Sustainability Director

Acre is supporting the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) in the recruitment of a Sustainability Director to be based at the CGF's headquarters in Paris.

​

Position Overview

The mission of the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) is to bring together consumer goods manufacturers and retailers globally in pursuit of business efficiency and positive societal change. As a business association, its staff is highly skilled and dedicated to developing programmes and solutions for large corporations. The CGF employs a diversified workforce based in five regions. Its people make the CGF the effective, influential, and successful organisation it is today.

​

The mission of the CGF's Sustainability work is to position the consumer goods industry as a leader in tackling climate change, reducing waste and improving environmental stewardship in global supply chains. The priority for the Director's role is the CGF Plastic Waste Coalition.

​

As a Sustainability Director, your role will be to work on the delivery of coalition objectives and CGF-wide priorities:

• Drive the progress of the coalition work through thought leadership and project management with members of the Plastic Waste Coalition's steering committee and working groups

• Work with the CGF Regions and their teams (EMEA, Americas, Japan & Asia Pacific) to accelerate the implementation of the global coalitions' agenda with a specific focus on regulatory work on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in North America

• Ensure CGF representation and stakeholder engagement (CGF members, senior leadership including CEOs, civil society organisations and think tanks)

• Provide event programme and speaker support

• Represent the coalition and its members in external fora (i.e.: conferences, global platforms)

• Support industry outreach, including prospects, members and stakeholders

​

This position is based at the CGF's headquarters in France (Paris area) with a hybrid/teleworking policy. You will be reporting to the Managing Director, with a travel expectation of up to a maximum of 20%.

​

Your key responsibilities:

Strategy & Governance - Management of Coalition activities

• Drive the progress of the coalition work through thought leadership, project management and stakeholder engagement

• Support the Co-Chairs in their roles, including helping to set and manage the Steering Committee's agenda and working groups, contribute to the liaison with the CGF Board

• Take leadership initiatives to improve the effectiveness of the Steering Committee and working groups and their deliverables over time

• Work with the CGF Regions and their teams (EMEA, Americas, Japan & Asia Pacific) to accelerate the implementation of the global coalitions' agenda, i.e. US EPR working group

• Evaluate coalitions' impact and monitor progress through members' reporting

​

Member engagement

• Work with the CGF Communications team to maximise the engagement of CGF members

• Liaise with the regional Membership teams in EMEA, The Americas, Japan & Asia Pacific to create member engagement opportunities

• Contribute to the development of the CGF events' content in your area of expertise

​

External stakeholders

• Lead the development of productive relationships with priority global stakeholders and maintain strategic partnerships with implementation partners (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, CEFLEX, Plastics Europe, The Recycling Partnership, UNEA Plastics Treaty and top management consultancies, among others)

​

External risk and reputation management

• Act, when requested by the Board, as the external voice of the Sustainability activities on Plastic Waste

• Ensure a robust crisis management process is in place to address sustainability-related situations where the reputation of the CGF or the consumer & retail industries is at risk

• Be able to identify blind spots in ongoing strategies and projects and develop quick corrective actions

​

Financial management

• Ensure rigorous budget control on behalf of our members

• Over time, develop a sustainable economic model for the Sustainability working groups, including new sources of revenue both globally and regionally

​

Team management & cross-initiative collaboration

• Manage Sustainability team performance and progress

• Bridge the links between the Plastic Waste and other CGF Coalitions on joint opportunities for cross-coalition projects

• Collaborate and support other projects of the CGF, when relevant

​

You should hold the following key skills and experience

• Demonstrable experience of 10 years or equivalent in CSR / ESG / Sustainability project management, preferably in the FMCG industry environment

• Ability to provide thought leadership to C-Suite members and stakeholders

• Proven stakeholder engagement and process management capabilities

• Knowledge/expertise across the plastics sector and demonstrable knowledge of key sustainability topics, challenges, and approaches across the supply chain

• Familiarity with the US, particularly on the regulatory front (Extended Producer Responsibility)

• Strong leadership skills with a successful track record of managing, developing, and growing an internal team

• Budget management experience

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment, both within the CGF and in partnership with ecosystem organisations, as well as managing external service providers

• Solutions-oriented and results-driven with high attention to detail

• Native-level oral and written English; additional language is a plus

• Embrace the CGF CARE values

​

If you've realised this is the opportunity for you to bring significant impact, do apply directly. Please note that only applications directly through Acre's website/link will be considered.

​

Please contact Jacopo Cesari at jacopo.cesari@acre.com for further enquiries.