N

Sustainability Specialist

Nestlé • Hungary • Added on Aug 11, 2026
Apply →

This role manages the operational environmental performance of a major production facility, ensuring every aspect of the plant’s output aligns with strict ecological standards. You will lead the transition toward zero-waste and efficient water usage by overseeing waste management, air quality, and wastewater treatment systems. Your daily work balances technical oversight of industrial systems with the organizational task of securing legal permits and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Working at a global food leader, your impact is direct and measurable. You are the guardian of the factory’s environmental footprint, directly contributing to global climate goals through local EUETS monitoring and ISO 14001 management. By turning complex sustainability targets into practical onsite actions and engaging the workforce, you ensure that large-scale food production respects planetary boundaries.

This suits someone who possesses a logical engineering mindset and thrives in an industrial setting. You should be equally comfortable navigating regulatory databases as you are collaborating with technicians on the factory floor to optimize resource recovery.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The primary focus involves overseeing the environmental and sustainability tasks of the factory to ensure full regulatory compliance. This includes managing official reports for water, wastewater, air quality, and noise, while also handling EUETS documentation. You will be responsible for the end-to-end management of industrial waste and manufacturing by-products, ensuring they are documented and handled correctly. Beyond administrative tasks, you will maintain and supervise the ISO 14001 environmental management system. You will also provide technical support for the operation of wastewater pre-treatment plants, biofilters, and water treatment units, ensuring all technical equipment meets environmental standards.

Key learning opportunities for this job

Candidates can expect to gain deep expertise in European environmental regulations and specific reporting frameworks like EUETS. Working within a massive manufacturing environment provides a unique opportunity to understand how sustainability is scaled in the food and beverage industry, offering insights into industrial wastewater and waste-to-resource technologies. There is significant exposure to corporate auditing processes and multinational ESG standards. You will likely develop skills in project management, specifically relating to cost-reduction and process optimization within a complex, high-output supply chain.

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

The ideal profile holds a degree in environmental, agricultural, or bio-engineering. While a few years of experience in an industrial setting is preferred, Nestlé is open to ambitious recent graduates who demonstrate a logical, engineering-oriented mindset and a strong desire to master modern environmental technologies. Strong communication skills are essential, as the role requires both training employees and negotiating with external contractors. Active English proficiency is mandatory to navigate the corporate reporting structures and global sustainability guidelines used throughout the company.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

Focus your application on your technical problem-solving abilities and your understanding of Hungarian environmental laws. Demonstrating familiarity with ISO 14001 or specific waste management logistics will set you apart from generalist candidates. Since this role involves training others, highlight any experience where you have successfully simplified complex technical concepts for a non-expert audience. Showing that you can balance the rigors of compliance with a proactive, cost-saving mindset will align well with the plant's operational goals.

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

This role is a frontline position for the company's Zero Waste to Landfill and water stewardship ambitions. You will be the point person for minimizing production scrap and optimizing the factory's resource circularity, which is a critical pillar of their global environmental roadmap. There is also a strong focus on emissions monitoring. By managing air quality and EUETS reporting, you play a vital role in the company's decarbonization journey, ensuring that the factory's physical operations match its public-facing climate commitments.

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

One of the toughest aspects will be balancing strict legal deadlines with the unpredictable nature of factory operations. Managing waste logistics and addressing technical malfunctions in water treatment systems requires quick thinking and the ability to work under pressure without compromising compliance. Changing the culture on the factory floor can also be challenging. You will need to find creative ways to engage a diverse workforce in sustainability practices, moving beyond simple compliance to genuine awareness and behavioral change across all shifts.

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

A typical morning might start with a site walk to inspect waste collection points or the wastewater treatment area, followed by a meeting with production leads to discuss waste reduction targets. You might spend the afternoon preparing regulatory submissions or updating the ISO 14001 documentation to ensure audit readiness. Interspersed with these tasks are training sessions where you educate new hires on environmental protocols. The day often ends with reviewing sustainability KPIs for factory leadership, ensuring all environmental costs and savings are accurately tracked.

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

Growth within Nestlé often involves moving from local factory roles to regional or global sustainability leadership positions. Successful specialists can eventually oversee multiple sites or transition into corporate EHS management roles within the EMEA region. There are also opportunities for lateral moves into production management or quality assurance, leveraging the deep operational knowledge gained from monitoring the plant’s environmental output. The company's scale allows for continuous internal training and international career paths.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will interact daily with factory management and production supervisors to integrate sustainability into operational workflows. You also serve as the primary link between the factory and government environmental authorities and external auditors. Externally, you will manage relationships with waste disposal contractors and environmental consultants. Internally, your role involves heavy collaboration with the QEHS team and employees at all levels who require training and guidance on environmental standards.

CSR Jobs newsletter

Never miss the next opportunity

Get a curated selection of new CSR, ESG, and sustainability roles in your inbox. No daily noise, just useful opportunities.

Free to join. Unsubscribe anytime.