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NBS Sustainability Solution Lead

Nestlé • Portugal • Added on Aug 7, 2026
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As the lead for Nestlé Business Solutions, you will steer the global reporting and analytics engine for the world’s largest food and beverage company. You will take ownership of a newly created scope that covers everything from non-financial reporting and climate data to responsible sourcing analytics and water-related services. Your primary goal is to translate high-level corporate sustainability priorities into a functional, scalable roadmap that keeps the organization’s data accurate and actionable.

This role is critical because it bridges the gap between ambitious corporate net-zero pledges and the hard data required to prove progress. By orchestrating a global network of specialists, you ensure that Nestlé’s sustainability performance is transparently measured and benchmarked against international standards like CDP and MSCI. In a company of this scale, your work directly influences the integrity of global ESG disclosures and strategic decision-making.

This suits someone who possesses deep expertise in ESG frameworks and thrives in a complex, matrixed environment. You should be a strategic orchestrator capable of leading technical analysts while managing senior stakeholders across diverse geographies.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The primary mission is to provide end-to-end leadership for the newly established Sustainability Reporting & Analytics service line. This involves translating Group Sustainability priorities into an actionable roadmap that NBS can deliver globally. You will oversee a broad scope including climate data, water-related services, and responsible sourcing analytics. You will also be responsible for the governance and orchestration of external ratings and benchmarks. This includes ensuring that the company maintains high-quality submissions for critical indices such as CDP, MSCI, and Sustainalytics, providing a clear window into the company's ESG performance for investors and stakeholders.

Key learning opportunities for this job

This role offers an unparalleled look into the operational backbone of a global sustainability strategy at an immense scale. You will gain deep knowledge of how non-financial reporting is standardized across different zones and markets, learning how to manage complex data structures and reporting systems. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to master global program management within a shared services environment. The position provides exposure to cutting-edge digital innovation and automation tools used to simplify and standardize sustainability reporting, as well as high-level interaction with external rating agencies.

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

The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in sustainability reporting and ESG frameworks. Since this is a lead role in a shared services center, a background in managing global programs or service lines within a complex, matrix-style organization is highly valued. Technical proficiency in data structures and non-financial reporting systems is essential. Soft skills are equally important; Nestlé seeks a professional with strong senior stakeholder management capabilities. You must be able to influence and communicate effectively with both technical specialists and non-technical business leaders, ensuring that global sustainability goals are understood and implemented across various functions.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

Focus your application on your ability to orchestrate complex processes rather than just your knowledge of sustainability theory. Highlight specific instances where you have improved data accuracy or reporting efficiency in a large-scale environment. Demonstrating an 'entrepreneurial mindset'—showing how you have identified and solved process gaps—will resonate with the NBS culture. Given the hybrid nature and global scope, emphasize your cross-cultural communication skills and your experience working in diverse, international teams. Mentioning your familiarity with the specific reporting benchmarks like CDP or MSCI will also provide a competitive edge by showing you can hit the ground running.

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

The role focuses heavily on the transparency and measurement aspect of sustainability. Specifically, you will work on non-financial reporting which is the cornerstone of accountability for the company's environmental and social commitments. This includes tracking progress on climate action, water stewardship, and ethical supply chain management. You will also likely focus on responsible sourcing analytics. In a company with such a massive agricultural footprint, ensuring that sourcing data is robust and meets ESG criteria is a major priority. Your work ensures that the company's sustainability claims are backed by verifiable and standardized data points.

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

One of the main challenges will be standardizing data across a company that operates in almost every country in the world. Aligning different markets, zones, and business units with a single global reporting roadmap requires significant negotiation and persistent governance. You may also face the challenge of managing rapid change in the ESG regulatory landscape. As global reporting standards evolve, you will need to ensure the NBS service line remains agile enough to incorporate new KPIs and requirements without disrupting existing operations or data integrity.

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

A typical day might involve a morning briefing with sustainability analysts in various global centers to review the progress of current reporting cycles. You might then transition to a strategic meeting with Group Sustainability leaders to align on upcoming priorities for external ratings like the CDP. In the afternoon, you could be focused on process optimization, perhaps working with digital teams to automate a manual data collection workflow. Your day is likely to be a mix of high-level roadmap orchestration and deep-dives into specific reporting challenges or stakeholder concerns across the different zones.

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

Within a giant like Nestlé, this role is a strategic stepping stone to higher leadership positions in either the Group Sustainability function or broader Shared Services management. Success here proves your ability to manage high-stakes global operations and complex stakeholder networks. There are also opportunities for international career progression, as the skills gained in Portugal can be applied to many other global hubs within the Nestlé network. The exposure to digital transformation within sustainability also positions you for future roles at the intersection of ESG and technology.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will primarily interact with Group Sustainability leaders at the corporate headquarters to receive strategic direction. Within NBS, you will manage a global network of sustainability specialists and analysts who are responsible for the actual data crunching and reporting. External stakeholders include rating agencies and benchmark providers like MSCI or Sustainalytics. Internally, you will also engage with colleagues in Supply Chain, Finance, and Digital functions to ensure that the data required for sustainability reporting is being captured accurately at the source.

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