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Sustainability Projects Engineer

Crown Holdings, Inc. • United States • Added on Sep 10, 2026
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This role bridges the gap between high-level ESG strategy and on-the-ground industrial operations. You will oversee the implementation of the Twentyby30 program across North American manufacturing sites, focusing on the rigorous reduction of energy, water, and waste. By managing capital expenditure projects and analyzing complex environmental data sets, you ensure that technical improvements translate into measurable environmental gains.

Sustainability in packaging is often criticized, but this position puts you at the heart of the solution. You will lead workshops to educate plant staff on climate action and energy optimization, turning industrial facilities into efficiency leaders. Your work directly influences the decarbonization of global supply chains for some of the world’s most recognizable consumer brands, providing a high-impact platform for engineering-led environmental change.

This suits someone who possesses a strong engineering background and the ability to influence diverse stakeholders, from plant floor operators to corporate executives. You should be equally comfortable navigating specialized sustainability software like Sweep as you are discussing wastewater systems or energy equipment.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The primary mission involves driving the technical execution of the Twentyby30 Sustainability Program across the North American business unit. You will be responsible for identifying and implementing efficiency projects related to energy, water, and waste, ensuring that industrial sites are moving toward their five-year roadmaps. This includes monitoring Operational Capex Projects to ensure every investment aligns with corporate climate goals. Beyond technical project management, you will own the environmental data integrity for the region. This requires meticulously tracking performance through platforms like Sweep and OneStream to support annual reporting and regulatory compliance. You will also lead hands-on workshops at manufacturing plants to train local teams on energy optimization and climate action, fostering a culture of sustainability at the site level.

Key learning opportunities for this job

In this role, you will gain deep expertise in carbon accounting and ESG reporting frameworks like CDP, GRI, and CSRD. Working within a global leader in packaging provides a unique vantage point to understand how large-scale industrial operations transition toward Net Zero. You will develop a sophisticated understanding of how to bridge the gap between engineering metrics and financial reporting. Furthermore, you will master advanced sustainability data platforms like Sweep and OneStream, which are becoming industry standards for corporate environmental tracking. The role also offers significant exposure to international sustainability strategy, allowing you to participate in global taskforces focused on decarbonization pathways and product carbon footprints.

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

The ideal candidate holds an engineering degree and brings three to five years of experience within a manufacturing environment. You should have a functional understanding of industrial systems, specifically energy equipment and wastewater management, alongside a solid grasp of GHG accounting principles. Proficiency in data tools like Excel and PowerBI is essential for managing complex reporting requirements. Soft skills are just as critical as technical ones; you must be an effective influencer who can engage both plant managers and R&D teams. A self-starter attitude is necessary to take initiative on site-level improvements without constant supervision. Integrity and a collaborative spirit will help you navigate the cross-functional nature of this small, high-impact team.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, emphasize your direct experience in manufacturing environments rather than just theoretical sustainability knowledge. Crown is looking for an engineer who understands how plants operate and how to communicate with plant managers. Highlight any past projects where you successfully reduced resource consumption or managed a CAPEX project that had a clear environmental ROI. Showcase your technical literacy by mentioning specific experience with data management platforms or environmental compliance. If you have led internal training or workshops, make sure to detail the outcomes of those sessions. Demonstrating that you can translate complex climate science into actionable steps for operational teams will make you a very attractive candidate.

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

The role focuses heavily on the circularity and resource efficiency of metal packaging production. While the broad goal is the Twentyby30 program, your daily work will likely center on Scope 1 and Scope 2 emission reductions through energy optimization and the management of water and waste systems. This is a highly operational focus aimed at reducing the environmental footprint of physical products. You will also be involved in Product Carbon Footprint analysis, helping the company communicate the sustainability profile of its packaging to global consumer brands. This role ensures that the company's sustainability claims are backed by rigorous, verified data from the plant level, supporting the broader transition toward a Net Zero packaging industry.

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

One of the main challenges is driving change across multiple facilities with varying levels of infrastructure maturity. You may encounter resistance at the plant level where production targets are the top priority, requiring you to demonstrate how sustainability and operational efficiency go hand-in-hand. Balancing the technical demands of site visits with the rigorous administrative requirements of global data reporting is another hurdle. Ensuring data accuracy across 195 facilities can be difficult, as it requires constant coordination with EHS and quality teams to ensure reporting consistency. You will need to be resilient and persuasive to maintain momentum on long-term sustainability goals amidst the daily pressures of a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

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

A typical day might begin with analyzing environmental performance data in the Sweep platform to identify anomalies in a specific plant's water usage. You might then transition into a virtual meeting with the Global Sustainability Team to discuss the progress of Net Zero pathways. The afternoon could be spent reviewing CAPEX requests to ensure proposed equipment upgrades meet energy efficiency standards. Other days will involve on-site facility visits where you walk the floor with plant managers to identify energy-saving opportunities or lead a workshop for local staff. Your time will be a mix of deep-dive data analysis, strategic planning, and hands-on site engagement, requiring you to pivot quickly between technical engineering details and high-level corporate reporting.

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

This role offers a clear path toward senior sustainability leadership within a global corporation. As you prove your ability to deliver measurable reductions in the North American market, there are opportunities to take on more global responsibilities or lead specific taskforces on topics like fuel reduction or carbon accounting innovations. Because the packaging industry is currently undergoing a massive transformation toward sustainability, the expertise you gain here is highly transferable and in high demand. You could eventually move into specialized roles such as Global Sustainability Director or transition into corporate strategy and R&D leadership, given the role's cross-functional nature.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will interact daily with the Global Sustainability Team and regional Operations Directors to align on strategic goals. On the manufacturing side, your primary partners will be Plant Managers and QEHS Directors who oversee the local implementation of your recommendations. You will also work closely with R&D and Engineering teams to evaluate new technologies. Externally, you may be called upon to participate in meetings with major customers who are increasingly demanding detailed data on the carbon footprint of their packaging. You will also interact with suppliers to understand the environmental impact of raw materials, ensuring that the entire value chain is moving toward the company’s Twentyby30 targets.

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