Senior International Sustainability Coordinator

Role Purpose & Context

Role Summary

The Senior International Sustainability Coordinator is here to lead and own key parts of our global sustainability reporting and compliance efforts. You'll be diving deep into data from our sites across different countries, making sure it's accurate and fits into the bigger picture of our ESG commitments. Honestly, you're the one who makes sure our external claims actually hold up to scrutiny. This role sits right at the heart of our Compliance, Quality, Health, and Safety (CQHS) team, working closely with operational teams and senior leadership. You'll translate complex regulatory requirements and reporting frameworks into actionable tasks for our sites, then pull all that information together into reports that investors, customers, and regulators actually read. When you do this well, we avoid fines, build trust, and genuinely improve our environmental footprint. If you don't, well, that's when we risk accusations of greenwashing, reputational damage, and potentially losing out on investment. The tricky part is getting everyone on the same page when they've got their own priorities. The reward? Seeing the company actually make tangible progress towards a more sustainable future, knowing your work made it happen.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Sustainability Manager
• Direct reports: None (mentors 0-2 junior analysts)
• Matrix relationships: Senior ESG Specialist, Sustainability Reporting Lead, Environmental Compliance Coordinator (Senior), Senior QHSE Sustainability Analyst,

Key Stakeholders

Internal:

• Site Operations Managers (globally)
• Procurement Team
• Legal & Compliance Department
• Finance Team (for data validation and assurance)
• Marketing & Communications (for external messaging)
• Product Development Teams

External:

• ESG Rating Agencies (e.g., MSCI, Sustainalytics, CDP)
• External Auditors (for ESG data assurance)
• Regulators (e.g., EU Commission for CSRD)
• Key Investors and Clients

Organisational Impact

Scope: This role directly impacts our corporate reputation, regulatory compliance, and access to sustainable finance. Your work ensures our ESG disclosures are robust and defensible, protecting the company from 'greenwashing' claims and helping us meet investor expectations. You're essentially the backbone of our external sustainability narrative.

Performance Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

1. Metric: Timely & Accurate ESG Report Submissions
2. Desc: Completion and submission of assigned sections of our annual sustainability reports (e.g., GRI, TCFD, CDP) by deadline, with minimal post-submission corrections.
3. Target: 100% on-time submission for assigned reports/sections; <0.5% data error rate identified during internal or external review.
4. Freq: Annually/Quarterly (depending on report type) and post-audit.
5. Example: Delivered the full CDP Climate Change questionnaire by the July deadline, achieving an A- score (up from B- last year), with no data discrepancies flagged by the external assurance provider.
6. Metric: Data Quality & Completeness for Owned Workstreams
7. Desc: Ensuring all required data points for your specific reporting areas (e.g., Scope 3 emissions, waste data) are collected, validated, and complete from all relevant global sites.
8. Target: Achieve >98% data completeness and >99% accuracy for all data points within your direct responsibility.
9. Freq: Monthly/Quarterly data collection cycles, verified during internal audits.
10. Example: Successfully collected Scope 3, Category 11 (Use of Sold Products) data from all 15 product lines, reducing 'data gaps' from 15% to 2% within six months.
11. Metric: Process Efficiency Improvements
12. Desc: Identifying and implementing improvements to data collection, validation, or reporting processes to save time or reduce manual effort.
13. Target: Reduce manual data processing time by 15% for at least one major data stream (e.g., utility bills) within 12 months.
14. Freq: Quarterly review of process documentation and time tracking.
15. Example: Automated the extraction of energy consumption data from PDF invoices using a new tool, cutting the monthly data entry time for EMEA sites by roughly 20 hours.
16. Metric: Mentorship & Knowledge Transfer Effectiveness
17. Desc: Successfully guiding junior team members, helping them develop their skills and take on more complex tasks.
18. Target: At least one mentored junior analyst demonstrates readiness to independently manage a smaller reporting workstream within 18 months.
19. Freq: Bi-annual performance reviews and feedback sessions with mentees and their manager.
20. Example: Helped a new joiner independently manage the collection and reporting of our global water consumption data for the first time, with only minor guidance needed.

Qualitative Metrics

1. Metric: Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration
2. Desc: How effectively you work with internal teams (like Operations, Procurement, Marketing) to gather data, implement changes, and get their buy-in on sustainability initiatives.
3. Evidence: You'll be proactively consulted by site managers on data collection challenges. Other departments will seek your input on sustainability-related projects. Feedback from internal partners will highlight your collaborative approach and ability to get things done without direct authority. You're seen as a helpful expert, not just someone asking for data.
4. Metric: Methodological Soundness & Rigour
5. Desc: The robustness of your calculations, data methodologies, and adherence to reporting standards (e.g., GHG Protocol, GRI).
6. Evidence: Your work consistently withstands internal and external audits without significant findings. You can clearly articulate and defend your methodological choices to senior leaders or external assurance providers. Your documentation is clear enough for someone else to pick it up and understand your calculations.
7. Metric: Problem Solving & Initiative
8. Desc: Your ability to identify issues (e.g., missing data, inconsistent reporting) and proactively propose and implement solutions.
9. Evidence: You don't just flag problems; you come with potential solutions. You're the one who figures out why a specific site's data is always late and proposes a fix. You'll take ownership of complex data challenges and see them through to resolution, often without being asked.
10. Metric: Communication Clarity & Impact
11. Desc: Your ability to present complex sustainability information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences, from site operators to senior leadership.
12. Evidence: Your reports and presentations are easy to understand, even for non-experts. You can tailor your message effectively. Leadership often praises your ability to distil complex issues into clear, actionable insights. You can explain 'double materiality' to a sales director without them glazing over.

Primary Traits

• Trait: Tenacious Investigator
• Manifestation: You're the person who won't give up until you've tracked down that missing utility bill from the factory in Malaysia. You'll cross-reference data from three different spreadsheets just to make sure the numbers add up. If an emissions figure looks off, you'll dig deep, asking 'why' five times until you get to the root cause, rather than just accepting the first answer. You're naturally sceptical, in a good way, and you'll spot inconsistencies others miss.
• Benefit: Honestly, sustainability data is often messy, incomplete, and spread across dozens of systems and countries. If you're not relentless in chasing it down and verifying it, our reports will be full of holes. That means we could face fines, lose investor trust, or worse, make decisions based on bad information. We need someone who treats every data point like a puzzle to solve, not just an entry to tick off.
• Trait: Pragmatic Influencer
• Manifestation: You can convince a busy Plant Manager in Germany to start tracking a new waste stream by explaining how it'll help them reduce costs, not just because 'sustainability said so'. You're good at translating complex ESG jargon into simple, business-relevant language, whether you're talking to the procurement team about supplier audits or explaining TCFD to the Finance Director. You understand people have their own priorities and you find common ground.
• Benefit: Here's the thing: you won't have direct authority over most of the people you need data from or who need to make changes. Your success hinges entirely on your ability to build relationships, understand their world, and gently persuade them to prioritise sustainability tasks. Without this, you'll just be seen as another corporate overhead, and your requests will end up at the bottom of the pile. It's about making sustainability a 'we' thing, not a 'them' thing.
• Trait: Unflinching Integrity
• Manifestation: You're comfortable pushing back when the Marketing team wants to make a bold '100% sustainable' claim that the data simply doesn't fully support. You'll tell a senior leader, respectfully but firmly, if a target was missed and explain the real reasons why, rather than trying to massage the numbers. You value accuracy and honesty above all else, even when it's uncomfortable. You're the guardian of our company's reputation.
• Benefit: In the world of ESG, 'greenwashing' is a huge risk. Misleading claims can lead to massive regulatory fines, investor backlash, and irreversible brand damage. This role is the ultimate gatekeeper of our sustainability disclosures. We need someone who is an immovable source of truth, someone who will always prioritise factual accuracy, even if it means delivering news that isn't entirely positive. Your integrity protects us all.

Supporting Traits

• Trait: Methodical & Process-Oriented
• Desc: You're the kind of person who naturally organises things. You can create and stick to a complex data collection calendar across dozens of global sites, making sure nothing falls through the cracks. You love a good checklist and you're always thinking about how to make a process more efficient and repeatable.
• Trait: Resilient
• Desc: You don't get easily discouraged by pushback from operational teams, the slow pace of corporate change, or the sheer volume of data you need to manage. You can bounce back from a 'no' and find another way forward. You understand that driving real change takes time and persistence.
• Trait: Diplomatic & Culturally Aware
• Desc: You understand that how you ask for information or suggest a change needs to be different whether you're dealing with a team in Tokyo, Berlin, or São Paulo. You're sensitive to cultural nuances and can adapt your communication style to build rapport and get results across our international footprint.
• Trait: Solution-Focused
• Desc: When you hit a roadblock (and you will), your first thought isn't 'this is impossible', but 'how can we solve this?' You're proactive in finding workarounds, suggesting new tools, or refining processes to overcome challenges, rather than just highlighting them.

Primary Motivators

1. Motivator: Making a Tangible Impact on Sustainability
2. Daily: You get a real buzz from seeing the company's carbon emissions drop, or a new sustainable product launched, knowing your data and reporting helped make it happen. You're driven by the bigger picture of environmental and social responsibility, not just the numbers.
3. Motivator: Solving Complex Data Puzzles
4. Daily: You enjoy the challenge of taking disparate, messy data from various sources and transforming it into a clean, coherent narrative. The detective work involved in tracking down a data anomaly or standardising units from different countries genuinely excites you.
5. Motivator: Being the Go-To Expert
6. Daily: You thrive on being the person others come to for answers on sustainability reporting standards, carbon accounting, or data validation. You enjoy sharing your knowledge and helping others understand the nuances of ESG.

Potential Demotivators

Let's be real, this job isn't always glamorous. You'll spend a fair bit of your time 'chasing the sites for their utility bills' – a universal, often frustrating experience. You'll likely face pushback from operational teams who see your data requests as a distraction from their 'real job'. You might build a beautiful, comprehensive report only for a new regulatory update (hello, CSRD!) to come along and require a complete overhaul of your perfectly crafted process. And yes, you'll be held accountable for targets like emissions reductions, even though you have zero direct authority over the capital budget for equipment upgrades or the day-to-day operational decisions that actually drive those changes. If you need immediate, direct control over outcomes or can't handle a bit of administrative grind, you might find parts of this role frustrating.

Common Frustrations

1. Spending 50% of your time as 'the data janitor' – cleaning, converting, and standardising inconsistent data from global sites (e.g., kWh to MWh, cubic meters to gallons, invoices in 10 different languages).
2. Constantly battling the perception from operational teams that your data requests are just bureaucratic overhead, not essential for the business.
3. Being caught between the Marketing team's desire for bold environmental claims and the messy, nuanced reality of the data you've painstakingly collected.
4. A major reporting standard (like CSRD) updating, making the reporting process you just perfected last year obsolete and requiring a complete overhaul.
5. The 'Annual Report Scramble' – key stakeholders ignoring data requests for 10 months, then treating the need for year-end data as a sudden, five-alarm fire in the two weeks before the reporting deadline.

What Role Doesn't Offer

1. Direct managerial authority over large teams (you'll mentor, not manage).
2. Significant budget control for large capital projects (you'll influence, not decide).
3. A purely strategic, high-level role without hands-on data work (you'll be deep in the data).
4. A 'set it and forget it' environment; the regulatory landscape is constantly shifting.

ADHD Positives

1. The 'tenacious investigator' aspect can be a real strength here; hyperfocus can be incredibly useful for deep dives into complex data sets or tracking down elusive information.
2. The varied nature of tasks – from data collection to report writing to stakeholder engagement – can keep things interesting and prevent monotony.
3. The need to quickly pivot between different reporting frameworks and urgent data requests can suit individuals who thrive on dynamic environments.

ADHD Challenges and Accommodations

1. Staying on top of multiple, ongoing data collection cycles and long-term reporting deadlines can be challenging. We can help with structured project management tools and regular check-ins to break down large tasks.
2. The 'data janitor' aspects might feel tedious. We can explore automation tools and allow for task batching to minimise context switching.
3. We can offer flexible working arrangements to help manage energy levels and focus, and provide noise-cancelling headphones if needed in an open-plan office.

Dyslexia Positives

1. Strong spatial reasoning and big-picture thinking can be excellent for seeing patterns in complex sustainability data or understanding the overall impact of different initiatives.
2. The ability to think creatively about problem-solving, especially when data is incomplete or inconsistent, is highly valued.
3. Verbal communication and storytelling skills can be a huge asset when presenting sustainability insights to non-technical audiences.

Dyslexia Challenges and Accommodations

1. The extensive report writing and detailed documentation required can be demanding. We encourage the use of proofreading software, grammar checkers, and AI-assisted drafting tools.
2. Working with large spreadsheets and detailed data tables might require specific software customisations or screen readers. We're happy to provide these.
3. We can offer templates for reports and presentations to help structure written output, reducing the cognitive load of starting from scratch.

Autism Positives

1. Exceptional attention to detail and a methodical approach are crucial for ensuring data accuracy and compliance with strict reporting frameworks.
2. A strong preference for logic and factual accuracy aligns perfectly with the 'unflinching integrity' required to prevent greenwashing.
3. The ability to deeply specialise in complex areas like GHG Protocol or LCA methodology can lead to becoming a true subject matter expert.

Autism Challenges and Accommodations

1. Navigating complex, informal stakeholder dynamics and influencing without direct authority might be challenging. We can provide clear communication guidelines and support in understanding team dynamics.
2. Unexpected changes in reporting requirements or urgent, last-minute data requests can be disruptive. We aim for clear communication about changes and offer support in managing priorities.
3. Our office environment is generally collaborative but we can provide quiet workspaces or noise-cancelling headphones if sensory input becomes overwhelming.

Key Responsibilities

Experience Levels Responsibilities

1. Level: Senior International Sustainability Coordinator (L3)
2. Responsibilities: Lead the end-to-end data collection, validation, and reporting process for specific sustainability frameworks, like the annual CDP Climate Change submission or our full GRI-aligned report. This means you'll own it from the initial data request to the final submission.
3. Design and implement robust data collection methodologies for new or challenging ESG metrics, such as Scope 3 emissions categories or water stewardship, working closely with global site teams to ensure consistency and accuracy.
4. Mentor and provide technical guidance to 0-2 junior sustainability analysts. In practice, this means reviewing their work, helping them troubleshoot data issues, and showing them the ropes on complex reporting standards.
5. Conduct detailed materiality assessments, including the newer 'double materiality' approach required by CSRD, to identify and prioritise the most significant ESG topics for our business and stakeholders.
6. Act as the primary point of contact and subject matter expert for specific sustainability data streams (e.g., energy, waste, water) for a given region (e.g., EMEA or APAC), resolving complex data queries and ensuring data integrity.
7. Prepare clear, concise, and audit-ready documentation for all sustainability data, methodologies, and reporting processes. Yes, it's boring, but future-you (and our auditors) will be incredibly grateful.
8. Present key sustainability performance insights and reporting updates to internal stakeholders, including department heads and potentially senior leadership, clearly explaining methodology and implications.
9. Supervision: You'll have bi-weekly check-ins with your Sustainability Manager, but for your specific workstreams, you'll operate with a high degree of autonomy. We trust you to get on with it and flag issues when you need help, not when you're stuck.
10. Decision: You'll have full technical decision-making authority within your assigned reporting workstreams (e.g., choosing the best methodology for a Scope 3 calculation, selecting data validation tools). You can recommend process changes and tool selections up to roughly £10K, but anything impacting budget or cross-departmental strategy will need input from your manager. You’ll decide how to approach data collection challenges and manage your own project timelines within broader deadlines. You'll consult your manager on any significant deviations from established reporting standards or major stakeholder conflicts.
11. Success: You'll know you're succeeding when your assigned reports are consistently submitted on time and pass external assurance with flying colours. When site managers proactively reach out to you for advice, and when junior team members look to you for guidance. Ultimately, it's about delivering accurate, defensible sustainability data that genuinely informs our business decisions and builds trust.

Decision-Making Authority

• Type: Data Collection Methodology
• Entry: Follows established procedures; escalates any deviation or new data type to supervisor.
• Mid: Chooses appropriate methodology from a set of approved options for routine data; proposes new approaches for manager review.
• Senior: Designs and implements new data collection methodologies for complex or emerging ESG topics; consults manager on significant cross-departmental impact.
• Type: Reporting Framework Interpretation
• Entry: Applies specific instructions for assigned disclosures; asks supervisor for clarification on complex clauses.
• Mid: Independently interprets and applies reporting framework requirements for owned sections; seeks manager approval for ambiguous interpretations.
• Senior: Provides expert interpretation of complex reporting standards (e.g., CSRD, TCFD) and advises on best practice application; makes recommendations to manager on strategic alignment.
• Type: Stakeholder Communication & Conflict Resolution
• Entry: Communicates data requests as directed; escalates any pushback or conflict to supervisor.
• Mid: Manages routine communication with site contacts; attempts to resolve minor data collection issues independently before escalating.
• Senior: Proactively manages relationships with key internal stakeholders; independently resolves most data-related conflicts and challenges through diplomatic influence; consults manager on major inter-departmental disagreements.
• Type: Process Improvement Implementation
• Entry: Suggests minor improvements to supervisor; implements changes only under direct instruction.
• Mid: Identifies process inefficiencies and proposes solutions; implements approved improvements for owned tasks.
• Senior: Designs and leads the implementation of significant process improvements for data collection or reporting workstreams; recommends new tools or systems up to £10K budget, with manager approval.

Competency Requirements

Foundation Skills (Transferable)

Beyond the technical know-how, a Senior International Sustainability Coordinator needs a solid set of foundational skills to navigate complex data, influence diverse teams, and communicate clearly. These aren't just 'nice-to-haves'; they're essential for getting things done in a global, matrixed organisation.

• Category: Communication & Influence
• Skills: Cross-Cultural Communication: Adapting your communication style and approach to effectively engage with colleagues and stakeholders from different cultural backgrounds (e.g., understanding local customs for requesting data, tailoring messages for different regions).
• Persuasion & Negotiation: The ability to build a compelling case for sustainability initiatives or data requests, influencing operational teams and managers who have competing priorities, often without direct authority.
• Technical Communication: Translating complex sustainability methodologies (e.g., LCA, GHG Protocol) and data insights into clear, actionable language for non-technical audiences, from site operators to senior leadership.
• Presentation Skills: Delivering engaging and informative presentations on sustainability performance, risks, and opportunities to internal teams and potentially external partners, answering tough questions on the spot.
• Category: Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking
• Skills: Data Reconciliation: Systematically identifying, investigating, and resolving discrepancies in sustainability data from multiple sources, often in different formats or units.
• Methodological Design: Developing robust and defensible methodologies for collecting, calculating, and reporting new or challenging ESG metrics where standard approaches might not fully apply.
• Root Cause Analysis: Digging deep to understand why a particular sustainability metric (e.g., energy consumption) is trending unexpectedly, identifying underlying operational or systemic issues.
• Strategic Prioritisation: Assessing the relative importance and urgency of various sustainability topics and data requests, especially when resources are limited or new regulations emerge.
• Category: Organisation & Project Management
• Skills: Global Data Management: Establishing and maintaining systematic processes for collecting, validating, storing, and retrieving sustainability data from a diverse set of international sites.
• Reporting Workflow Management: Leading and coordinating the various stages of a sustainability reporting cycle, from initial data gathering and calculation to drafting, review, and final submission.
• Documentation & Record Keeping: Creating clear, comprehensive, and audit-ready documentation for all data sources, methodologies, assumptions, and reporting decisions.
• Time Management & Prioritisation: Effectively managing multiple concurrent projects and deadlines, often with competing demands, ensuring that critical reporting obligations are met.

Functional Skills (Role-Specific Technical)

This role demands a deep understanding of sustainability principles, specific technical methodologies, and the tools to make it all happen. You're not just a data collector; you're a subject matter expert who can apply these skills to real-world compliance and reporting challenges.

Technical Competencies

• Skill: Sustainability Reporting Frameworks
• Desc: Deep, practical knowledge of applying global standards like the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), and the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). You'll be leading sections of these reports, not just populating templates.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol & Carbon Accounting
• Desc: Mastery of calculating and reporting Scope 1, 2, and the notoriously difficult Scope 3 emissions. This includes understanding different calculation methodologies, data sources, and setting Science-Based Targets (SBTi). You'll be responsible for the accuracy of these numbers.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Methodology
• Desc: A solid understanding of the principles of ISO 14040/14044 to assess the environmental impact of products/services from raw material extraction to end-of-life. You should be able to interpret and critique LCA studies, and potentially lead smaller-scale assessments.
• Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Skill: Materiality Assessment (including Double Materiality)
• Desc: The formal process of identifying and prioritising ESG topics that are most significant to the business and its stakeholders. This includes understanding the concept of 'double materiality' (impact and financial materiality) as driven by the CSRD, and you'll be leading these assessments.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Environmental & Safety Management Systems (ISO 14001/45001)
• Desc: Expertise in the implementation and auditing of ISO 14001 (Environmental) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety) standards. You'll understand how these systems generate data relevant for sustainability reporting and ensure compliance.
• Level: Advanced

Digital Tools

• Tool: EHS & Sustainability Data Management (e.g., Enablon, Cority, Intelex, Sphera)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Configuring data collection templates, managing user permissions for site-level input, building custom dashboards for specific reporting needs, and training site-level users on data entry and extraction.
• Tool: ESG Reporting & GRC Platforms (e.g., Workiva, OneTrust, Diligent ESG)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Managing the end-to-end reporting workflow, mapping internal controls to external disclosures, preparing the platform for external assurance/audit, and ensuring all evidence is correctly linked.
• Tool: Excel (Power Query, Pivot Tables, Advanced Formulas)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Automating complex data transformations and cleaning processes using Power Query, building intricate pivot table reports for analysis, and using advanced formulas for data validation and calculations.
• Tool: Power BI / Tableau
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Designing and building interactive dashboards that provide actionable insights for business leaders, connecting to various data sources, and maintaining existing reports.
• Tool: Supply Chain Sustainability Platforms (e.g., EcoVadis, Sedex, Sourcemap)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: Analysing supplier performance data, identifying high-risk suppliers for audits, collaborating with procurement on corrective action plans, and interpreting assessment results.

Industry Knowledge

• Area: Circular Economy Principles
• Desc: Understanding concepts like waste reduction, resource efficiency, product longevity, and closed-loop systems, and how they apply to our operations and product design.
• Area: Sustainable Finance & Investor Expectations
• Desc: Knowledge of how investors use ESG data to make decisions, including understanding ESG ratings, sustainable investment products, and the financial implications of sustainability risks and opportunities.
• Area: Environmental Law & Policy Basics
• Desc: A foundational understanding of key environmental regulations in our operating regions, particularly those related to emissions, waste, and water, to ensure our reporting is compliant.
• Area: Social Impact & Human Rights in Supply Chains
• Desc: Awareness of social issues within supply chains, such as labour practices, human rights due diligence, and modern slavery, and how to assess and report on these.

Regulatory Compliance Regulations

• Reg: EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
• Usage: Leading the implementation of CSRD requirements for our EU operations, including double materiality assessments, detailed disclosure preparation, and ensuring data readiness for external assurance.
• Reg: Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)
• Usage: Structuring our climate-related disclosures around TCFD's four pillars (Governance, Strategy, Risk Management, Metrics & Targets), ensuring alignment and robust reporting to investors.
• Reg: UK Modern Slavery Act
• Usage: Contributing to the annual modern slavery statement, working with procurement to gather relevant data on supply chain due diligence and risk assessments.
• Reg: ISO 14001 (Environmental Management) & ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety)
• Usage: Ensuring our sustainability data collection and reporting aligns with the requirements of these management systems, often drawing data directly from their processes for external reporting.

Essential Prerequisites

• At least 5 years of hands-on experience in sustainability reporting, environmental compliance, or ESG data management, ideally within an international context.
• Proven experience in leading specific sustainability reporting workstreams (e.g., CDP, GRI sections) from data collection to final submission.
• A solid track record of working with large, complex datasets, including cleaning, validating, and analysing information from various sources.
• Demonstrable experience in stakeholder engagement, particularly with operational teams, to gather data and drive sustainability initiatives.
• Strong understanding of at least two major sustainability reporting frameworks (e.g., GRI, TCFD, SASB) and the GHG Protocol.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel (Power Query, Pivot Tables) and experience with at least one EHS/ESG data management platform (e.g., Enablon, Cority) or BI tool (Power BI/Tableau).

Career Pathway Context

You're coming into this role having already spent a few years in the trenches, perhaps as a Mid-Level Sustainability Coordinator or an Environmental Analyst. You've seen how the data comes together, and now you're ready to take ownership of entire reporting processes and mentor others. We're not looking for someone who needs to be taught the basics of carbon accounting; we're looking for someone who can confidently apply it and teach it to others.

Qualifications & Credentials

Emerging Foundation Skills

• Skill: Advanced Data Storytelling & Visualisation
• Why: Critical within 12 months. Simply presenting numbers isn't enough anymore. Boards, investors, and even employees want to understand the 'so what?' behind the data. The ability to craft compelling narratives from complex ESG data, making it accessible and impactful, is becoming non-negotiable.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Narrative Structure', 'description': 'Understanding how to build a storyline around data, including setting context, highlighting key insights, and proposing actions.'}, {'concept_name': 'Audience-Centric Design', 'description': 'Tailoring visualisations and narratives to the specific needs and understanding of different stakeholder groups (e.g., board, employees, customers).'}, {'concept_name': 'Interactive Dashboards', 'description': 'Interactive Dashboards'}, {'concept_name': 'Infographic Design Principles', 'description': 'Infographic Design Principles'}, {'concept_name': 'Ethical Data Visualisation (avoiding misleading ch', 'description': 'Ethical Data Visualisation (avoiding misleading charts)'}]
• Prepare: This month: Take an online course on data storytelling (e.g., from DataCamp or Coursera).
• Next quarter: Identify one complex dataset you own and create an interactive Power BI dashboard that tells a clear story, not just shows numbers.
• Month 4-6: Volunteer to present a key sustainability metric to a non-sustainability team, focusing purely on the story and impact.
• Month 7-9: Seek feedback on your visualisations from senior leaders – ask them if they 'get it' immediately.
• QuickWin: Start using simple, clear titles and annotations on all your charts. Before presenting, ask yourself: 'What's the single most important message here?'
• Skill: AI-Assisted Compliance & Reporting
• Why: Critical within 6 months—this is already happening. Competitors are using AI to draft reports in minutes that used to take hours. Analysts who figure this out will outproduce peers, allowing you to focus on strategy and validation.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Prompt Engineering for ESG', 'description': 'Learning how to write effective prompts for Large Language Models (LLMs) to generate report narratives, summarise regulations, or draft responses to ESG questionnaires.'}, {'concept_name': 'Data Extraction & OCR Integration', 'description': 'Understanding how AI tools can automate the extraction of data from unstructured sources like invoices, contracts, or regulatory documents.'}, {'concept_name': 'Output Validation & Hallucination Detection (criti', 'description': 'Output Validation & Hallucination Detection (critical for compliance)'}, {'concept_name': 'Ethical AI Use in Reporting', 'description': 'Ethical AI Use in Reporting'}, {'concept_name': "Understanding AI's limitations for nuanced interpr", 'description': "Understanding AI's limitations for nuanced interpretation"}]
• Prepare: This week: Experiment with ChatGPT or Claude to draft email summaries or initial report sections. No approval needed, immediate benefit.
• This month: Research and pilot one AI-powered OCR tool for automating utility bill data extraction.
• Month 2: Document productivity gains from your AI experiments and share with your manager and team.
• Month 3-6: Explore how our existing EHS/ESG platforms are integrating AI features and learn to use them.
• QuickWin: Use AI to summarise lengthy regulatory updates or draft initial responses to routine data requests. It's a huge time-saver for the narrative parts.

Advancing Technical Skills

• Skill: Advanced Scope 3 Emissions Modelling & Verification
• Why: Important within 12 months. Scope 3 is the biggest challenge and opportunity for most companies, and regulators (like CSRD) are demanding more robust and granular reporting. You'll need to move beyond basic calculations to sophisticated modelling and robust verification.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Hybrid Methodologies', 'description': 'Combining spend-based, average-data, and supplier-specific data for more accurate Scope 3 calculations.'}, {'concept_name': 'Data Gaps & Proxies', 'description': 'Developing defensible strategies for estimating emissions when direct data is unavailable, and understanding the limitations.'}, {'concept_name': 'Supplier Engagement for Data Quality', 'description': 'Supplier Engagement for Data Quality'}, {'concept_name': 'Scenario Analysis for Scope 3 Targets', 'description': 'Scenario Analysis for Scope 3 Targets'}, {'concept_name': 'External Assurance Requirements for Scope 3', 'description': 'External Assurance Requirements for Scope 3'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Deep dive into the GHG Protocol Scope 3 guidance. Read it cover-to-cover, honestly.
• Next 6 months: Lead a project to improve data quality for one challenging Scope 3 category (e.g., Category 11 - Use of Sold Products).
• Month 7-9: Attend a specialist workshop or webinar on advanced Scope 3 modelling techniques.
• Month 10-12: Propose and implement a new methodology for a previously difficult-to-calculate Scope 3 category, presenting your rationale to your manager.
• QuickWin: Identify one Scope 3 category where our data is weakest and start mapping out potential data sources and collection strategies.
• Skill: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Software Proficiency
• Why: Important within 18 months. As product sustainability becomes more critical, the ability to conduct or at least deeply understand LCA studies will be essential for informing product development and marketing claims. Moving beyond basic interpretation to actual model building will be a differentiator.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'LCA Software Navigation', 'description': 'Proficiency in tools like SimaPro or GaBi, including database selection (e.g., Ecoinvent), unit processes, and system boundaries.'}, {'concept_name': 'Critical Review of LCA Studies', 'description': 'Ability to evaluate the methodology, assumptions, and results of third-party LCA reports for robustness and bias.'}, {'concept_name': 'Impact Assessment Methodologies (e.g., ReCiPe, CML', 'description': 'Impact Assessment Methodologies (e.g., ReCiPe, CML)'}, {'concept_name': 'Data Collection for LCA (primary vs. secondary dat', 'description': 'Data Collection for LCA (primary vs. secondary data)'}, {'concept_name': 'Interpreting Hotspots for Product Design', 'description': 'Interpreting Hotspots for Product Design'}]
• Prepare: This quarter: Complete an introductory online course on SimaPro or GaBi (if not already proficient).
• Next 6 months: Work with a product team to define the scope for a small, internal LCA study for one of our products.
• Month 7-9: Build a basic LCA model for a simple product or process under the guidance of an external consultant or senior team member.
• Month 10-12: Present the findings of your LCA study to the relevant product development team, highlighting key environmental hotspots.
• QuickWin: Familiarise yourself with the basic interface and functionalities of SimaPro or GaBi. Understand the difference between 'cradle-to-gate' and 'cradle-to-grave' LCAs.

Education Requirements

• Level: Minimum
• Req: Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Sustainability, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• Alts: We're pragmatic. If you've got 7+ years of direct, hands-on experience in sustainability reporting, environmental management, or a similar Compliance, Quality, Health, and Safety role, we'd definitely consider that equivalent. Show us what you've done, not just where you went to uni.
• Level: Preferred
• Req: Master's degree in Environmental Management, Sustainable Development, or an MBA with a sustainability focus.
• Alts: While a Master's is great, practical experience leading complex reporting cycles or implementing ISO management systems often counts for more. If you've got the practical chops, that's what we care about.

Experience Requirements

You'll need roughly 5-8 years of dedicated experience in sustainability, ESG reporting, or environmental compliance. This isn't an entry-level role; we expect you to have already managed significant parts of reporting cycles, dealt with messy data, and influenced operational teams. Experience working in a multi-site, international organisation is a huge plus, because honestly, that's where the real challenges are. We're looking for someone who has genuinely owned projects, not just assisted on them.

Preferred Certifications

• Cert: IEMA Practitioner Membership (PIEMA)
• Prod: Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA)
• Usage: Demonstrates a recognised level of competence and commitment to environmental and sustainability practice, showing you're serious about the field.
• Cert: GHG Protocol Certificate
• Prod: World Resources Institute (WRI) / World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)
• Usage: Confirms your expertise in carbon accounting, which is fundamental to almost all sustainability reporting. It shows you know your Scope 1 from your Scope 3.
• Cert: Lead Auditor ISO 14001 or ISO 45001
• Prod: Various (e.g., BSI, LRQA)
• Usage: Shows a deep understanding of environmental and safety management systems, which are crucial for data quality and compliance in our industry. It means you understand how our sites operate.

Recommended Activities

• Regularly attending webinars and industry conferences (e.g., those hosted by IEMA, GreenBiz, or specific reporting bodies) to stay current on evolving regulations and best practices.
• Joining professional networks or online communities focused on sustainability reporting or ESG data management to share insights and learn from peers.
• Taking advanced online courses on specific topics like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) or advanced data analytics for sustainability.
• Subscribing to key regulatory updates and industry newsletters (e.g., from the European Commission, GRI, CDP) to anticipate changes.
• Mentoring junior colleagues, which is a fantastic way to solidify your own understanding and develop leadership skills.

Career Progression Pathways

Entry Paths to This Role

• Path: Mid-Level Sustainability Coordinator (L2)
• Time: 2-3 years
• Path: Environmental or QHSE Analyst from another industry
• Time: 3-5 years (with relevant cross-training)
• Path: Consultant (Sustainability/ESG)
• Time: 2-4 years

Career Progression From This Role

• Pathway: Lead Sustainability Strategist (L4)
• Time: 3-5 years
• Pathway: Sustainability Manager (L5)
• Time: 4-6 years

Long Term Vision Potential Roles

• Title: Director of Sustainability & ESG (L6)
• Time: 8-12 years
• Title: Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) (L7)
• Time: 12-18 years
• Title: Head of Environmental Compliance (L6)
• Time: 8-12 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.