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ESG Controller

SCHWENK Deutschland • Germany • Added on Aug 14, 2026
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This role acts as a vital bridge between traditional financial controlling and the evolving world of sustainability, where you will take ownership of the entire ESG reporting cycle. You will be responsible for coordinating data collection across various departments, ensuring the absolute integrity of non-financial information, and building robust systems to meet modern regulatory demands. Your focus will be on transforming raw environmental and social data into transparent, actionable insights that guide corporate decision-making.

Working within the building materials sector, this position offers a unique chance to influence the decarbonization journey of a high-impact industry. By integrating ESG metrics into financial planning and risk management, you directly support a family-owned legacy in its transition toward circularity and climate-conscious production. It is a role where data-driven transparency becomes the catalyst for real-world environmental accountability.

This suits someone who possesses a sharp analytical mind, a background in finance or sustainability, and the persistence to navigate complex regulatory frameworks like the CSRD. You should be a proactive communicator who enjoys building systems from the ground up.

Preguntas frecuentes

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The core mission involves serving as the primary link between financial controlling and operational departments to streamline ESG reporting. You will oversee the entire lifecycle of non-financial data, ensuring it meets the high standards of quality, consistency, and completeness required for public disclosure. Day-to-day, you will be responsible for the implementation of reporting tools and systems that facilitate ESG tracking. This includes analyzing key performance indicators and integrating these findings into the company's broader financial planning and risk management frameworks to ensure a unified business strategy. Beyond data management, you will act as a guardian of regulatory compliance. You will keep the organization aligned with evolving standards such as the CSRD, ensuring that all reporting remains transparent and audit-ready for external stakeholders and management.

Key learning opportunities for this job

A candidate in this position will gain deep expertise in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), moving beyond theory to the practical application of these regulations in a heavy-industry context. You will learn how to build ESG reporting architecture from scratch within an established corporate structure. You will also develop a specialized understanding of how sustainability metrics intersect with financial controlling. This includes learning how to quantify environmental impacts in financial terms and how to navigate the technical complexities of data integrity in a manufacturing environment. Furthermore, there is significant exposure to change management. You will learn how to influence different business units to adopt new data collection habits and understand the strategic importance of sustainability, enhancing your project management and interpersonal leadership skills.

How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?

The ideal profile combines a degree in Business Administration or Finance with a dedicated focus on sustainability or controlling. You should have several years of professional experience, specifically involving ESG reporting or financial audit processes where data accuracy was paramount. Technical proficiency in MS Office and reporting software is essential, but the candidate must also possess the analytical capability to interpret what the numbers mean for the business. A structured, independent working style is vital for managing the complex timelines associated with annual reporting cycles. Strong communication skills in German and English are required. Since you will be translating complex regulatory requirements into actionable tasks for various departments, the ability to simplify technical jargon is a major asset.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, demonstrate your technical familiarity with the CSRD. Mention specific challenges you have faced with non-financial data collection or how you have successfully integrated ESG KPIs into a previously existing financial framework. Given the industry, showing an understanding of the building materials sector and its specific decarbonization challenges (like Scope 3 emissions in cement production) will prove you have done your homework. Align your application with the company's values as a multi-generational family business that prioritizes long-term stability over short-term gains. Highlight your system-building experience. If you have ever implemented a new software tool or created a data validation process from scratch, make sure these achievements are prominent in your resume, as this role is highly focused on infrastructure and process improvement.

What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?

The role is primarily focused on transparency and accountability. You will likely spend significant time on climate-related data, given the carbon-intensive nature of the cement and building materials industry, ensuring that emission reductions are accurately tracked. There is also a strong focus on governance and risk. By embedding ESG into the risk management process, you help the company anticipate regulatory shifts and physical climate risks that could impact production sites or raw material availability. You will also touch upon circular economy metrics. As the company expands its recycling services, your reporting will need to capture the transition from virgin raw materials to recycled alternatives, reflecting the company’s broader environmental strategy.

What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?

One of the primary hurdles will be data silos. In a historic manufacturing company, sustainability-relevant data might be scattered across different plants and departments, requiring significant effort to centralize and validate for audit purposes. Keeping pace with regulatory volatility is another challenge. The ESG reporting landscape is changing rapidly, and you will need to remain agile to ensure the company’s systems stay compliant without constantly disrupting operational workflows. Finally, there may be a cultural transition challenge. Moving from traditional financial reporting to integrated ESG reporting requires shifting the mindset of stakeholders who may not yet see non-financial data as being as critical as the balance sheet.

How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?

A typical morning might start with a coordination meeting with department heads to discuss data collection progress or to resolve inconsistencies found in recent energy consumption reports. You would then pivot to auditing recent entries within the ESG reporting tool. Your afternoon could be spent in deep-work mode, analyzing ESG KPIs to prepare a summary for the management board. This involves looking for trends or outliers that might indicate a need for strategic adjustment in the company's sustainability initiatives. You might end the day by researching new regulatory updates or working on the technical configuration of a reporting system to ensure it captures new data points required by the latest sustainability standards.

What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?

This role offers a clear path toward becoming a Head of ESG or Sustainability Director. As non-financial reporting becomes just as scrutinized as financial reporting, your expertise will place you at the center of corporate strategy. You could also pursue lateral growth into Financial Controlling or Risk Management, leveraging your unique ability to bridge both worlds. The skills gained here are highly transferable to any large-scale industrial firm facing similar regulatory pressures. There are also opportunities to lead high-visibility transformation projects. As the person responsible for the tools and systems that define how the company measures success, you have the chance to shape the digital and sustainable infrastructure of the firm for years to come.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will interact heavily with the Finance and Controlling teams to align reporting cycles and methodologies, ensuring that ESG data is treated with the same rigor as financial figures. Department Heads across production, logistics, and quality assurance are key partners, as they are the primary sources of the operational data you need. Building strong relationships with them is essential for ensuring data quality at the source. Additionally, you will engage with External Auditors during the verification process of the sustainability report and report indirectly to the Executive Management by providing the data they need for strategic decision-making and stakeholder communication.

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