Environmental Sustainability Coordinator

The primary focus of this role is to facilitate the operational delivery of Primark Cares environmental commitments. You will manage data related to chemical inventories and wastewater standards, ensuring that suppliers adhere to the Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL). This involves rigorous performance monitoring and the creation of detailed reports against sustainability KPIs. Beyond data management, you will be responsible for the administrative and logistical coordination of training sessions for supply chain partners. You will assist in translating high-level strategy into standard operating procedures that can be integrated into day-to-day business operations across various international territories. Finally, you will support corrective action processes when compliance issues are identified. This means working closely with environmental managers to track progress on remediation plans, ensuring that the company’s environmental standards are not just theoretical but actively enforced on the ground.

A candidate in this position will gain deep exposure to international environmental standards such as ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) and biodiversity frameworks within the garment industry. You will develop a sophisticated understanding of how complex global supply chains operate and how sustainability is integrated into large-scale commercial retail. Technical skill development is a core component, particularly in data visualization and analytics using tools like Tableau or Power BI. By managing real-world environmental data from hundreds of facilities, you will learn to identify trends, outliers, and areas for strategic intervention that drive measurable impact. Additionally, you will hone your project management skills in a fast-paced corporate environment. Coordinating across 130 team members and various external stakeholders will provide significant experience in cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management within a multinational context.

The ideal candidate should possess a foundational understanding of environmental sustainability themes, specifically chemistry in manufacturing, water stewardship, and biodiversity. Prior experience in a commercial or retail environment is highly valued, as it provides the necessary context for the pace and scale of the operations. Analytical proficiency is essential. You should be highly skilled in Excel and feel comfortable interpreting complex datasets to find actionable insights. A detail-oriented mindset is crucial for ensuring the accuracy of compliance reporting and managing the administrative nuances of supply chain monitoring. Soft skills are equally important; Primark looks for a proactive self-starter who can communicate effectively with diverse groups. Being able to work autonomously while remaining a collaborative team player is the key to succeeding in this multifaceted coordination role.

To stand out, your application should demonstrate a clear ability to handle global supply chain data. Don't just list skills; provide examples of how you have used Excel or data tools to solve problems or improve reporting accuracy in previous projects or internships. Research the Primark Cares strategy thoroughly before applying. Showing that you understand the specific pillars of their environmental commitment—like their biodiversity targets or water reduction goals—will demonstrate genuine interest and professional alignment with the company’s specific sustainability journey. Given the fixed-term nature of this role, emphasize your ability to 'hit the ground running.' Highlight your organizational skills and your experience in fast-paced environments where you had to manage competing priorities without compromising on the quality of your output.

This role sits at the intersection of chemical management and water stewardship. You will likely focus on ensuring that hazardous chemicals are eliminated from the production process and that wastewater treatment meets strict industry benchmarks to protect local ecosystems. Biodiversity is another major pillar. You will support programs designed to minimize the negative impact of raw material sourcing on natural habitats. This includes tracking metrics that feed into the company’s larger goal of protecting life on the planet as part of their long-term CSR strategy. Governance and compliance are also central. The role ensures that the company stays ahead of emerging environmental legislation across 18 countries, making you a key player in maintaining the brand's legal and ethical license to operate in global markets.

One of the primary challenges will be the complexity of data collection from a vast and geographically diverse supplier base. Ensuring data quality and consistency from different regions with varying levels of environmental maturity requires persistence and rigorous attention to detail. Maintaining momentum across a large organization can also be difficult. You will need to balance the urgent needs of commercial teams with the long-term sustainability requirements of the Ethical Trade team, often acting as a bridge between these two worlds during high-pressure periods. Adapting to the fast-paced nature of the retail industry is another hurdle. Priorities can shift quickly based on market demands or legislative updates, requiring a flexible mindset and the ability to pivot your focus without losing sight of core sustainability goals.

A typical day might begin with reviewing chemical inventory reports submitted by textile mills, checking for non-conformities against the MRSL. You might then transition into a meeting with Environmental Managers to discuss the progress of biodiversity initiatives in specific sourcing regions. Afternoons are often dedicated to data visualization, where you will update sustainability dashboards for internal stakeholders to highlight facility performance trends. This ensures that leadership has a transparent view of progress against the company’s annual environmental KPIs. You might end the day by coordinating with the communications team to prepare training materials for an upcoming supplier webinar or drafting a response to a stakeholder inquiry regarding water usage standards in the supply chain.

While this is a fixed-term contract, the exposure to a 130-strong sustainability team provides exceptional networking opportunities within the ESG space. Success in this role could lead to internal permanent opportunities or more senior positions in environmental management or supply chain compliance. You will build a highly transferable skill set in data-driven ESG reporting, which is currently one of the most in-demand areas of corporate sustainability. Your experience with industry-standard tools and frameworks will make you a strong candidate for future roles in any major multinational corporation. High-visibility projects, such as supporting the delivery of the annual sustainability report, can also elevate your profile within the industry. Proving your ability to handle cross-functional coordination at this scale is a significant stepping stone for a career in global CSR leadership.

You will be a central point of contact for supply chain partners, ranging from factory managers to environmental officers at the mill level. These interactions will focus on compliance, training, and the implementation of corrective actions to improve environmental performance. Internally, you will collaborate closely with the Ethical Trade & Environmental Sustainability team, including Environmental Managers and internal program leads. You will also interact with the commercial and buying teams to ensure that sustainability goals are aligned with purchasing decisions and business operations. External stakeholders may include industry bodies and NGOs involved in water stewardship and biodiversity. You will help manage these relationships by ensuring that Primark’s reporting is accurate and that the company remains active in collaborative industry initiatives.