Location
Job-type Permanent
Salary £Competitive
Reference BBBH12834_1615913028

Johnson Service Group Plc (JSG), an AIM listed business, provide high quality textile rental and related services across a range of sectors throughout the UK. With over 4,500 employees, JSG is the leading supplier of work wear in the UK and manage several brands across work wear and linen for the manufacturing, retail and hospitality markets. With clients ranging from Whitbread, to Morrison's, to Jaguar Land Rover, JSG's services are essential part of their customers' sustainable business models and are rooted in the fundamentals of a circular economy.

JSG and Acre are working in partnership to identify and recruit a Head of Sustainability for the Group, to formulate recommendations and requirements for action, establishing a vision for sustainability and ESG, working with the top level of leadership to embed best-practice sustainable and responsible business throughout the organisation.

Working in collaboration with the wider business, you will spearhead the development, growth and implementation of a brand-new sustainability strategy which will enable a positive shift in the Group's social and environmental impact. You will also identify the steps necessary to address any current and future gaps where they arise and identify opportunities to add value proactively.

In addition, you will:

  • Provide technical expertise on key issues related to environmental and social impact and on sustainability risks in the design, preparation, implementation and supervision of the Group's operations taking into consideration best industry practices and standards

  • Project manage JSG's annual reporting process in relation to sustainability and any key related indexes, working in collaboration with communications functions to establish narrative around JSG's sustainability journey and ambitions

  • Ensure that the Board understands all relevant policies, guidelines and any specific requirements, and has the necessary commitment and capacity to manage social and environmental impacts and/or risks adequately, supported by mechanisms that facilitate implementation

  • Work proactively with the Group's procurement team to build a strategy for responsible sourcing, overseeing any relevant assessment and audit requirements

You will report into the Group CEO and work closely with the Board, the Company Secretary, the Management Board and other stakeholders within the Group. A down to earth and versatile engagement style is important as the Head of Sustainability will engage with all facets of the business, ensuring commercially sound responsible business is a part of the JSG DNA.

Your Profile:

  • A confident decision maker; You are able to create compelling narrative and bring all levels of the business along with you, with an entrepreneurial, self-starter approach to your work

  • Data rational; You bring a track record of understanding best practice sustainability and ESG reporting mechanisms and be able to gather and interpret key environmental and social data independently

  • Commercially minded; You bring knowledge of wider business decision making to your strategic decisions and demonstrate experience of working laterally with other business functions

  • A natural influencer and story-teller; You strive to understand the "why" and are capable of drawing out valuable learnings from data to contribute towards JSG's sustainability roadmap

  • Collaborative; You build strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders in order to drive deeper impact across operational and corporate sustainability initiatives

If you are looking for an organisation that truly embodies and prides itself on demonstrating the values of a family business at scale, JSG provides a supportive and entrepreneurial culture, and the opportunity to create a sustainability strategy and vision which spans multiple sectors. If this sounds like the career step you have been looking for, please apply below or contact Tanith Allen on tanith.allen@acre.com.