Director of Sustainability (North America)

Sustainability is a never-ending journey for James Hardie. As the world leader in fiber cement siding and backerboard, James Hardie continues to identify and develop solutions that do right by the planet, their people, and the communities where they operate.

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​The Director of Sustainability will enable James Hardie's efforts to scale and achieve sustainability ambitions, including reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, increased circularity and protection of human rights for their North America (NA) region. This role will be responsible for defining and leading all aspects of James Hardie's NA sustainability strategy, working in collaboration with NA senior leadership. The role will provide leadership and expertise in driving James Hardie's ESG strategy for value creation and operational performance. This role will work across functions, with business team members, with suppliers, and potentially with outside industry groups and customers/distributors toward a goal of delivering practical sustainability solutions that enable business growth, while being responsible stewards. The position will report to the VP ESG and Chief Sustainability Officer.

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Key Responsibilities:

• Develop the vision and roadmap for James Hardie NA's sustainability efforts - in alignment with, and support of, the NA Region's overall business strategy and James Hardie's global ESG strategy.

• Prioritize and lead NA-wide projects as part of the strategy (e.g., decarbonization, circularity, increased water recycling).

• Identify inefficiencies or areas where the company can improve its environmental impact, providing strategic advice related to energy efficiency and circularity in our plants.

• Partner with Central Engineering teams, manufacturing plants and commercial leadership to ensure removal of obstacles to strategy execution and accelerate the implementation of technical measures.

• Work closely with plant management teams to understand individual challenges and provide solutions to ensure set goals are achieved.

• Act as an advisor and thought leader on issues and emerging technological advances material to the company's NA sustainability strategies.

• Partner with NA business leaders to ensure sustainability strategies align with operational processes and integrate with our Hardie Manufacturing Operation System.

• Facilitate and deliver on social sustainability opportunities within NA, working closely with the Director of Global Social Impact.

• Provide leadership and mentoring to direct report(s).

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​Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, sustainability, science, a related field or equivalent experience in sustainability/ESG required

• MBA degree desired

• Minimum of 10-15 years of professional experience required

• Minimum of 8-10 years of experience in ESG/sustainability required

• Experience with energy efficiency and process optimization in industrial or manufacturing facilities required

• Familiarity with greenhouse gas accounting required

• Experience collecting, analyzing, and reporting on ESG data and metrics preferred

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​Other Skills:

• Self-sufficient with experience taking initiative and courage to chart a new course

• Strength in the ability to influence others at all levels of the business

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to build materials and content for use internally and externally

• Teamwork and collaboration skills and ability to work with cross-functional or other teams for successful completion of work

• Critical thinking skills with the ability to navigate multiple priorities

• Project management planning and execution skills

• Maintains a practice of prioritizing work for impact

• Ability to travel an average of 25-35%

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If you are interested, please apply directly, or contact Shannon Lewis at shannon.lewis@acre.com for more information.