Allen & York are delighted to be partnering exclusively with Conair (BaByliss & Cuisinart) as they search for a Sustainability Director to join their business for the EMEA region. A US based personal care and small culinary appliance company, specialising in hair care and beauty products, Conair's offices in the UK are based in Basingstoke and, reporting to the MD for EMEA, you'll be responsible for designing and implementing a sustainability strategy for the region. This is a new role for the business, who are at a relatively early stage on their sustainability journey but have big ambitions so they're looking for someone who can bring experience, energy, passion, determination and resilience, as well as lots of fresh ideas!
As this is a new role in the company, it's a stand-alone position and there won't be a Team of sustainability professionals in place, so you need to be happy and prepared to roll your sleeves up and get stuck in as well as operate strategically. Indeed, a large part of this role initially is to prepare for and align with the new CSRD framework so prior experience of working with similar directives is required. You'll develop a CSRD plan for EMEA and work with individuals within the business to get this off the ground and ensure it's delivered successfully. Linked to this will be your experience of sustainability reporting and data analysis, developing companywide KPI's and metrics and overseeing all ESG reporting. You'll also be responsible for keeping up to date with regulatory changes and you'll understand and be familiar with the differences from the UK and the rest of Europe following Brexit, so prior experience of working in Europe (or for a European business) is important.
Once you've completed a materiality assessment, you will then be able to start developing a sustainability strategy, working closely with teams internally, considering the challenges the company is likely to face over the next five to ten years. Although you won't have any direct line reports, you will be managing a number of internal stakeholders so evidence of your leadership skills will be important and your ability to influence. Indeed, a large part of your role will be to engage and influence people in the business, to provide training and to ensure that sustainability initiatives are successfully implemented and that everyone understands the role they play in delivering the strategy.
Your proven experience in the sustainability space will mean you exhibit the credibility and gravitas both internally and externally, the ability to view sustainability from a commercial perspective but with a pragmatic and realistic approach and you'll be comfortable liaising at all levels, from the CEO to suppliers to internal teams.
As you'll be covering Europe, you will be required to travel within the region and if you speak French, that will be highly advantageous given the warehouses for Continental Europe are based in France, together with the HR and Finance functions. In addition, experience of having worked in Asia with supply chain, modern slavery and human rights issues would also be beneficial.
In addition to internal representation with regards to sustainability, you will occasionally represent the company at events and conferences and be able to talk with confidence on various sustainability topics, and to network with peers to share best practice and keep up to date with developments. As such, your communication skills will be excellent as you work with various stakeholders to roll out the strategy.
This is a fantastic and exciting opportunity for a seasoned sustainability professional with the relevant skills and experience to succeed in this role and be part of a progressive company that is committed to sustainability, so please contact conair@allen-york.com for a confidential discussion.