Sustainability Programme Manager (Procurement)

We are CH&CO, we’re proud to take a more thoughtful, mindful approach to the food experiences we source, prepare and present. We are recruiting for a Sustainability Programme Manager to join our award winning sustainability team.

CH&CO is committed to achieving a working environment which provides equality of opportunity and freedom from unlawful discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, disability, religious or political beliefs, age, sexual orientation or offending background.

Job Purpose:

The successful candidate will join CH&COs award winning sustainability team and be pivotal to the success of CH&CO’s sustainability strategy. The role will deliver wider ranging vital sustainability and social innovation projects and programs that span our supply chains and operations.

The role will work across all internal business functions, partners, operations, and suppliers to deliver vital sustainability innovation projects that exemplify how businesses can contribute to changing the food system for the better. The role will focus on creating supply chain resilience and supporting the wider procurement team on sustainability. The role will create, engage stakeholders, and deliver innovation programs, always demonstrating change in meaningful and quantifiable ways. Change will be communicated across our business and wider community.

The role will suit a multiskilled, pro-active, creative, and driven individual with a passion for food and the environment.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Manage and deliver a supply chain sustainability engagement programme. Provide expertise and advice to SMEs and VCSEs, ensure data quality is of the highest level
• Conceive programmes that contribute to, or, investigate the creation of resilient food supply chains and create social value
• Deliver programmes that contribute to the creation of resilient food supply chains and or create social value
• Create and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including suppliers, NGO’s and charity partners
• Explore collaborations with client teams
• Be accountable for creating evidence-based accounts of how each programme contributes to creating a more sustainable and resilient future for our food system and communities
• Work with marketing and communication teams to ensure programmes are effectively communicated to ensure maximum impact and support business growth
• Provide leadership on non-business as usual projects
• To provide support to procurement and central business functions in achieving CH&CO’s objectives, identifying knowledge gaps, providing training where necessary and monitoring market and industry trends and advise the business on future risks and opportunities.
• Support collation of data for internal and external reporting and create resilience in the collection of that data for the future.
• Support CH&CO’s commitment to net zero carbon emissions and science-based targets by coordinating the collection of Scope 3 data in relation to CH&CO’s purchasing and supply chain activities.

Main Duties:
• Advise procurement category managers on sustainability requirements for product and supplier agreements – food and non-food
• Manage and deliver programs including:

o Supply chain sustainability engagement, data gathering and upskilling
o Circularity, packaging and disposables
o Supplier biodiversity programmes
o Water security programmes
o Farm data programmes
o Carbon offset programmes
o Social value programmes

These programmes will require stakeholder engagement, collation of baseline data, intervention management, data collection and analysis, generation of case studies and reports on the impact of interventions.
• Provide expertise to Procurement on key sustainability themes and assist in projects to find and onboard suppliers that offer exceptional environmental and social value
• Co-ordinate & support our SME suppliers in establishing their own ESG agenda & Net Zero plans
• Proactively identify future issues and trends and communicate these to the business to improve current sustainable policies, procedures and programmes.

Key Measurables:
• Deliver a supplier engagement and onboarding project in collaboration with the CH&CO Procurement team and our external provider, ensure all suppliers are aware of their responsibilities and complete the required data sets. Review data sets to ensure authenticity and report back to Director of Supply Chain and Procurement and Head of Sustainability. Provide upskilling and one to one support where necessary
• Conceive and deliver a supplier biodiversity programmes in collaboration with the Senior Category manager for fresh produce
• Work with CH&CO strategic supply partner and NGO’s to deliver a comprehensive water security programmes
• Design and develop a farm data program, bringing farm level data through our supply chains
• Investigate and analyse carbon offset programmes
• Manage and deliver social value programmes including managing charity relationships, collect data and promoting activity to support our charities internally and externally

Skills / Knowledge:
Required:
• Minimum 4+ years experience working sustainability, ideally within a similar role
• A strong understanding of food systems and its impact on the environment, in particular farm level impacts including soil health, biodiversity, carbon, animal welfare and water
• Technical knowledge of supply chain sustainability issues and best practice, in particular as they are applied to a multinational business
• A scientific approach to creating experiments that enable demonstration of how an intervention impacts change
• Demonstratable experience building and holding strong relationships with and influencing audiences both internally and externally to get buy in to projects and programmes
• Technical knowledge of environmental management and relevant standards, including the GHG Protocol, science-based targets, net zero strategies, plastic packaging and circular economy principles
• Project Management
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• High competency in Microsoft office especially PowerPoint and Excel

Desirable:
• Change management
• Influencing and leading across reporting boundaries
• Public speaking
• Carbon offsetting projects
• Service design

Leadership & Management Responsibility
• Effectively communicates with the Sustainability and Procurement team. Where required, communicate with the Business on the strategic direction and cascades into objectives and action plans of Sustainability, Procurement and Sales.
• Uses appropriate behaviours and attributes to support team building and collaboration.
• Takes ownership of specific tasks/projects as directed by the Head of Sustainability and Sustainability Business Partner

Occasional Responsibilities
• To attend training courses and attend CH&Co meetings when necessary
• To attend and partake in monthly team meetings across UK and Ireland
• Occasional travel across UK and Ireland
• To identify and research training options to ensure that own professional knowledge is developed.

Location: London and/or Reading - hybrid working also available

Submit your CV via the CH&CO website. Complete and submit a maximum 1 side of A4 cover letter to csr@chandcogroup.com include information on:
- Your notice period
- Your experience in sustainability
- Your experience with supply chains or procurement

What's in it for you?

Working with CH&CO has its perks! People are at the heart of everything we do, so we've developed a range of benefits to keep you happy.

• Personal Development and Training opportunities
• Life assurance scheme
• Pension scheme
• Competitive holiday allowance
• Private medical eligibility
• Eye care
• A great wellbeing strategy – including access to our Employee Assistance Programme, salary finance
• Family friendly support
• Regular social events and communication with our leaders
• A holiday purchase scheme
• Volunteering days
• Professional subscriptions
• Recognition schemes and people awards
• Long service awards
• Access to some great high street discount vouchers
• Cycle to work scheme

Inquisitive, Inclusive, Uplifting