Sustainability Reporting and Content Manager

The core mission is ownership of C&A's annual sustainability report. That means leading its development and coordination, consolidating CSRD-related content and ESG data, and managing the framework that governs non-financial reporting. The role also facilitates the annual external assurance process, which turns the report into a verifiable document rather than a voluntary statement. A second mission is regulatory alignment. The person monitors legislative developments on sustainability reporting and communication, tracks the implementation of CSRD requirements, and keeps internal processes aligned with evolving standards and assurance expectations. This is ongoing work rather than a one-off project, given how quickly European disclosure rules are still changing. The third strand is communication governance and enablement. The role acts as the key contact for sustainability communication topics, coordinates content delivery with Marketing and Corporate Communications, reviews materials with Legal, maintains communication guidelines and builds awareness among internal stakeholders. Day to day this could mean data requests, review rounds, editorial feedback, deadline tracking and briefing colleagues, while the longer term objective is transparency and trust in how C&A reports and talks about its sustainability performance.

The clearest learning curve is CSRD in practice. Coordinating an annual sustainability report and consolidating CSRD-related content means hands-on exposure to the European Sustainability Reporting Standards, the double materiality logic behind them and the evidence trail auditors expect. Few roles offer the full cycle from data collection to published report, and this one appears to include it. The annual external assurance process is another area of growth. Preparing for assurance teaches what makes ESG data defensible: defined boundaries, documented methodologies and clear ownership. Working alongside Legal on claims review adds a second specialist skill, namely how sustainability communication is policed under consumer protection and green claims rules, which is becoming a distinct career asset. On the softer side, the role builds internal capability work and content coordination across Marketing and Corporate Communications. That means practice in stakeholder alignment and editorial judgment with senior audiences. C&A also mentions its academy for development, so formal training may complement the on-the-job learning that the reporting calendar itself provides.

The posting points to a profile with at least three years in sustainability reporting, ESG reporting or corporate reporting, backed by a bachelor's degree in sustainability, business administration, communications or environmental sciences. A working understanding of CSRD and the sustainability reporting frameworks around it is expected, alongside awareness of the legal rules governing sustainability claims. This is a coordination-heavy role, so proven project management across competing timelines counts as much as technical knowledge. The strongest candidate likely combines attention to detail with the ability to simplify. Reporting accuracy depends on structured data handling, while the communication half of the job depends on turning dense ESG material into messages that marketing, communications and legal can all stand behind. Fluent English is required, and an additional European language could help in a company operating across 17 countries. Soft skills carry real weight here: stakeholder management, pragmatism and comfort in a dynamic environment. C&A states it welcomes applicants who do not tick every box, so someone with reporting experience who is still building CSRD depth, and who can show calm coordination under deadline pressure, is a credible applicant.

Tailor the CV around CSRD exposure and reporting coordination, not general interest in sustainability. Quantify what you consolidated, who assured it, how many stakeholders were involved and on what cycle. If your experience is in an adjacent field such as financial reporting or corporate communications, show how you handled regulated content and sign-off processes, since that maps directly onto reviewing sustainability claims with Legal. C&A operates in 17 European countries with more than 25,000 employees, so evidence of managing multiple deadlines across functions matters more than a long list of frameworks. Name the frameworks you have actually applied, such as ESRS or GRI, and be honest about depth. Prepare a concrete example of simplifying a complex ESG topic for a non-technical audience, because translating data into clear messages is half the role. Use the cover letter to show you understand the tension between ambition and compliance in fashion retail. Mentioning the external assurance process and what it demands from data owners signals you know where reporting projects usually stall. Keep it to one page: the hiring team is screening for structured thinking, and a clean, well-ordered application is itself a sample of that skill.

The role centres on disclosure and communication rather than programme delivery. Expect the bulk of the work to sit with CSRD compliance and the annual sustainability report, covering environmental, social and governance topics that C&A must report under European rules. Data consolidation, ESRS alignment and assurance readiness are the practical focus areas. Because C&A is a fashion retailer, the environmental side of reporting likely involves topics such as climate targets, materials and supply chain impacts, while the social side touches on workers in the value chain and the company's own workforce. C&A has a long public history with organic cotton and Cradle-to-Cradle certified garments, so those programmes will probably need accurate representation in reporting and communication materials. Governance and claims oversight are the third focus. With greenwashing rules tightening, the role's work on reviewing sustainability statements with Legal directly shapes how the company's environmental credentials are presented to customers and regulators. In short, this position focuses on making C&A's sustainability story defensible, accurate and clearly told rather than on designing new initiatives.

The structural challenge is the CSRD transition. Requirements, assurance expectations and interpretations are still settling, so the person in this role will likely work with moving regulatory goalposts while colleagues expect a stable process. Balancing pragmatism with compliance rigour, in a company the posting itself describes as dynamic, is the daily test. The second challenge is coordination. Creating one report depends on ESG data and content from many functions, and the role owns the framework rather than the data itself. Chasing inputs from colleagues who have their own priorities, without formal authority over them, is a recurring pressure. The assurance process adds a hard deadline that cannot slip, since external verification must be completed before publication. The third is communication governance. Reviewing and approving sustainability materials with Legal means saying no to claims that marketing teams may be attached to, and doing so while maintaining trust rather than friction. In fashion retail, where green claims attract public and regulatory scrutiny, that balancing act is delicate and constant.

A typical day is likely split between reporting logistics and content coordination. Mornings might involve reviewing incoming ESG data, updating the reporting timeline or preparing questions for data owners, followed by a sync with Marketing or Corporate Communications on materials awaiting sustainability input. Review rounds with Legal on claims are a regular feature, since approved wording can block publication. Much of the schedule will be meetings: check-ins with the sustainability team, bilateral sessions with business functions supplying data, and periodic updates on assurance findings. Between meetings, the role handles document work, drafting and refining report sections, maintaining guidelines and tracking regulatory updates that may affect existing statements. During peak reporting season, the pace runs toward the publication and assurance deadlines, with escalations and quick decisions on how to resolve gaps. Outside the peak, the rhythm shifts toward process improvement and enablement, such as briefing internal stakeholders on responsible communication or preparing for the next cycle. Variability is high, and priorities can change when new regulation or external scrutiny arrives, so the day rarely follows a fixed script.

The role sits at the junction of reporting and communication, which is one of the more transferable positions in corporate sustainability. Success could open a path toward leading the CSRD programme outright, or toward a broader sustainability communications or disclosure function as regulation tightens and the volume of required content grows. C&A is large enough to offer lateral moves into marketing, corporate communications or legal-adjacent compliance work, so the exposure gained here is not boxed in. Working on the annual report from consolidation to assurance gives a candidate a full-cycle view that many sustainability specialists never get. That experience tends to be valued in audit, consultancy and larger listed companies moving through the same CSRD transition. The internal awareness work mentioned in the posting also builds a stakeholder network across functions, which is often what determines who gets promoted when new roles appear. Development support comes through the C&A academy, and the reporting calendar itself functions as training: each cycle deepens knowledge of ESRS, assurance expectations and responsible claims rules. The main growth risk is not lack of opportunity but being absorbed by coordination tasks, so a candidate who consciously claims analytical parts of the work is likely to advance faster.

The role's home base is the sustainability function, but the posting makes clear it operates across the organisation. Daily contact likely includes Marketing and Corporate Communications colleagues who produce or request sustainability content, and Legal, which co-approves claims and communication materials. The Finance and controlling side matters too, because non-financial reporting under CSRD has to align with financial reporting cycles and definitions. Outside the core circle, this person will deal with data owners in areas such as sourcing, supply chain and store operations, who supply ESG figures and context. External relationships include the assurance provider conducting annual verification, and potentially auditors and consultants advising on CSRD interpretation. These interactions are technical and evidence-based, so clarity about what is being asked and by when is essential. A less visible but important group is internal audiences who need awareness of responsible communication rules. The role is expected to build capability across stakeholders, which means briefing sessions and guidance rather than only document review. Senior leadership also features indirectly: the annual report carries their names, so expectations from the top will be high and scrutiny of accuracy correspondingly strict.