--- title: Sustainability Specialist, Group Procurement canonical: https://csrjobs.club/jobs/nkt-sustainability-specialist-group-procurement-iplz locale: en description: NKT is hiring a Sustainability Specialist, Group Procurement on CSR Jobs. Discover this in-house sustainability role and apply today. updated: 2026-10-26 company: NKT country: India contract: Full time seniority: Mid-level missions: ESG reporting, Employee engagement, Responsible communication job_type: Sustainability Manager, ESG/Sustainability Reporting Manager posted: 2026-10-26 valid_through: 2026-11-25 apply: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4483230168 source: CSR Jobs --- # Sustainability Specialist, Group Procurement You will sit between NKT's procurement teams and its suppliers, running the ESG assessments, Scope 3 emissions data validation and engagement activities that tell the business where its value chain stands and what to do next. Expect a mix of analysis, supplier conversations and reporting work rather than pure policy drafting. What makes this role specific is the position of procurement as the entry point to NKT's climate impact. Most of the company's footprint sits upstream in cables, metals and components, so the supplier data you validate and the maturity gaps you flag feed directly into material choices and decarbonization decisions. Your work has a short line to how the company buys. This suits someone who has spent several years in procurement or supply chain sustainability, is comfortable challenging inconsistent supplier data, and wants to build ESG expertise inside a manufacturing business rather than advise one from the outside. ## Job FAQs ### What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role? The core mission is to make NKT's supplier base measurable and improvable on ESG. Day to day, that means leading Scope 3 decarbonization projects, validating the emissions and ESG data suppliers submit, and conducting maturity assessments that show where a supplier stands and what engagement action should follow. You will also support risk assessments, maintain dashboards and follow up on mitigation activities, so the data you gather does not stay in a spreadsheet but feeds decisions. A further responsibility is building transparency on the environmental and cost impacts of material alternatives, which links procurement choices to carbon outcomes. On the communication side, you prepare sustainability materials, trainings and reporting content for internal and external audiences. Over the longer term, the role contributes to embedding sustainability into procurement strategy, so processes become standard practice rather than one-off projects. ### Key learning opportunities for this job This role offers hands-on exposure to Scope 3 accounting and Life Cycle Assessment methodologies, which are among the most sought-after skills in corporate sustainability. You will learn how emissions data is gathered, validated and translated into reporting that stands up to scrutiny. Working inside Group Procurement gives you a practical education in how a global manufacturing supply chain operates, from category strategy to supplier negotiation. You will also build knowledge of ESG regulations and reporting frameworks as they apply to a listed European company. Because the role involves trainings and communication materials, there is room to develop stakeholder engagement and presentation skills. Mentorship from Group Sustainability colleagues and access to NKT's international network could open doors to other sustainability or procurement positions later. ### How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)? The posting asks for a university degree in economics, engineering, supply chain management or a related field, plus at least five years of sustainability experience in procurement, supply chain, engineering or manufacturing. Familiarity with ESG regulations and reporting requirements is expected, along with project management skills and MS Office proficiency. On the technical side, working knowledge of SAP or a similar ERP system matters, as does exposure to Life Cycle Assessment or Scope 3 methodologies. These are the tools you will use daily, so comfort with data systems is more valuable than deep policy expertise. The softer profile is a structured, methodical person who can navigate messy data, challenge inconsistencies constructively and communicate with both internal teams and external suppliers. NKT states it welcomes candidates who do not tick every box, so demonstrable curiosity and the ability to manage several tasks at once may carry weight alongside formal experience. ### Advice to stand out and make a successful application Tailor your application around supplier data and Scope 3, since that is the operational heart of the role. Concrete examples of emissions data you have validated, assessment frameworks you have run or supplier engagement you have led will matter more than a broad statement about caring for sustainability. Show familiarity with NKT's context. The company makes power cables for the energy transition, so its supply chain is metal and component intensive and its customers are utilities and grid operators. Referring to how procurement choices affect upstream emissions signals that you understand why this position exists. Prepare for the possibility of personality and cognitive tests, which NKT mentions in the posting. For the interview, be ready to explain how you handle incomplete or inconsistent supplier data and how you would persuade a cost-focused category manager to act on an ESG finding. Applying before the stated deadline is advisable since applications are reviewed continuously. ### What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on? The centre of this role is Scope 3 emissions and supplier ESG performance, which is where a cable manufacturer carries most of its footprint. You will be validating supplier data and supporting decarbonization projects, so the focus sits on the upstream side of NKT's climate targets rather than its own factories. Beyond carbon, the role touches environmental and cost transparency around material alternatives, which connects to choices between copper, aluminium, insulation and other inputs. Supplier maturity assessments also bring in governance questions such as codes of conduct, human rights due diligence and compliance with emerging regulations. Because the work feeds internal and external reporting, what you produce is likely to appear in NKT's sustainability disclosures and in conversations with customers who are asking their own supply chains to prove performance. That gives the role a direct line to the company's public commitments. ### What are the main challenges someone in this role might face? The hardest part is likely data quality. Supplier ESG information, especially Scope 3 emissions, is often incomplete, estimated with different methodologies or simply unavailable from smaller vendors, and you will be the person expected to spot the gaps and push for better answers without damaging the relationship. A second challenge is pace and influence. Procurement decisions are driven by cost, delivery and quality, so sustainability criteria compete with commercial priorities. Turning ESG findings into changes in sourcing behaviour requires patience and the ability to frame arguments in business terms. Regulatory expectations are also moving quickly, which means processes you build today may need adjusting as reporting requirements evolve. Managing that alongside multiple concurrent projects and an international supplier base demands strong organisation. ### How could a typical day look like for someone in this position? A typical day is split between data work and people work. You might start by reviewing supplier ESG submissions in the system, checking emissions figures against previous years and flagging values that look off. Later, a call with a Group Sustainability colleague to align on how Scope 3 categories are being tracked, then a short supplier session to walk through what evidence is expected and why. Afternoons often involve updating dashboards or preparing slides for a procurement review. During assessment cycles, more of your time shifts to evaluating maturity scores and drafting recommended engagement actions for category managers. Travel to a supplier site or an internal workshop happens occasionally, depending on project needs, so the rhythm is not fixed week to week. ### What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role? The role sits in a global function, which means visibility beyond India. Successful delivery of Scope 3 projects and supplier assessments could lead to broader category responsibility, a regional or global sustainability position, or a move into Group Sustainability itself. NKT is a listed company with public climate commitments, so work that improves the quality of its value chain data is likely to be noticed at senior levels. Leading cross-functional projects gives you evidence of influence and project management that supports promotion. There is also lateral growth potential. Skills built here, such as LCA, ESG reporting and supplier engagement, transfer well to other industrial companies, consultancies or roles focused on regulation and compliance. The main constraint is that progression depends on openings within a procurement organisation that is not primarily a sustainability function. ### The main stakeholders you might be interacting with Your closest working relationships are with Group Procurement and Group Sustainability, the two functions the role sits between. Procurement category managers are likely your most frequent internal contacts, since they own supplier relationships and need your assessment results to shape sourcing decisions. You will also interact with suppliers directly, sometimes in structured assessment sessions and sometimes in follow-up conversations about missing or inconsistent data. These exchanges require tact, as you are asking external partners to disclose information that may be commercially sensitive or simply not collected yet. Further stakeholders include colleagues in manufacturing or engineering who understand material specifications, finance or legal teams involved in reporting and compliance, and occasionally customers or auditors who rely on the accuracy of what NKT publishes about its value chain. --- Source: https://csrjobs.club/jobs/nkt-sustainability-specialist-group-procurement-iplz