Chief Sustainability Officer

EnableSA; Gqeberha; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 1 000 000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Chief Sustainability Officer to provide strategic leadership in corporate sustainability. This pivotal role involves establishing and implementing sustainability policies, developing long-term strategies with measurable targets, and ensuring compliance with environmental standards. You will lead sustainability initiatives, manage budgets, and advocate for sustainability within the organization. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and have extensive experience in environmental sciences, this is an exciting opportunity to drive meaningful change in the company and beyond.

Qualifications

• 5-10 years of senior management experience in environmental sciences.
• Strong knowledge of local and international environmental standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of sustainability policies and strategies.
• Supervise sustainability projects and ensure compliance with regulations.
• Conduct assessments and report on sustainability performance.

Skills

Verbal Communication

Written Communication

Problem-Solving

Analytical Skills

Knowledge of Sustainability Practices

Budget Management

Presentation Skills

Organizational Skills

Education

Post-graduate degree in Environmental Science

Qualification in resource/sustainability economics

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

The primary objective of the CSO is to provide executive leadership, advisory and strategic guidance in working towards the realization of a Corporate Sustainability Strategy to the Company's Board, CEO and EXMA.

In pursuance of this primary objective, the CSO is required to:

1. Establish, implement and maintain Sustainability policies, procedures, and practices;
2. Create awareness on sustainability policies, procedures and practices to staff at all levels;
3. Develop and implement Sustainability long and short term strategies with clear and SMART targets to encourage best practices;
4. Supervise employees or volunteers working on sustainability projects;
5. Play advisory role on sustainability to Executive Management and the Board;
6. Research environmental sustainability issues, concerns, or stakeholder interests;
7. Develop methodologies to assess the viability or success of sustainability initiatives;
8. Work with Marketing & Communications and participate in relevant external platforms on sustainability issues on behalf of the Company, playing an advocacy role to ensure the Company is well positioned in the market from a brand perspective;
9. Evaluate and approve proposals for sustainability projects, considering factors such as cost-effectiveness, technical feasibility, and integration with other initiatives;
10. Devise the best tools and systems to monitor performance and to implement strategies;
11. Assessing, analyzing, and collating Sustainability performance data and reporting information to internal staff, clients, and regulatory bodies;
12. Integrate Sustainability Principles and ISO 26000:2020 into all business processes;
13. Conduct Sustainability Assessments for all projects and ensure that the sustainability principles are incorporated accordingly;
14. Develop and publish an annual Sustainability report as per the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI);
15. Ensure Compliance to all Sustainability related commitments (Local, Provincial, National and International);
16. Develop and Maintain a Sustainability Legal Register to ensure compliance with legal requirements;
17. Keeping up to date with relevant changes in Sustainability, related legislations and initiatives including international legislation where applicable;
18. Managing Sustainability strategy budgets;
19. Acting as a champion or cheerleader for Sustainability issues within the Company;
20. Develop breakthrough innovations and projects to enhance the Company’s positive contribution to sustainability;
21. Lead relevant research and innovation initiatives.
22. Oversee all the Company’s Safety, Health, Environmental & Quality functions, to ensure integration into all its activities and achieve high levels of compliance and standards including, gaining and retaining the relevant ISO certifications and/or other relevant performance standards.

Requirements

1. Post-graduate degree in Environmental Science and Sustainability or other related fields including Earth/Natural Sciences;
2. A qualification in resource/sustainability economics will be an added advantage;
3. Minimum 5-10 years of senior management work experience with environmental and sustainability sciences coupled with risk management of infrastructure/energy/industry;
4. Experience in project management, including leading expert teams and working with senior stakeholders;
5. Strong knowledge of and experience working with Local and International Environmental standards and systems.

SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS

1. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
2. Superlative and creative problem-solving and analytical skills.
3. Thorough and current knowledge of sustainability practices, and applicable laws and regulations.
4. Ability to analyze and understand research and to identify relevant and valuable information.
5. Extremely proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
6. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
7. Ability to create, interpret, and execute a budget.
8. Presentation skills required to deliver proposals to varying groups of individuals.