--- title: Sustainability Engineer canonical: https://csrjobs.club/jobs/sews-e-sumitomo-electric-wiring-systems-europe-sustainability-engineer-pdqh locale: en description: SEWS-E - Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems - Europe is hiring a Sustainability Engineer on CSR Jobs. Discover this in-house sustainability role and apply today. updated: 2026-10-19 company: SEWS-E - Sumitomo Electric Wiring Systems - Europe country: United Kingdom contract: Full time seniority: Mid-level missions: ESG reporting, Compliance, Product Environmental Footprint, Stakeholders engagement, Eco-conception job_type: Sustainability Manager, ESG/Sustainability Reporting Manager posted: 2026-10-19 valid_through: 2026-11-18 apply: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4480980976 source: CSR Jobs --- # Sustainability Engineer You will coordinate the implementation of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation across all SEWS-E business units and legal entities, acting as the central point for packaging compliance. Day to day this means building implementation roadmaps, tracking regulatory developments, running steering committee meetings and making sure packaging placed on the EU market meets recyclability, reuse, substance restriction and reporting rules. The focus sits at the intersection of manufacturing reality and regulatory obligation. For a wiring harness supplier, packaging is often an afterthought, so this role has to redesign formats, gather supplier declarations and register with EPR schemes while keeping production and logistics running. It is a chance to shape circularity in an industry where it is still emerging. This suits someone who can hold a project plan together across engineering, purchasing, logistics, legal and finance teams in several countries, and who is comfortable turning complex regulation into practical action on the factory floor. ## Job FAQs ### What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role? The core mission is to lead and coordinate the implementation of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation across all SEWS-E business units and legal entities. This means acting as the central point of contact for packaging compliance, ensuring that all packaging placed on the EU market meets requirements relating to recyclability, reuse, substance restrictions, reporting obligations, extended producer responsibility and waste management. Day to day you would develop implementation roadmaps, establish programme governance and track regulatory developments to assess their impact on operations. Longer term, you would drive cross-functional collaboration, monitor compliance risks and ensure timely submission of all regulatory reporting requirements. The role also involves leading steering committee meetings, coordinating packaging redesign projects and maintaining oversight of documentation needed by regulators and compliance schemes. ### Key learning opportunities for this job You would gain deep expertise in the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which is a relatively new and rapidly developing area of compliance. Working across multiple countries and business units would build your project management and stakeholder coordination skills. You would also learn about extended producer responsibility schemes, eco-fee structures and the practicalities of packaging recyclability assessment. Exposure to automotive manufacturing processes and environmental management systems like ISO 14001 could be part of the role. Since you would lead steering committee meetings and report to senior management, there is a chance to develop your presentation and influencing skills at a high level. ### How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)? The ideal candidate likely holds a degree in engineering, environmental science, sustainability, packaging technology, compliance or a related discipline. You should have experience managing cross-functional regulatory or compliance programmes, ideally with some knowledge of packaging regulations or environmental compliance. Strong project management skills are essential, as is the ability to coordinate multiple stakeholders across international locations. Analytical, reporting and presentation skills matter because you will be preparing status updates for senior management. Desirable experience includes detailed knowledge of the EU PPWR, EPR schemes, packaging design or recyclability assessment, and familiarity with ISO 14001 or sustainability frameworks. Experience in automotive, manufacturing or logistics would be helpful. You must have the right to live and work in the UK. ### Advice to stand out and make a successful application Tailor your application to show you understand the EU PPWR and its implications for a manufacturer like SEWS-E. Highlight any experience with regulatory compliance programmes, especially those involving cross-border coordination. Use concrete examples of how you have managed multiple stakeholders, perhaps in a manufacturing or logistics context. If you have worked with EPR schemes or packaging recyclability, make that clear. In your cover letter, explain why packaging compliance in the automotive sector interests you and how you would approach the challenge of aligning different business units. Demonstrate that you can translate regulation into practical actions. Research the Sumitomo Spirit and the company's values, as cultural fit may be valued. ### What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on? The role is squarely focused on packaging circularity and regulatory compliance, which sits within the environmental pillar of ESG. Specifically, you would be working on recyclability assessments, recycled content targets, packaging weight reduction and the elimination of non-compliant formats such as those containing restricted substances like heavy metals or PFAS. The EU PPWR is still being implemented, so a large part of the work involves interpreting evolving requirements and translating them into company-wide processes. You would also coordinate registration with extended producer responsibility schemes and support eco-fee budgeting, which ties directly into financial and governance aspects of sustainability reporting. ### What are the main challenges someone in this role might face? One challenge is the breadth of the role: it spans engineering, purchasing, logistics, legal and finance, so you need to influence people who do not report to you and may not prioritise packaging compliance. Another is the evolving nature of the EU PPWR, which means requirements may change and you have to keep the company aligned without disrupting production. SEWS-E operates across several countries, each with its own national implementation of EPR and packaging rules, so maintaining a consistent approach while respecting local differences could be complex. Gathering accurate data from suppliers and ensuring documentation is audit-ready might also be difficult, especially where suppliers are small or based outside the EU. ### How could a typical day look like for someone in this position? A typical day could begin with reviewing incoming regulatory updates or tracking the status of supplier Declarations of Conformity, followed by a check-in with a packaging redesign project at one of the manufacturing sites. Mid-morning might involve a steering committee meeting where you present progress against the PPWR roadmap to senior management, flagging any risks around recyclability targets or EPR registration deadlines. The afternoon could be spent working with the finance team on eco-fee budgeting or with legal colleagues on national implementation requirements across different EU countries. Travel to other SEWS-E sites in Europe is expected, so some days will involve on-site audits or implementation workshops with local teams. ### What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role? Given that the role is central to a major EU regulation, you would be well positioned to become a subject matter expert in packaging compliance and circular economy within the company. Success could lead to broader sustainability roles, such as overseeing ESG reporting or environmental management across the group. SEWS-E is part of Sumitomo Electric Group, which operates globally, so there may be opportunities for lateral moves into other business units or regions. The high visibility of the PPWR programme means you would interact with senior management regularly, which could support career progression. You might also develop skills that are transferable to other regulated areas like chemicals or product stewardship. ### The main stakeholders you might be interacting with You would interact with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. Internally, this includes sustainability, engineering, purchasing, logistics, finance, legal and business unit teams across multiple countries. You would act as the primary PPWR contact for all business units, which means regular communication with site teams during implementation and audit activities. Externally, you would engage with suppliers to collect Declarations of Conformity and coordinate audits, as well as with regulatory bodies and compliance schemes for EPR registration and reporting. Senior management would be a key audience for status reports and compliance updates. --- Source: https://csrjobs.club/jobs/sews-e-sumitomo-electric-wiring-systems-europe-sustainability-engineer-pdqh