Q: What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The person in this role is responsible for the practical execution of the global ESG strategy . This involves managing carbon accounting and greenhouse gas emissions reporting in strict accordance with the GHG Protocol, while also steering the development of science-based targets. You will act as a central hub for environmental compliance, overseeing adherence to critical regulations such as REACH, RoHS, and Conflict Minerals . Beyond compliance, you will drive tangible initiatives focused on decarbonization, waste reduction, and water management across international sites to improve overall environmental performance.

Q: Key learning opportunities for this job

Candidates can expect to gain deep expertise in emerging mandatory disclosure frameworks like CSRD, ISSB, and TCFD, which are currently reshaping corporate accountability. The role provides a front-row seat to how a global industrial leader navigates the transition to a low-carbon economy. There are also significant opportunities to learn about Product Environmental Footprints and Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) within a specialized technology sector. Working in a matrix organization will further refine your ability to influence without direct authority across diverse manufacturing and engineering cultures.

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

The ideal candidate brings a solid foundation in manufacturing or industrial sustainability . A degree in Environmental Science or Engineering provided the technical baseline, but your value lies in your ability to manage both the data-heavy aspects of ESG and the collaborative aspects of project management. Proficiency in carbon accounting and familiarity with environmental legislation like REACH and RoHS are essential. You should be a self-starter who can communicate complex sustainability concepts to various internal audiences, from shop-floor engineers to executive leadership.

Q: Advice to stand out and make a successful application

Focus your application on your industrial track record . Generic sustainability passion is less important here than proven experience with carbon accounting in a manufacturing context or managing supply chain compliance in a complex engineering environment. Since this role requires UK SC Clearance and international travel, highlight your professional reliability and your ability to work across different global regulations. Explicitly mentioning your experience with specific ESG reporting software or ISO 14001 auditing will help you stand out.

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

The role will likely focus on operational decarbonization and product-level environmental compliance. Given the nature of threat detection hardware, there will be a strong emphasis on circularity and managing the chemical compliance of sophisticated electronic components. You will also be pivotal in the company's transparency journey , leading the transition toward more rigorous, audit-ready ESG disclosures that meet the demands of global investors and aviation industry customers.

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

One of the primary challenges will be data collection and quality across a fragmented global network of offices and manufacturing sites. Aligning different regions with varying levels of sustainability maturity requires significant persistence. Additionally, balancing the highly regulated security requirements of the industry with the need for sustainable material innovation can be difficult. You may face competing priorities when trying to implement green initiatives that could potentially impact strictly defined product performance standards.

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

A typical day might begin with a global coordination call to check progress on ISO 14001 compliance, followed by a deep dive into carbon emission data for an upcoming CDP or CSRD disclosure. You might spend the afternoon collaborating with the Procurement team on a responsible sourcing initiative. There is a mix of analytical work and stakeholder management . You might find yourself reviewing a technical report on Conflict Minerals in the morning and presenting a decarbonization project proposal to a senior director in the afternoon.

Q: The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will interact frequently with the Head of HSE & Sustainability and other senior leaders to report on progress. Building strong relationships with Procurement, Engineering, and Operations teams is critical to embedding sustainability into the product lifecycle. Externally, you will engage with suppliers and regulatory bodies to ensure supply chain transparency and compliance. You may also occasionally interface with customers in the aviation and defense sectors who have increasingly strict ESG requirements for their vendors.

Question 1

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

Accepted Answer

The person in this role is responsible for the practical execution of the global ESG strategy. This involves managing carbon accounting and greenhouse gas emissions reporting in strict accordance with the GHG Protocol, while also steering the development of science-based targets. You will act as a central hub for environmental compliance, overseeing adherence to critical regulations such as REACH, RoHS, and Conflict Minerals. Beyond compliance, you will drive tangible initiatives focused on decarbonization, waste reduction, and water management across international sites to improve overall environmental performance.

Question 2

Key learning opportunities for this job

Accepted Answer

Candidates can expect to gain deep expertise in emerging mandatory disclosure frameworks like CSRD, ISSB, and TCFD, which are currently reshaping corporate accountability. The role provides a front-row seat to how a global industrial leader navigates the transition to a low-carbon economy. There are also significant opportunities to learn about Product Environmental Footprints and Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) within a specialized technology sector. Working in a matrix organization will further refine your ability to influence without direct authority across diverse manufacturing and engineering cultures.

Question 3

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

Accepted Answer

The ideal candidate brings a solid foundation in manufacturing or industrial sustainability. A degree in Environmental Science or Engineering provided the technical baseline, but your value lies in your ability to manage both the data-heavy aspects of ESG and the collaborative aspects of project management. Proficiency in carbon accounting and familiarity with environmental legislation like REACH and RoHS are essential. You should be a self-starter who can communicate complex sustainability concepts to various internal audiences, from shop-floor engineers to executive leadership.

Question 4

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

Accepted Answer

Focus your application on your industrial track record. Generic sustainability passion is less important here than proven experience with carbon accounting in a manufacturing context or managing supply chain compliance in a complex engineering environment. Since this role requires UK SC Clearance and international travel, highlight your professional reliability and your ability to work across different global regulations. Explicitly mentioning your experience with specific ESG reporting software or ISO 14001 auditing will help you stand out.

Question 5

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

Accepted Answer

The role will likely focus on operational decarbonization and product-level environmental compliance. Given the nature of threat detection hardware, there will be a strong emphasis on circularity and managing the chemical compliance of sophisticated electronic components. You will also be pivotal in the company's transparency journey, leading the transition toward more rigorous, audit-ready ESG disclosures that meet the demands of global investors and aviation industry customers.

Question 6

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

Accepted Answer

One of the primary challenges will be data collection and quality across a fragmented global network of offices and manufacturing sites. Aligning different regions with varying levels of sustainability maturity requires significant persistence. Additionally, balancing the highly regulated security requirements of the industry with the need for sustainable material innovation can be difficult. You may face competing priorities when trying to implement green initiatives that could potentially impact strictly defined product performance standards.

Question 7

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

Accepted Answer

A typical day might begin with a global coordination call to check progress on ISO 14001 compliance, followed by a deep dive into carbon emission data for an upcoming CDP or CSRD disclosure. You might spend the afternoon collaborating with the Procurement team on a responsible sourcing initiative. There is a mix of analytical work and stakeholder management. You might find yourself reviewing a technical report on Conflict Minerals in the morning and presenting a decarbonization project proposal to a senior director in the afternoon.

Question 8

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

Accepted Answer

Smiths Detection belongs to a larger industrial group, offering long-term career mobility both horizontally into different business units and vertically into more senior global sustainability leadership roles. Exposure to senior leadership provides high visibility, making this a springboard for someone looking to move into executive-level ESG management. You will have the chance to spearhead high-impact projects that become benchmarks for the rest of the organization.

Question 9

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

Accepted Answer

You will interact frequently with the Head of HSE & Sustainability and other senior leaders to report on progress. Building strong relationships with Procurement, Engineering, and Operations teams is critical to embedding sustainability into the product lifecycle. Externally, you will engage with suppliers and regulatory bodies to ensure supply chain transparency and compliance. You may also occasionally interface with customers in the aviation and defense sectors who have increasingly strict ESG requirements for their vendors.

Sustainability Manager

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