What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director, Sustainability position at Sysco?
Sysco, the largest foodservice distributor globally, has ambitions to drive value creation through being at center of the sustainable food systems transformation, and has set ambitious goals across people, product and planet pillars. This is not just because it’s the right thing to do, aligned with our purpose and values – it also offers significant value creation through new revenues and cost reductions.
This Director will be a critical member of the global Sustainability Function, directly supporting our North America business – as well as enabling our global businesses and functions. They will report to the global VP Sustainability, and will be responsible for a broad set responsibilities as part of our global sustainability strategy.
This director and their team will have three main responsibilities:
Delivery Of Key Elements Of Our Strategy
People & Communities: Overall ownership of our Global Good Goal (giving $500M by end of 2025), and delivery of the communities, gifting and volunteering elements. This includes our Nourishing Neighbors program, the Sysco Foundation, defining and owning relationships with NGO’s and other non-profit organizations that we support, the strategy and delivery of giving and volunteering in our communities. Additionally partner with Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) our human rights strategy and partnerships
ESG Regulatory & Reporting: Responsible for the strategy and delivery of our Annual Sustainability report and global ESG reporting and regulatory requirements which include inputs to financial reporting, but also all external ESG reporting frameworks (SASB, GRI, CDP, TCFD, etc), and other regulations (plastics, human rights, EU taxonomy). Includes ownership of our digital tools and our materiality assessments. This will involve deep partnership with the Financial Reporting, Regulatory Compliance and Legal business partners.
Embedding Sustainability: Partner with the VP Sustainability and other Directors to develop and execute a long-term strategy to embed sustainability throughout the business. Including developing a toolkit and roadmap to enable all parts of the sustainability team to establish business partnerships, track and report on KPI’s in the business functions, setting up governance to oversee cross-functional planning and achievement of results, regular reporting of results across sustainability and relevant business metrics to the business.
Future strategy and special Projects: Lead rotating special projects on an on-going basis as aligned with the VP Sustainability. Examples include development of our future sustainability strategy, leading efforts to remove virgin plastics and packaging with our supply base, leading the creation of a Climate Transition Plan, creating and align new climate/emissions targets with the organization.
Market & function coordination: Manage & coordinate the sustainability leaders in our global businesses (e.g., Canada, Europe), driving the implementation of the strategies set by the Global Sustainability Center of Excellence, customizing where necessary.
People & Communities: Delivery of Human Rights, Nourishing Neighbors, Sysco Foundation, relationships with key partners related to our global People strategy including NGO’s and other non-profit organizations that we support.
Reporting & regulations: Responsible for delivering our global ESG reporting and regulatory strategy including external ESG reporting frameworks (SASB, GRI, CDP, TCFD, etc), regulatory requirements (plastics, human rights, etc) through partnering with Financial Reporting, Legal, and the relevant business functions to collect necessary data. Includes leveraging our digital tools.
Drive global implementation of global CoE strategies: Manage leaders of market/BU sustainability teams (e.g., Canada, EU) to implement global strategies from the Center of Excellence across People, Product and Planet
Special projects: For a limited number of projects that do not fit within CoE scope and require deep organizational expertise, coordinate across large multi-functional teams to create strategies, roadmaps, tools and policies that enable impact and progress.
Embedding Sustainability: Embed sustainability throughout the business. Develop toolkits and roadmap to enable, set-up governance to oversee cross-functional planning and achievement of results, regular reporting of results across sustainability and relevant business metrics to the business.
Team & People Leadership: Develops team of high-performing professionals, focusing their efforts on projects that are critical to the company’s success. Obtains and prioritizes resources necessary for team members to achieve performance goals and provides guidance and feedback to facilitate their personal and professional growth and development.
Education Required
Bachelors Degree in Science, Environmental Studies, Agriculture or related discipline
Education Preferred: Master’s Degree or equivalent experience
Experience Required
5 years of sustainability experience in a business setting. In particular, ESG regulations, people & communities topics, embedding sustainability into the business
3 years managing multiple large projects simultaneously
2 years leadership experience, managing professionals (Manager level and above) and subject matter experts
Experience Preferred
Experience in Fortune 500 corporate environment
Food sustainability experience including CPG, grocery retail, foodservice or related industries
Experience with digital sustainability platforms carbon accounting and reporting
Experience in a multi-channel, matrixed environment
Skills And Abilities
This role will require a diverse set of skills, capabilities and experiences:
Collaboration and partnerships: Ability to foster strong working relationships that achieve results across a diverse range of partnership, and influence change without control across the business (including senior stakeholders) and externally with partners
Sustainability expertise: Broad range of sustainability topics covering Environment and Social. Specifically, deep knowledge of ESG reporting frameworks and relevant sustainability regulations, and how they apply to our global markets, sustainability
Team leadership: Experience in leading, growing, developing people. Ability to inspire, motivate and delegate to a diverse team, set clear goals, objectives and plans – and hold the team accountable. Drive a positive, results driven culture and build resilience and flexibility in a function with a high degree of change and navigate uncertainty.
Strategic thinking & vision: Ability to develop and implement a comprehensive sustainability strategy that aligns with the company's long-term business goals. Capable of identifying and implementing innovative sustainability solutions that create competitive advantages.
Business acumen: Financial literacy and ability to assess cost/benefit of sustainability initiatives. Ability to work with partners across the business including Finance, Reporting, Legal, Supply Chain, Merchandising to engage and along on the business value of sustainability initiatives
Change & project management: Strong leadership skills and courage to inspire and drive organizational change. Proficiency in planning complex transformational projects, managing cross-functional teams ensuring initiatives are implemented on time and on budget.
Data-driven decision making: Proficient in conducting analytics, using analytical tools, and using analytical output to guide business decisions.
Communication: Proficient in verbal and written communication including executive presentations. Ability to effectively communicate the importance of sustainability to a broad range of stakeholders.
Delivering results: Track-record of delivering business and sustainability results
Physical Demands
Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.
Travel: 25%
Work Environment: Standard Corporate office environment
This Director will be a critical member of the global Sustainability Function, directly supporting our North America business – as well as enabling our global businesses and functions. They will report to the global VP Sustainability, and will be responsible for a broad set responsibilities as part of our global sustainability strategy.
This director and their team will have three main responsibilities:
Delivery Of Key Elements Of Our Strategy
People & Communities: Overall ownership of our Global Good Goal (giving $500M by end of 2025), and delivery of the communities, gifting and volunteering elements. This includes our Nourishing Neighbors program, the Sysco Foundation, defining and owning relationships with NGO’s and other non-profit organizations that we support, the strategy and delivery of giving and volunteering in our communities. Additionally partner with Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) our human rights strategy and partnerships
ESG Regulatory & Reporting: Responsible for the strategy and delivery of our Annual Sustainability report and global ESG reporting and regulatory requirements which include inputs to financial reporting, but also all external ESG reporting frameworks (SASB, GRI, CDP, TCFD, etc), and other regulations (plastics, human rights, EU taxonomy). Includes ownership of our digital tools and our materiality assessments. This will involve deep partnership with the Financial Reporting, Regulatory Compliance and Legal business partners.
Embedding Sustainability: Partner with the VP Sustainability and other Directors to develop and execute a long-term strategy to embed sustainability throughout the business. Including developing a toolkit and roadmap to enable all parts of the sustainability team to establish business partnerships, track and report on KPI’s in the business functions, setting up governance to oversee cross-functional planning and achievement of results, regular reporting of results across sustainability and relevant business metrics to the business.
Future strategy and special Projects: Lead rotating special projects on an on-going basis as aligned with the VP Sustainability. Examples include development of our future sustainability strategy, leading efforts to remove virgin plastics and packaging with our supply base, leading the creation of a Climate Transition Plan, creating and align new climate/emissions targets with the organization.
Market & function coordination: Manage & coordinate the sustainability leaders in our global businesses (e.g., Canada, Europe), driving the implementation of the strategies set by the Global Sustainability Center of Excellence, customizing where necessary.
People & Communities: Delivery of Human Rights, Nourishing Neighbors, Sysco Foundation, relationships with key partners related to our global People strategy including NGO’s and other non-profit organizations that we support.
Reporting & regulations: Responsible for delivering our global ESG reporting and regulatory strategy including external ESG reporting frameworks (SASB, GRI, CDP, TCFD, etc), regulatory requirements (plastics, human rights, etc) through partnering with Financial Reporting, Legal, and the relevant business functions to collect necessary data. Includes leveraging our digital tools.
Drive global implementation of global CoE strategies: Manage leaders of market/BU sustainability teams (e.g., Canada, EU) to implement global strategies from the Center of Excellence across People, Product and Planet
Special projects: For a limited number of projects that do not fit within CoE scope and require deep organizational expertise, coordinate across large multi-functional teams to create strategies, roadmaps, tools and policies that enable impact and progress.
Embedding Sustainability: Embed sustainability throughout the business. Develop toolkits and roadmap to enable, set-up governance to oversee cross-functional planning and achievement of results, regular reporting of results across sustainability and relevant business metrics to the business.
Team & People Leadership: Develops team of high-performing professionals, focusing their efforts on projects that are critical to the company’s success. Obtains and prioritizes resources necessary for team members to achieve performance goals and provides guidance and feedback to facilitate their personal and professional growth and development.
Education Required
Bachelors Degree in Science, Environmental Studies, Agriculture or related discipline
Education Preferred: Master’s Degree or equivalent experience
Experience Required
5 years of sustainability experience in a business setting. In particular, ESG regulations, people & communities topics, embedding sustainability into the business
3 years managing multiple large projects simultaneously
2 years leadership experience, managing professionals (Manager level and above) and subject matter experts
Experience Preferred
Experience in Fortune 500 corporate environment
Food sustainability experience including CPG, grocery retail, foodservice or related industries
Experience with digital sustainability platforms carbon accounting and reporting
Experience in a multi-channel, matrixed environment
Skills And Abilities
This role will require a diverse set of skills, capabilities and experiences:
Collaboration and partnerships: Ability to foster strong working relationships that achieve results across a diverse range of partnership, and influence change without control across the business (including senior stakeholders) and externally with partners
Sustainability expertise: Broad range of sustainability topics covering Environment and Social. Specifically, deep knowledge of ESG reporting frameworks and relevant sustainability regulations, and how they apply to our global markets, sustainability
Team leadership: Experience in leading, growing, developing people. Ability to inspire, motivate and delegate to a diverse team, set clear goals, objectives and plans – and hold the team accountable. Drive a positive, results driven culture and build resilience and flexibility in a function with a high degree of change and navigate uncertainty.
Strategic thinking & vision: Ability to develop and implement a comprehensive sustainability strategy that aligns with the company's long-term business goals. Capable of identifying and implementing innovative sustainability solutions that create competitive advantages.
Business acumen: Financial literacy and ability to assess cost/benefit of sustainability initiatives. Ability to work with partners across the business including Finance, Reporting, Legal, Supply Chain, Merchandising to engage and along on the business value of sustainability initiatives
Change & project management: Strong leadership skills and courage to inspire and drive organizational change. Proficiency in planning complex transformational projects, managing cross-functional teams ensuring initiatives are implemented on time and on budget.
Data-driven decision making: Proficient in conducting analytics, using analytical tools, and using analytical output to guide business decisions.
Communication: Proficient in verbal and written communication including executive presentations. Ability to effectively communicate the importance of sustainability to a broad range of stakeholders.
Delivering results: Track-record of delivering business and sustainability results
Physical Demands
Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.
Travel: 25%
Work Environment: Standard Corporate office environment
Fire Protection Consultant
Ignis Global - Fire & Sustainability Engineering -
Baytown, TX
Fire Protection Consultant
Ignis Global - Fire & Sustainability Engineering -
Spring, TX
Fire Protection Consultant
Ignis Global - Fire & Sustainability Engineering -
Rosenberg, TX
