Global Sustainability Director -PP&C

Global Sustainability Director -PP&C

Reports to: VP Marketing, Innovation & Sustainability- PP&C

Location: Charlotte, NC

Position Summary:

The Global Director of Sustainability is responsible for supporting product sustainability initiatives globally and representing PP&C on the corporate sustainability council. S/he will develop the strategy to create competitive advantage for our paper & packaging solutions to generate business results. S/he will work closely with the VP Marketing, Innovation & Sustainability as well as the region and sub region leaders and the corporate sustainability team to ensure plans for product development, commercial launch, and organic sales growth are connected, cohesive, and supported by credible sustainability messaging. S/he will serve as a sustainability resource to the commercial and innovation teams - supporting customer initiatives, consulting on customer sustainability matters, and engaging with customers and other external stakeholder groups.

A results-oriented, collaborative, and diplomatic problem solver, the Global Director of Sustainability thrives in a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment. S/he monitors evolving policy and regulations, voluntary industry initiatives, competitive threats, and customer/consumer packaging preferences, making recommendations, and driving projects to continually strengthen our product position. S/he is a skilled communicator who develops strong relationships and concisely conveys complex data, insights, and product sustainability attributes to a wide variety of internal and external stakeholder audiences. This position requires the ability to work independently and the initiative and drive to achieve goals and business results.

• Partner with VP Marketing, Innovation & Sustainability to define, develop, and lead strategic initiatives to expand and/or defend Archroma product sustainability and market positions and identify required data to support product sustainability claims.
• Partner with the product innovation team to further integrate design for the environment principles in the innovation process (including raw material selection and qualification), improve the environmental profile of Archroma solutions, and develop data-based sustainability proof points in advance of product commercialization.
• Work with PP&C and Corporate ESG councils to conduct environmental assessments/modeling of Archroma products and competing materials, including life-cycle assessments, circularity analyses, and other product evaluations. Leverage results from assessments to inform product design to provide competitive advantage. Work with PP&C and Corporate ESG councils to develop KPIs, dashboards and visual communication tools for product sustainability performance evaluation.
• Become go-to resource for PP&C commercial teams and customers on Archroma product sustainability questions and corporate sustainability program, engaging support of corporate sustainability director where necessary. Support commercial teams with customer sustainability conversations and provide sustainability consulting advice to customers as applicable to advance shared sustainability goals.
• Partner with the Marketing organization to develop and conduct training to increase commercial team knowledge and comfort in communicating corporate and product sustainability performance with customers and support addressing customer requests for product sustainability information.
• Monitor external environment to identify emerging product sustainability trends, regulations, or voluntary initiatives that present potential opportunities or threats to Archroma. Understand and translate potential impact of upcoming legislation or external stakeholder pressures on product sales and work with internal teams to advance initiatives to capitalize on opportunities or address threats as appropriate.
• Engage with external product labeling organizations (e.g. H2R, SPC) and advise product teams on suitable labeling that can be used to certify and promote its products (e.g. compostable, recyclable, etc.)
• Support corporate Sustainability director with production and publication of annual sustainability report, representing PP&C division.
• Inform other external product sustainability communications (e.g. social media posts, product literature, and customer messaging and presentations, etc.) to proactively promote Archroma solutions.
• Benchmark sustainability performance for competitor products as input for positioning Archroma products and for new product development strategy.
• Other duties and tasks as assigned.
  
  

The Following Is Required For This Role

• Must have a passion for sustainability and a continuous learning mindset.
• Degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Packaging Engineer, or other Sustainability-related degree, Product Design, Product Management, Materials Science, or similar field, or 5-7 years experience in similar role in lieu of said degrees.
• 5 years’ experience in product sustainability or similar roles with increasing responsibility
• Flexible self-starter with strong work ethic, positive outlook, and solid collaboration skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, manage competing priorities, make decisions, operate independently, and work effectively under pressure to achieve program goals.
• Ability to grasp complex, interconnected workstreams, define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and project management skills, including the ability to manage scope and contain risks.
• Comfortable collaborating and partnering across business functions and global regions and engaging with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence key stakeholders, present to executive teams, and tailor messaging to audience needs.
• Familiar with design and use of life-cycle assessment analyses for evaluating and communicating product sustainability performance.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and SharePoint
• Able to travel (~30% time)
  
  

The Following Is Preferred For This Role

• Knowledge of packaging sector sustainability issues and evolving regulations that impact packaging, with special emphasis on fiber-based products.
• Product design experience
• Experience in developing messaging for corporate and product level sustainability attributes that resonate with target markets/customers.
• Experience conducting life-cycle assessment analyses for evaluating and communicating product sustainability performance.
• Familiarity with using product circularity assessment frameworks.
• Experience with Greenhouse Gas (GHG) accounting methodology (specifically, Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 GHG accounting) and application to product carbon footprint analyses
• Experience with analytical and dashboarding software such as Microsoft Power BI, or other graphics/dashboard tools