Head of Sustainability

Aesop are seeking an experienced and dynamic Head of Sustainability to join us in our in London office. Reporting to the General Manager, Strategy & Growth, this role presents a unique opportunity to develop and deliver of our Sustainability strategy and Commitment to Life ambitions. You’ll enable internal functions to enhance their Sustainability capability and outcomes, work collaboratively with stakeholders across Aesop, the Natura & Co Group (including your counterparts at our sister brands Avon, Natura and The Body Shop).

Whilst leading a small team directly, you’ll have responsibility to influence and be the voice for Sustainability at Aesop across the broader organisation. You’ll focus on enhancing our customer facing communications with transparency and integrity as well as secure cross-functional alignment on key metrics and achieve cross-functional ownership towards sustainability goals.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Aesop has a firm commitment to a Triple Bottom Line agenda, sustainability across the scope of both people and the planet is core to our strategy and vision. With strong heritage in building community partnerships, and trying to lessen our impact on the environment more recently we have undertaken a far more ambitious agenda, in partnership with the Natura & Co group, to fully transform our business model anchored around three key dimensions of the 2020 Vision: Commitment to Life

To address the Climate Crisis

To defend Human Rights and be Human-Kind

To embrace Circularity and Regeneration

• You will be responsible for the delivery of Natura & Co’s Commitment to Life ambitions

• Deliver full circularity of packaging commitment in partnership with the Product team, to timelines agreed by Sustainability and Social Steering Committee

• Develop plan and pathway, coordinating stakeholders across the business, to deliver 2030 Net Zero agenda

• Develop investments and collaborative actions in Regenerative Solutions (in partnership with Strategy, Giving, Supply Chain and Product teams)

• Partner with Marketing to enhance our internal and external communications and conversations around Sustainability (Social, Environmental, and Diversity Equity Inclusion commitments and actions)

• Partner with HR to embed and ensure our Human Rights and Human-Kinds commitments are delivered to timelines agreed by Aesop leadership team (at or ahead of Group 2030 timeline), including addressing gender equality, delivering Diversity Equity and Inclusion targets

• Partner with Supply Chain and Product teams to deliver Commitment to Life agenda around biodiversity, biodegradability, natural / renewable ingredients, and Supply Chain codes of conduct

• In partnership with GM Strategy & Growth, and the Sustainability & Social Flourish Steering Committee, develop strategic plans and roadmaps to deliver commitments across the business

• Build profile, impact and understanding of Sustainability across all our Aesop internal and external stakeholders

What we are looking for

We’re looking for an individual that embraces the challenge of delivering change, as well as someone that thrives in cultivating strong, cross-functional partnerships to deliver through others while supporting progression of our Sustainability agenda at pace across a global organisation. This unique opportunity is best suited to those with subject matter passion and expertise, ideally at a global or cross-cultural scale.

• 10 + years’ experience in corporate or NGO Sustainability leadership role, or related subject (i.e. sustainability strategy and execution, supplier partner management and development, supply chain sustainability, waste management, energy consumption);

• A degree in a relevant subject;

• Proven ability to develop and implement an impactful global sustainability strategy while achieving outcomes across multiple geographies and dimensions;

• Possess results-oriented project management capabilities, able to lead and execute effectively with capacity to translate big ideas into action;

• Excellent influencing, communications and collaborations skills;

• Management and leadership experience, ideally both direct and across matrix-managed projects;

• Excellent technical and quantitative skills (data fluent);

• Experience with GHG, emissions management and Net Zero programs, and

• Experience with regenerative or circular solutions advantageous but not pre-requisite.

This critical role presents an opportunity to directly impact the future growth of Aesop and parent Group Natura & Co. Aesop provides a supportive and stimulating working environment and a commitment to developing our employees at all levels. If you are looking for the opportunity to evolve your career to the next level with a progressive and entrepreneurial Australian business, then we would love to hear from you.

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