Referent der Geschäftsführung für Nachhaltigkeit und ESG

This role is essentially the management board's right hand on sustainability and ESG. The core mission is to make the company's ESRS and CSRD obligations operational: setting up and running reliable reporting processes, coordinating how data is collected, prepared and validated, and ensuring the figures that go into the sustainability statement can withstand scrutiny. Beyond reporting, you would help develop and implement the harbour's broader sustainability strategy, likely turning high-level commitments into concrete projects and milestones. A significant share of the work is cross-functional. You would steer working groups and projects that touch operations, real estate development and the cold-storage business, while also tracking sustainability-related legal requirements and permit conditions. There is an explicit link to funding projects, which means you could be involved in preparing and accompanying applications or compliance for public support schemes. Because this sits in a municipal company, governance matters. You would support risk management and the internal control system, contribute to risk-oriented audits and special reviews within internal audit, and prepare reports, analyses and decision papers for management, shareholders and group companies.

The most obvious learning curve is deep, practical mastery of CSRD and ESRS reporting in a non-listed, municipal context. That is a relatively rare skill set: you would learn how to interpret European Sustainability Reporting Standards for a port authority and how to build data processes from the ground up, rather than inheriting a mature corporate reporting machine. You would also gain substantial exposure to corporate governance, internal audit, compliance and risk management, areas that are increasingly fused with ESG in mid-sized organisations. Working directly for the management board and alongside shareholders and group companies could sharpen your ability to write decision-ready documents and communicate sustainability in financial and legal language, not just environmental terms. On the sustainability side, there is likely exposure to funding programmes and permit-related environmental requirements, which could build competence in public funding, regulatory monitoring and stakeholder coordination. Because the organisation is small, you may also see the full arc from strategy design to implementation, which is valuable for future leadership roles.

The posting points to a hybrid profile: someone with an academic background in economics, sustainability, environmental sciences, public administration or engineering, plus knowledge of corporate governance and, importantly, CSRD/ESRS requirements. That combination suggests the ideal candidate is comfortable moving between regulatory texts and operational reality, and can explain both to non-specialists. Experience in internal audit, compliance or risk management is explicitly requested, which is a strong signal that the role values rigour, evidence and process discipline as much as sustainability passion. A candidate who has already been involved in sustainability reporting, even as a contributor, would likely be at an advantage, especially if they understand data validation and control logic. Soft skills matter too. In a small municipal company, you would need to persuade colleagues who may not see sustainability as their core job, and to work with shareholders and group entities without formal authority. Solid Microsoft 365 skills are a baseline, but the real differentiator is likely the ability to structure ambiguous tasks, document decisions and communicate confidently in German in a public-sector-adjacent environment.

Because the company is small and the role reports to the management board, your application should read like a decision paper: clear, structured and evidence-based. Lead with concrete CSRD/ESRS exposure, what standards you have worked with, what data processes you helped build or validate, and what reporting outputs you contributed to. If your experience is in audit, compliance or risk management, make the link to sustainability reporting explicit rather than leaving the recruiter to infer it. Address the governance dimension directly. The job description mentions corporate governance, internal audit and the internal control system, which suggests they want someone who understands control environments, not only environmental topics. A cover letter that explains how you would approach setting up a reliable reporting process in a municipal port (including data ownership, validation and documentation) would stand out far more than generic enthusiasm for sustainability. The posting asks for salary expectations and earliest start date, so include both. It is also worth showing familiarity with the harbour's dual business (port operations including cold storage, and real estate development) and explaining why that mix appeals to you. Demonstrated interest in public-interest infrastructure and the ability to work in German will matter.

The role's centre of gravity is reporting and governance: implementing ESRS requirements, ensuring strong reporting processes and coordinating data for the sustainability statement. That means the focus is less on hands-on decarbonisation projects and more on making the company's environmental, social and governance performance measurable, auditable and communicable. That said, the harbour context implies a set of material topics you would likely touch: energy use in port operations and cold storage, emissions from freight handling and transport, land and water use in real estate development, and possibly biodiversity or noise impacts linked to port activity. Social topics such as workforce safety, training and community relations could also be relevant given the public ownership structure. Governance is explicit in the profile (corporate governance, internal control and risk management) so you would probably help connect sustainability risks to the company's broader risk framework and to shareholder expectations. Funding projects with a sustainability angle add another layer, linking the strategy to external financing and public accountability.

One likely challenge is data. Ports and real estate operations rarely have sustainability data neatly centralised, so coordinating collection, preparation and validation across departments could require patience, diplomacy and makeshift processes before any systemisation takes hold. In a small company with a lean crew, colleagues may have limited time to prioritise reporting requests. Another challenge is the dual reporting line to governance and sustainability. You would need to satisfy the rigour of internal audit and risk management while also advancing a strategy that is still being developed. Balancing regulatory compliance with strategic ambition, and knowing when to push and when to consolidate, could be a constant tension. Finally, working with shareholders and group companies in a municipal environment can mean slower decision cycles and multiple approval layers. Building influence without formal authority, and keeping momentum on projects across business areas, may be as demanding as the technical ESG work itself.

A typical day would likely mix analytical and coordination work. You might start by reviewing data submissions or open points from colleagues in operations, real estate or finance, then work on structuring them into a reporting-ready format. Part of the day could be spent interpreting ESRS requirements and translating them into practical instructions or templates for the people providing data. Meetings would feature prominently: project or working group sessions on sustainability initiatives, exchanges with the management board, and coordination with shareholders or group companies. You might also spend time on regulatory monitoring (checking legal requirements, permit conditions or funding rules) and documenting conclusions for internal control or audit purposes. There would also be writing: reports, analyses and decision papers for management. In quieter periods the balance might shift towards strategy development and project steering; closer to reporting deadlines, the rhythm would likely become more data-heavy and deadline-driven, with more validation and review loops.

The most immediate growth is in becoming a recognised CSRD/ESRS specialist within a public infrastructure setting. As reporting requirements expand and tighten, that expertise tends to be in demand, and having built processes from an early stage is a strong narrative for future roles in larger ports, transport groups, municipalities or consultancies. The direct connection to the management board and to shareholders offers visibility that is unusual for a mid-level role. If you perform well, you could grow into a broader governance, risk or sustainability leadership position, possibly formalising the function as the company's ESG maturity increases. Lateral moves into internal audit, compliance or strategy are also plausible given the overlap in tasks. There is also the chance to shape the role itself. In a small organisation, the boundaries of a Referent position are often negotiable, so someone who takes initiative on strategy, funding projects or cross-departmental programmes could accumulate responsibilities that accelerate their development.

Your closest working relationship would be with the management board, since the role is explicitly a Referent der Geschäftsführung. That means regular exchanges, preparing decision papers and translating sustainability topics into management-level language. You would also interact frequently with colleagues across the harbour's business areas (port operations, the cold-storage facility, and real estate and property development) who supply data and implement projects. Externally, shareholders and group companies are named in the job description, so you would coordinate with them on reporting, governance and possibly funding matters. Auditors and internal audit functions would be relevant stakeholders too, given the emphasis on risk-oriented reviews and the internal control system. Depending on the projects, you might also deal with funding bodies or authorities responsible for permits and environmental requirements. The nature of these interactions varies: with management it is advisory and analytical; with operational colleagues it is coordinative and sometimes persuasive; with shareholders and auditors it is formal and evidence-based. Managing that range is part of the job's appeal.