This role coordinates non-financial disclosure within the Group Accounting team, spearheading annual sustainability reporting aligned with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive across European subsidiaries.
Operating within a major European photographic and online print group, the position anchors environmental and social transparency directly into formal financial structures. Transforming manufacturing metrics into audited ESG statements ensures rigorous accountability across sprawling paper, chemical, and retail operations.
This suits someone who possesses early professional experience in corporate reporting or accounting and wants to specialize in CSRD compliance.
Job FAQs
What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?
The primary mission entails organizing, drafting, and advancing the annual non-financial report for the CEWE Group in strict compliance with the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). This includes maintaining and updating the company's double materiality analysis to determine priority ESG impact topics.
Operationally, the position serves as the functional liaison for ESG data collection across international subsidiaries and departments including HR, procurement, and environmental management. Responsibilities involve configuring and managing reporting software such as Workiva, establishing strong audit trails, and steering technical interactions with external statutory auditors.
Long-term objectives center on streamlining data governance processes, monitoring regulatory developments in European non-financial legislation, and ensuring seamless integration between sustainability disclosures and group financial accounting frameworks.
Key learning opportunities for this job
A professional in this role can expect substantial practical immersion in ESRS and EU Taxonomy application within an SDAX-listed European business. This offers valuable technical expertise regarding how corporate accounting handles audited non-financial indicators.
Candidates will gain hands-on proficiency with enterprise-grade ESG data platforms like Workiva, mastering data orchestration, validation controls, and audit readiness. The position also offers exposure to cross-border reporting complexities across 21 operating countries.
Furthermore, direct interaction with external audit teams provides in-depth understanding of limited and reasonable assurance procedures, positioning the individual favorably for advanced corporate disclosure careers.
How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?
The ideal profile typically holds an academic degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or sustainability management. Fundamental comprehension of non-financial accounting concepts and initial familiarity with the CSRD regulatory environment are essential.
Essential technical qualifications include strong analytical skills, structured data management capabilities, and advanced proficiency in standard office productivity tools, especially Excel. Practical experience with dedicated disclosure platforms or financial consolidation software represents a significant advantage.
Strong interpersonal communication is essential for coordinating multinational business units. The candidate must possess business-fluent German and proficient professional English to facilitate cooperation with domestic and foreign entities.
Advice to stand out and make a successful application
Applicants should highlight practical exposure to financial or non-financial reporting frameworks, demonstrating familiarity with data validation, auditing standards, or materiality matrices. Concrete examples of managing cross-functional workflows or navigating complex spreadsheets will stand out.
It is beneficial to show understanding of ESRS requirements and discuss how European industrial or printing operations translate raw environmental data into compliant disclosures. Addressing how to maintain data integrity under tight year-end accounting deadlines demonstrates commercial awareness.
In cover materials, clearly articulate your motivation for embedding sustainability rigor directly into corporate accounting rather than treating CSR as a separate PR function.
What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?
The position concentrates predominantly on governance and transparent ESG disclosure, translating physical operational data into verified corporate metrics. This involves quantifying carbon emissions, energy usage, paper sourcing, and chemical handling from diverse printing facilities.
Social indicators, including employee health and safety, diversity, and labor standards across European sales subsidiaries and production hubs, form another major component of the reporting cycle.
Additionally, the role focuses heavily on double materiality assessments, identifying how climate transition risks affect corporate enterprise value and how group activities impact biodiversity and resource consumption.
What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?
A significant challenge lies in managing data consistency and timelines across multiple subsidiaries operating in different national environments, requiring persuasive cross-functional coordination without direct disciplinary authority.
Navigating the complexity and evolving interpretations of new CSRD mandates presents another hurdle, especially when designing compliant documentation capable of passing rigorous scrutiny by external financial auditors.
Balancing technical reporting administration with pragmatic operational feasibility demands meticulous attention to detail while avoiding paralysis from voluminous regulatory requirements.
How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?
A regular day often begins with reviewing incoming ESG data submissions within the reporting tool, validating figures against prior-year benchmarks, and querying inconsistencies with plant or departmental controllers.
Midday hours might involve leading a coordination session with procurement or human resources specialists to refine KPI definitions or working on documentation for the double materiality process. Collaboration with accounting colleagues ensures non-financial figures align with management reporting schedules.
In the afternoon, tasks frequently center on resolving audit queries, updating methodological descriptions, researching emerging regulatory advisories, or configuring templates in software platforms like Workiva.
What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?
Within a publicly traded group, this junior-to-mid career position serves as a powerful springboard into senior corporate reporting, corporate governance, or internal audit functions.
As regulatory demands for combined financial and ESG reporting intensify, individuals mastering both accounting standards and sustainability metrics become prime candidates for managerial positions within group sustainability offices or financial controlling.
There are also lateral pathways into corporate strategy, investor relations, or specialized supply chain sustainability management across international operational units.
The main stakeholders you might be interacting with
Internal collaboration involves daily engagement with the Group Accounting department, as well as regular alignment with corporate teams in Environmental Management, Human Resources, and Purchasing.
Frequent communication occurs with controllers and reporting leads at production plants and commercial subsidiaries across Europe, guiding their non-financial data submissions.
Externally, the role collaborates closely with statutory auditors during annual report review cycles, alongside third-party software vendors and regulatory consultants.
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