This role owns ABFRL’s sustainability disclosure engine: preparing the Annual Integrated Report, running ESG rating submissions for DJSI, MSCI and Sustainalytics, and keeping Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon accounting rigorous across a sprawling fashion retail network.
For a company operating over 1,270 stores and a portfolio of brands from Pantaloons to luxury tie-ups, credible disclosure is where climate ambition becomes verifiable. Getting ratings and integrated reporting right matters for investor trust and for steering real decarbonisation and green building work across a fast-growing fashion footprint.
This suits someone who combines reporting-standard fluency with the stamina to chase data from dozens of stakeholders and translate numbers into a narrative investors and leadership can act on.
Job FAQs
What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?
The core mission is to make ABFRL's sustainability performance visible, credible and comparable. Day to day that means gathering and validating emissions and operational data across a very large retail estate, drafting and coordinating the Annual Integrated Report against GRI, SASB and IFRS Sustainability Standards, and managing rating questionnaires for DJSI, MSCI and Sustainalytics.
Beyond reporting, the role pushes the agenda forward: supporting decarbonisation initiatives, Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon accounting, green building integration and continuous improvement of environmental metrics. The overarching goal is to ensure the company's public commitments match its operational reality, while using disclosure to sharpen internal targets and strategy.
Key learning opportunities for this job
You would deepen hands-on command of the major frameworks (GRI, SASB, IFRS Sustainability Standards) plus the mechanics of ESG ratings, which is a rare and portable skill set. Carbon accounting at Scope 1, 2 and 3 across a multi-format retailer offers exposure to emissions estimation, supplier data and verification that few roles provide.
Because ABFRL spans value retail, luxury, ethnic wear and digital-first brands, you would learn to adapt methodology to very different business models. Mentorship likely comes from an established group-level sustainability function, and there is scope to build expertise in green building standards and decarbonisation roadmaps.
How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?
The ideal candidate has around five or more years in corporate sustainability, ESG or environmental management, with demonstrable ownership of a reporting cycle, not just participation. A technical or environmental degree, ideally with an MBA or sustainability master's, underpins the analytical demands of carbon accounting and disclosure.
Equally important are soft skills: the role hinges on stakeholder management across finance, operations, procurement and external auditors. Strong writing, comfort with large data sets, and the discipline to hit publication deadlines are decisive. Familiarity with Indian and global ESG expectations in a listed-company context is a clear advantage.
Advice to stand out and make a successful application
Move past framework buzzwords and show evidence: name the reports you have prepared, the ratings you have supported and the emissions scopes you have actually measured. A short portfolio-style summary of two or three disclosure projects, with your specific contribution and outcome, will stand out more than a generic CV line.
Because ABFRL is a listed company, demonstrate awareness of investor expectations around integrated reporting and how ratings agencies assess governance and climate data. In interviews, be ready to explain how you would source Scope 3 data from a sprawling supplier and franchise network, a concrete problem you would inherit here. Aligning your pitch with the group's scale and its fashion-specific material topics signals genuine homework.
What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?
Disclosure sits at the centre, so the role likely gravitates around ESG reporting and ratings (integrated reporting, DJSI, MSCI and Sustainalytics) with carbon accounting as the data backbone. That positions you between investor-facing transparency and operational climate action.
Given ABFRL's footprint, expect material attention on Scope 3 emissions from a complex apparel supply chain, energy use across 1,200-plus stores, and green building practices in new and existing locations. Social topics tied to a large workforce and an extensive supplier base in India could also surface, linking environment and governance into the same reporting narrative.
What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?
Data is the perennial hurdle: assembling reliable Scope 1, 2 and 3 figures from thousands of stores, franchises and suppliers in a fast-growing company is slow, political and never perfectly clean. Meeting the simultaneous demands of GRI, SASB and IFRS while answering rating agencies means translating one dataset into several vocabularies.
There is also the tension between commercial growth and decarbonisation in an expanding fashion business; pushing credible targets without slowing the brand rollout requires tact. Add tight publication deadlines and multiple internal sign-offs, and the role demands patience, precision and diplomatic persistence.
How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?
Much of the day revolves around data and documents: coordinating with operations, finance and procurement teams to close gaps in emissions or sustainability metrics, refining sections of the integrated report, and fielding rating-agency questionnaires or evidence requests. Expect recurring meetings with cross-functional colleagues and possibly consultants.
Interspersed are analytical blocks for carbon accounting and performance tracking, plus working sessions on decarbonisation or green building initiatives. Around reporting season the rhythm intensifies toward deadlines; in quieter periods, more time goes to forward planning and process improvement.
What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?
Reporting and ratings expertise is highly transferable, and success here could open paths to a broader sustainability leadership role within the Aditya Birla Group or the wider Indian corporate environment. Demonstrating ownership of a full disclosure cycle builds a strong case for progression.
Stretch opportunities likely include leading decarbonisation programmes, contributing to group-level strategy, or representing ABFRL in investor and rating interactions. As the company scales, the sustainability function itself may grow, creating room for lateral moves into climate, procurement-linked or brand-specific sustainability roles.
The main stakeholders you might be interacting with
Internally, you would work closely with finance, operations, procurement and store teams to gather and validate data, and with senior leadership who sign off on the integrated report and sustainability positioning. Legal and company secretarial colleagues matter for listed-company disclosure accuracy.
Externally, key relationships include ESG rating agencies such as DJSI, MSCI and Sustainalytics, auditors and assurance providers, and possibly investors and industry bodies. The nature of these interactions is part evidence-provision, part advocacy, explaining ABFRL's performance while absorbing expectations that shape next year's agenda.
CSR Jobs newsletter
Never miss the next opportunity
Get a curated selection of new CSR, ESG, and sustainability roles in your inbox. No daily noise, just useful opportunities.
You are subscribed
Want more relevant opportunities?
Share your LinkedIn profile so we can better understand the roles that may fit you. This step is optional.
You are all set!
Thanks for joining the CSR Jobs newsletter. Keep an eye on your inbox for sustainability opportunities.
Something went wrong. Please try again.
Cookies
CSR Jobs uses analytics and marketing cookies. You can decline without affecting your browsing.
