working groups or supplier meetings under supervision.
• Senior: Represents the company at specific industry events or technical working groups.

Competency Requirements

Foundation Skills (Transferable)

At this level, your foundation skills aren't just about doing the work; they're about leading, influencing, and shaping the future. These are the core behaviours that will make or break your success as a global sustainability director.

• Category: Strategic Communication & Influence
• Skills: Board-Level Presentation: Can distil complex sustainability data and strategic recommendations into clear, concise, and compelling narratives for the board and C-suite. You'll need to hold your own under tough questioning.
• Cross-Cultural Persuasion: Ability to gain buy-in and drive change across diverse international teams and cultures, even without direct authority. This means understanding local nuances and adapting your approach.
• Stakeholder Engagement Mastery: Expertly manages relationships with a wide array of internal and external groups—investors, regulators, NGOs, operational leaders—balancing their often-conflicting demands.
• Crisis Communication: Can effectively manage and communicate during sustainability-related incidents or reputational challenges, maintaining trust and transparency.
• Category: Complex Problem-Solving & Decision-Making
• Skills: Systemic Thinking: Ability to see the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic issues across the entire value chain, anticipating second and third-order impacts of decisions.
• Strategic Trade-off Analysis: Can weigh competing priorities (e.g., cost vs. environmental impact, short-term gain vs. long-term resilience) and make sound, defensible decisions that align with corporate goals.
• Ambiguity Navigation: Thrives in situations where data is incomplete, regulations are evolving, and there's no clear 'right' answer. You're comfortable charting a course through uncertainty.
• Risk Management & Foresight: Proactively identifies emerging ESG risks (e.g., climate litigation, biodiversity loss, human rights violations) and develops strategies to mitigate them before they become crises.
• Category: Adaptability & Resilience
• Skills: Regulatory Agility: Rapidly understands and adapts to new, complex sustainability regulations (e.g., CSRD, CSDDD, EU Taxonomy) and translates them into actionable organisational responses.
• Organisational Change Leadership: Can effectively lead and manage significant organisational change initiatives related to sustainability, overcoming resistance and building momentum.
• Learning Agility: Continuously seeks out and integrates new knowledge, technologies, and best practices in the rapidly evolving field of sustainability. You're never 'done' learning.
• Emotional Fortitude: Maintains composure and effectiveness under pressure, especially when facing setbacks, budget cuts, or internal resistance. You'll need to be tough.
• Category: Leadership & Team Development
• Skills: Visionary Leadership: Inspires and motivates a global team towards ambitious sustainability goals, articulating a clear and compelling vision for the future.
• Talent Development: Actively coaches, mentors, and develops direct reports and broader team members, fostering their growth and building future leaders in sustainability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Builds strong, productive relationships with other departmental leaders (e.g., Operations, Legal, Finance, R&D) to embed sustainability across the business.
• Delegation & Empowerment: Effectively delegates responsibility and empowers team members to take ownership, providing guidance and support without micromanaging.

Functional Skills (Role-Specific Technical)

These are the specific methodologies, frameworks, and tools you'll need to master to effectively lead our global sustainability efforts. It's a blend of deep technical knowledge and strategic application.

Technical Competencies

• Skill: Materiality Assessment (Double Materiality)
• Desc: Expertise in leading and refining double materiality assessments to identify and prioritise ESG topics based on both financial impact and impact on society/environment, aligning with CSRD requirements. You'll define the methodology and present the findings to the board.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Sustainability Reporting Frameworks
• Desc: Mastery of applying global reporting standards, including GRI Standards, IFRS S1/S2 (incorporating SASB & TCFD), and the EU's CSRD and its associated ESRS. You'll own the reporting strategy and ensure full compliance and external assurance readiness.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: GHG Protocol & Carbon Accounting
• Desc: Deep expertise in calculating and verifying Scope 1, Scope 2, and the complex Scope 3 (value chain) emissions. This includes setting and validating Science-Based Targets (SBTi) and developing credible, global decarbonisation roadmaps. You're the ultimate authority on our carbon footprint.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Strategy
• Desc: Ability to set the corporate LCA strategy, deciding which products or services require full LCAs versus streamlined assessments. You'll interpret complex LCA results for R&D and Marketing, guiding product design and claims.
• Level: Architect
• Skill: ISO Management Systems Integration
• Desc: Expertise in integrating and maintaining certification for key standards like ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety) across multiple international sites, ensuring they form a cohesive business management system.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Supply Chain Due Diligence Design
• Desc: Ability to design and implement robust processes to identify, prevent, and mitigate adverse human rights and environmental impacts within our global supply chain, aligned with regulations like the German Supply Chain Act or the proposed CSDDD. You'll own the strategy for responsible sourcing.
• Level: Advanced

Digital Tools

• Tool: EHS & Sustainability Platforms (e.g., Enablon, Sphera, Cority)
• Level: Strategic
• Usage: Leading platform selection/migration, defining enterprise data governance, and ensuring seamless integration with ERP systems (like SAP S/4HANA) to support global data collection and reporting. You'll be the ultimate owner of our sustainability data infrastructure.
• Tool: LCA Software (e.g., SimaPro, GaBi, Sphera LCA)
• Level: Architect
• Usage: Setting the corporate LCA strategy, deciding which products require full LCAs vs. streamlined assessments, and communicating high-level findings to R&D and Marketing to guide sustainable product development. You won't be building models daily, but you'll define *how* they're built and *what* they mean.
• Tool: Reporting & Disclosure Platforms (e.g., Workiva, OneTrust ESG, Persefoni)
• Level: Strategic
• Usage: Owning the relationship with the vendor, designing the overall reporting architecture, and ensuring data flows are auditable and robust for CSRD compliance and third-party assurance. You're responsible for the integrity of our public disclosures.
• Tool: Regulatory Intelligence (e.g., Enhesa, C2P by Compliance & Risks)
• Level: Strategic
• Usage: Using platform insights to forecast regulatory risk, advising the board on geopolitical impacts (e.g., CBAM), and shaping our lobbying/advocacy strategy. You'll be the early warning system and the strategic interpreter of regulatory change.
• Tool: Data Analytics & Visualisation (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, Advanced Excel)
• Level: Strategic
• Usage: Defining the key ESG KPIs for executive dashboards, presenting insights to the C-suite, and ensuring data storytelling supports the corporate narrative. You'll guide your team in building these, but you'll be the one presenting the 'so what?' to leadership.
• Tool: Board Reporting Platforms (e.g., Diligent, Nasdaq Boardvantage)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Managing the Sustainability Committee's workspace, drafting materials directly within the platform, and tracking board-level queries and action items. You'll be ensuring the board has all the information they need, when they need it.

Industry Knowledge

• Area: Global ESG Trends & Geopolitics
• Desc: Deep understanding of global sustainability trends, geopolitical shifts (e.g., trade wars, energy security), and their implications for our business, supply chain, and regulatory landscape. You need to see around corners.
• Area: Sustainable Finance & Investor Expectations
• Desc: Knowledge of sustainable finance principles, green bonds, ESG integration by investors, and how to effectively communicate our sustainability performance to attract and retain capital. You'll be speaking their language.
• Area: Circular Economy Principles
• Desc: Understanding of circular economy models and their application to our products and operations, driving innovation in material use, waste reduction, and product longevity.
• Area: Climate Science & Adaptation
• Desc: A solid grasp of climate science, climate-related physical and transition risks, and strategies for climate adaptation and resilience within our operations and value chain.

Regulatory Compliance Regulations

• Reg: EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) & ESRS
• Usage: Owns the entire CSRD compliance programme, including materiality assessment, data collection infrastructure, reporting architecture, and ensuring external assurance readiness. You're the ultimate accountable person for our EU disclosures.
• Reg: IFRS S1 (General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information) & S2 (Climate-related Disclosures)
• Usage: Defines the strategy for aligning our disclosures with IFRS S1 and S2, integrating TCFD and SASB principles. You'll work closely with Finance and Investor Relations to ensure seamless integration with financial reporting.
• Reg: EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) (Proposed)
• Usage: Proactively designs and implements global human rights and environmental due diligence processes across the value chain, anticipating the requirements of the CSDDD. You'll be building this programme from the ground up.
• Reg: EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
• Usage: Develops the company's strategy for navigating CBAM, assessing its impact on our supply chain, product costs, and emissions accounting. You'll advise the board on trade and operational adjustments.
• Reg: German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG)
• Usage: Ensures full compliance with LkSG for our German operations and relevant supply chains, establishing risk analysis, prevention, and remediation measures. This is a live wire you'll be responsible for.
• Reg: Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
• Usage: Oversees the integration of TCFD recommendations into our climate strategy, risk management, and disclosures, ensuring robust reporting on governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics/targets.

Essential Prerequisites

• Extensive experience (10+ years) leading global sustainability programmes within a complex, multinational organisation, ideally in a regulated industry.
• Proven track record of building and managing high-performing teams, including managers and specialists, across different geographies.
• Demonstrable experience presenting to and influencing C-suite executives and board members on complex sustainability issues.
• Deep, practical knowledge of major global sustainability reporting frameworks (e.g., GRI, SASB, TCFD, CSRD/ESRS) and experience with external assurance processes.
• Expertise in carbon accounting (GHG Protocol Scope 1, 2, & 3) and experience with Science-Based Targets (SBTi) validation.
• Strong understanding of international environmental and social regulations, including emerging due diligence laws.

Career Pathway Context

You'll typically have come from a Senior Sustainability Manager or Lead Sustainability Strategist role in a large, complex organisation. We're not looking for someone who's just managed a local initiative; this is about global scale and strategic impact. Think about the biggest challenges you've faced in your career – we're looking for someone who's thrived in those environments.

Qualifications & Credentials

Emerging Foundation Skills

• Skill: AI-Powered Strategic Foresight
• Why: The sheer volume of data, regulatory changes, and scientific research in sustainability is exploding. AI won't just automate tasks; it'll become a critical tool for identifying patterns, predicting trends, and simulating future scenarios (e.g., climate impacts, supply chain disruptions) that are too complex for human analysis alone.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Predictive Analytics for ESG Risk', 'description': 'Using AI to forecast future regulatory changes, commodity price volatility due to climate, or social unrest in supply chain regions.'}, {'concept_name': 'Scenario Planning with LLMs', 'description': 'Employing generative AI to explore various climate and market scenarios and their implications for business strategy and resilience.'}, {'concept_name': 'AI-Enhanced Materiality Assessment', 'description': 'Using AI to scan vast amounts of external data (news, academic papers, peer reports) to identify emerging material topics faster and more comprehensively.'}, {'concept_name': 'Ethical AI Governance', 'description': 'Understanding the biases and limitations of AI tools, ensuring responsible and ethical use in sustainability decision-making and reporting.'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Actively experiment with AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT Enterprise, Claude) for summarising complex reports and generating initial strategic outlines.
• Next 6 months: Work with our data science team to explore how AI/ML models could enhance our ESG risk prediction or supply chain monitoring.
• Next 12 months: Lead a pilot project using AI for an enhanced materiality assessment, comparing its insights to traditional methods.
• Ongoing: Stay updated on AI ethics and governance best practices, especially as they relate to data privacy and bias in ESG data.
• QuickWin: Start using AI to draft your initial thoughts for board presentations or strategic memos. It's a great way to get a first pass and then refine with your own expertise. Also, make sure your team is using AI for routine data extraction and summarisation – lead by example.
• Skill: Biodiversity & Nature-Related Impact Assessment
• Why: Beyond carbon, nature and biodiversity loss are rapidly becoming critical financial and regulatory risks (e.g., TNFD, EU Biodiversity Strategy). Companies will need to measure, report, and mitigate their nature-related impacts with the same rigour as carbon.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)', 'description': 'Understanding the framework for assessing and disclosing nature-related risks and opportunities.'}, {'concept_name': 'Nature-Positive Strategies', 'description': 'Developing strategies to not just minimise harm, but actively contribute to biodiversity restoration and ecosystem health.'}, {'concept_name': 'Biodiversity Footprinting Tools', 'description': 'Familiarity with emerging methodologies and tools for measuring biodiversity impacts across the value chain.'}, {'concept_name': 'Water Stewardship & Circularity', 'description': 'Advanced understanding of water scarcity risks and strategies for responsible water use and circular water systems.'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Read the latest TNFD recommendations and guidance. Understand their LEAP (Locate, Evaluate, Assess, Prepare) approach.
• Next 6 months: Identify our company's key nature-related dependencies and impacts across our value chain, focusing on high-risk areas.
• Next 12 months: Develop a preliminary strategy for assessing and reporting on nature-related risks, potentially piloting a TNFD-aligned disclosure.
• Ongoing: Engage with industry groups and NGOs focused on biodiversity to understand emerging best practices and tools.
• QuickWin: Start by mapping our direct operational sites against biodiversity hotspots or water-stressed regions. It’s a simple step that gives you a good baseline for future work.

Advancing Technical Skills

• Skill: Advanced ESG Data Governance & Interoperability
• Why: With the explosion of ESG data and regulatory demands (e.g., CSRD's digital tagging requirements), ensuring data quality, lineage, and seamless interoperability between systems will be paramount. You'll need to architect a robust, auditable data ecosystem.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Digital Taxonomy & XBRL Tagging', 'description': 'Understanding how to prepare ESG data for digital reporting formats, including XBRL tagging, as required by CSRD.'}, {'concept_name': 'Data Lake/Warehouse Architecture for ESG', 'description': 'Designing scalable data infrastructure to consolidate diverse ESG data sources for analytics and reporting.'}, {'concept_name': 'Blockchain for Supply Chain Traceability', 'description': 'Exploring the potential of blockchain to enhance transparency and traceability in complex supply chains for due diligence.'}, {'concept_name': 'Data Security & Privacy in ESG', 'description': 'Ensuring the security and privacy of sensitive ESG data, especially when dealing with human rights or supplier information.'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Review our current ESG data architecture and identify key bottlenecks or risks for digital reporting.
• Next 6 months: Work with IT and Finance to develop a roadmap for integrating ESG data into our enterprise data governance framework.
• Next 12 months: Lead a project to implement digital tagging capabilities for our CSRD reporting, potentially with a third-party vendor.
• Ongoing: Research emerging technologies for data traceability and security, like blockchain, and assess their applicability to our supply chain.
• QuickWin: Start by documenting the full data lineage for our Scope 1 & 2 emissions data – from source to final report. This will highlight immediate areas for improvement in data governance.

Education Requirements

• Level: Minimum
• Req: A Master's degree (or equivalent) in Environmental Science, Sustainability Management, Business Administration, Engineering, Law, or a related field.
• Alts: We're pragmatic. If you've got 20+ years of demonstrable, progressive experience in global sustainability leadership, with a track record of driving significant impact and managing large, complex teams, we'd absolutely consider that in lieu of a Master's. Show us what you've built.
• Level: Preferred
• Req: An MBA with a specialisation in Sustainability or ESG, or a PhD in a relevant environmental or social science discipline.
• Alts: A strong portfolio of published thought leadership, industry speaking engagements, or significant contributions to sustainability standards development could also be a differentiator.

Experience Requirements

You'll need roughly 16-20 years of progressive experience in sustainability, environmental management, or compliance roles, with at least 8-10 years spent in a leadership capacity within a multinational organisation. This isn't your first rodeo; you'll have managed global teams, overseen significant budgets, and regularly presented to executive committees and boards. We're looking for someone who's navigated the complexities of international regulations and driven tangible, measurable improvements in ESG performance at scale.

Preferred Certifications

• Cert: Certified Sustainability Professional (e.g., ISSP-SA, GRI Certified Professional)
• Prod: Various (e.g., ISSP, GRI)
• Usage: Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of sustainability principles, frameworks, and reporting best practices, which is crucial for this role's strategic and reporting responsibilities.
• Cert: Lead Auditor ISO 14001 or ISO 45001
• Prod: Various accredited bodies
• Usage: Highlights expertise in implementing and managing environmental and occupational health & safety management systems, which are foundational to our operational compliance and performance.
• Cert: Carbon Footprinting & GHG Accounting Certification
• Prod: Various (e.g., GHG Management Institute)
• Usage: Confirms advanced knowledge in calculating and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, which is central to our climate strategy and SBTi commitments.
• Cert: Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP)
• Prod: Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE)
• Usage: Shows a strong understanding of broader compliance principles and ethical governance, which is highly relevant given the Compliance_Quality_Health_Safety department.

Recommended Activities

• Regularly attend and speak at leading international sustainability conferences (e.g., GreenBiz, Responsible Business Summit, World Economic Forum).
• Participate in relevant industry working groups or committees focused on developing new sustainability standards or regulations.
• Engage in executive education programmes focused on ESG strategy, sustainable finance, or corporate governance.
• Maintain active membership in professional bodies like the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA) or the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP).
• Read widely on emerging topics: academic journals, white papers from consultancies, and reports from NGOs like the World Resources Institute (WRI) or WWF.

Career Progression Pathways

Entry Paths to This Role

• Path: Regional Sustainability Manager (L5)
• Time: 3-5 years
• Path: Lead Sustainability Strategist (L4) from a large enterprise
• Time: 4-6 years
• Path: Senior Consultant / Principal from a top-tier ESG consultancy
• Time: 2-4 years in consultancy after prior industry experience

Career Progression From This Role

• Pathway: Chief Sustainability & Compliance Officer (L7)
• Time: 4-6 years

Long Term Vision Potential Roles

• Title: Chief Sustainability & Compliance Officer (CSCO)
• Time: 5-7 years
• Title: Board Member / Non-Executive Director (NED) - ESG Focus
• Time: 8-12 years
• Title: Senior Partner / Managing Director - ESG Consulting
• Time: 6-10 years

How Zavmo Delivers This Role's Development

DISCOVER Phase: Skills Gap Analysis

Zavmo maps your current competencies against all requirements in this job description through conversational assessment. We evaluate your foundation skills (communication, strategic thinking), functional skills (CRM expertise, negotiation), and readiness for career progression.

Output: Personalised skills gap heat map showing strengths and priorities, estimated time to competency, neurodiversity accommodations.

DISCUSS Phase: Personalised Learning Pathway

Based on your DISCOVER results, Zavmo creates a personalised learning plan prioritised by impact: foundation skills first, then functional skills. We adapt to your learning style, pace, and neurodiversity needs (ADHD, dyslexia, autism).

Output: Week-by-week schedule, each module linked to specific job responsibilities, checkpoints and milestones.

DELIVER Phase: Conversational Learning

Learn through conversation, not boring modules. Zavmo uses 10 conversation types (Socratic dialogue, role-play, coaching, case studies) to build competence. Practice difficult QBR presentations, negotiate tough renewals, and handle churn conversations in a safe AI environment before facing real clients.

Example: "For 'Stakeholder Mapping', Zavmo will guide you through analysing a complex enterprise account, identifying key decision-makers, and building an engagement strategy."

DEMONSTRATE Phase: Competency Assessment

Zavmo automatically builds your evidence portfolio as you learn. Every conversation, practice scenario, and application example is captured and mapped to NOS performance criteria. When ready, your portfolio supports OFQUAL qualification claims and demonstrates competence to employers.

Output: Competency matrix, evidence portfolio (downloadable), qualification readiness, career progression score.