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Senior Sustainability Manager - Circular Systems and Innovation

CHANEL • Singapore • Added on Sep 14, 2026
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As a senior leader within the regional sustainability team, you will take full ownership of embedding circularity across the brand’s operations in Southeast Asia and North America. Your daily focus involves translating high-level environmental ambitions into concrete roadmaps for waste management, material recovery, and resource optimization. You will act as the primary bridge between global strategy and local market execution, ensuring that circular principles are not just theoretical but operational.

This role is critical because it addresses the core tension in luxury fashion: maintaining the highest standards of craftsmanship while radically decoupling growth from resource consumption. By driving innovation in closed-loop systems and sustainable materials, you directly influence the brand’s ability to meet rigorous upcoming regulations and consumer expectations regarding product lifecycle and environmental stewardship in a high-stakes market.

This suits someone who possesses a deep technical background in life cycle analysis and material innovation, combined with the corporate savvy to influence stakeholders in a highly matrixed, heritage-driven environment.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

You will be responsible for defining the regional roadmap for circular economy initiatives, moving beyond high-level goals to implementable projects. This involves overseeing waste management protocols, material sourcing improvements, and end-of-life solutions for luxury products. You will lead a portfolio of innovation projects that test new ways of reusing and recovering resources across the value chain. Another core pillar is the strengthening of data foundations. You will ensure that circularity performance is accurately tracked and reported, providing the necessary evidence for regional and global sustainability disclosures. By providing practical guidance and tools, you will enable divisional teams to integrate eco-design and resource-use efficiency into their standard business planning and procurement processes.

Key learning opportunities for this job

This role offers an unparalleled look into the sustainability transformation of a global luxury leader. You will gain deep expertise in how circular economy principles are applied within a premium context, where quality and durability are paramount. This includes navigating the complexities of high-end material recovery and the logistics of global-to-local circularity implementation. Furthermore, you will sharpen your skills in regulatory foresight as you monitor and adapt to emerging environmental laws across different jurisdictions. The position provides exposure to advanced environmental impact assessment methodologies and life cycle analysis tools, set within a corporate environment that values long-term thinking and research-driven innovation.

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

The House is looking for an expert with at least 8 years of experience in circular economy, environmental impact assessment, or sustainable project management. You should have a strong grasp of technical concepts like life cycle analysis (LCA) and a proven track record of moving sustainability concepts from the pilot phase to full-scale business adoption. Beyond technical skills, you must be a persuasive communicator capable of navigating a matrixed organization. The ideal profile combines business acumen with a passion for innovation, ensuring that sustainability is viewed as a value-driver rather than a constraint. Academic qualifications in a relevant environmental or business field are essential, while advanced sustainability certifications are highly preferred.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, demonstrate your ability to translate complex sustainability data into clear business cases. Chanel values its heritage and craftsmanship; therefore, your application should reflect how circularity can enhance, rather than compromise, the quality and longevity of luxury products. Highlighting specific examples of where you have successfully managed cross-functional projects in diverse cultural markets will be particularly effective. Prepare to discuss how you balance strategic vision with hands-on execution. Show that you understand the unique challenges of the luxury retail sector, such as boutique waste and high-end packaging, and offer a perspective on how digital tools or innovative partnerships can help overcome these hurdles.

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

The focus is heavily weighted toward resource circulation and waste elimination. This includes moving toward more sustainable materials and ensuring that every stage of a product's life—from initial design to eventual end-of-life—minimizes environmental harm. You will likely work on projects related to boutique recycling programs, sustainable packaging innovation, and textile recovery. Additionally, the role supports reporting readiness for evolving ESG standards. By improving the quality of circularity data, you help the company maintain transparency with stakeholders and ensure compliance with international sustainability frameworks. This role sits at the intersection of operational efficiency and environmental stewardship.

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

One of the primary challenges is driving behavioral change across a large, established organization. Convincing procurement and operational teams to adopt new circular ways of working requires patience and high-level influencing skills, especially when traditional methods are deeply ingrained. You may face resistance when circularity goals appear to conflict with short-term commercial priorities. Data collection is another significant hurdle. Gathering accurate and granular information on waste and resource use across multiple markets and divisions can be difficult. You will need to build robust systems to ensure that the data you report is credible and can withstand the scrutiny of both internal audits and external regulatory requirements.

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

Your morning might begin with a regional coordination meeting to track the progress of circularity pilots in different markets, such as Hong Kong or Singapore. You could spend the afternoon collaborating with the procurement or supply chain teams to evaluate a new partnership with a recycling innovator or reviewing Life Cycle Analysis data for a new packaging concept. Late afternoons are often reserved for strategic alignment with the Director of Sustainability or global counterparts to ensure local roadmaps are synchronized with the House's broader environmental goals. Throughout the day, you will likely alternate between deep analytical work on performance indicators and facilitating workshops to build sustainability capability among your internal stakeholders.

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

Growth in this role is driven by the high visibility of circularity on the corporate agenda. As a subject matter expert, you will have the opportunity to establish yourself as a thought leader within the House. Success in this regional role can lead to global leadership positions within the sustainability function or strategic roles in supply chain and innovation. Chanel’s focus on personal growth and long-term development means you will have access to high-level training and mentorship. You will also build a vast professional network by collaborating with international experts and sustainability innovators, positioning you at the forefront of the luxury industry's green transition.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will interact frequently with the Director of Sustainability for NA & SEAA and other regional leaders to align on strategic priorities. Within the divisions, you will partner with procurement, operations, and supply chain managers to integrate circularity into their daily workflows and sourcing decisions. Externally, you will engage with circularity consultants, technology providers, and waste management partners to identify and scale new solutions. You will also be a key point of contact for external auditors and potentially industry groups, ensuring that the brand remains a credible and collaborative player in the global circular economy landscape.

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