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Referent Compliance & ESG

Siegfried Jacob Metallwerke GmbH & Co. KG • Germany • Added on Aug 28, 2026
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As a Referent Compliance & ESG, you will become the central point of contact for navigating the increasingly complex landscape of regulations and internal standards. You will own the translation of legal requirements into practical business actions, ensuring that daily operations across departments remain aligned with both corporate guidelines and customer expectations. Your work involves everything from conducting risk assessments to managing international waste shipment regulations.

This role is vital because it bridges the gap between industrial metal recycling and modern sustainability governance. By overseeing reporting frameworks like EcoVadis and VSME, you directly influence the company’s ability to prove its circular economy impact to global partners. You turn technical recycling processes into transparent, compliant ESG data that builds trust and secures the firm’s position as a sustainable leader in the resource recovery sector.

This suits someone who possesses a strong legal or economic background and enjoys transforming complex paragraphs into actionable corporate reality. You should be a pragmatic communicator who thrives in an owner-managed environment and is eager to shape the future of industrial environmental standards.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The core of this role lies in being the primary advisor for all compliance and regulatory matters within the company's daily operations. You will be responsible for interpreting new laws, assessing their impact on the business, and implementing pragmatic measures to ensure full adherence. This includes a heavy focus on environmental and waste legislation, which is critical for a recycling firm. Beyond basic legal monitoring, you will actively manage ESG and sustainability reporting. You will handle customer-driven assessments such as EcoVadis or the Voluntary SME (VSME) standards, ensuring that the company’s sustainability performance is accurately documented and communicated to external stakeholders. Additionally, you will support internal audits and certification processes. You serve as a bridge between the management and various departments, providing clear guidance on governance and internal risk assessments to foster a culture of integrity and transparency.

Key learning opportunities for this job

In this position, you will gain deep expertise in the highly specialized field of international waste shipment and recycling law. This is a niche area of environmental law that is increasingly valuable as global circular economy regulations tighten. You will also develop a mastery of the emerging ESG reporting landscape for medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). There is significant exposure to corporate governance frameworks and risk management methodologies. Working closely with the Jacob Metal Academy, you will have access to structured professional development programs that can sharpen your leadership skills and technical legal knowledge. Furthermore, you will learn how to navigate the intersection of heavy industry and sustainability. Understanding how a metal recycling plant operates while meeting stringent environmental standards provides a unique perspective on the industrial transition to a low-carbon economy.

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

The ideal candidate holds a degree in law, business law, or sustainability management. While a full bar exam (Staatsexamen) is not strictly required, a strong legal foundation is essential to navigate the complex regulatory environment of the recycling industry. Practical experience in compliance or quality management is highly valued. Success in this role requires an analytical and structured mindset. You must be able to break down dense legal texts into simple, actionable steps for staff who are not legal experts. A proactive 'hands-on' mentality is preferred over a purely administrative approach. Soft skills are equally important; you should be a persuasive communicator who can confidently represent the company’s interests to authorities, customers, and partners. Fluency in German is necessary given the focus on local regulations and stakeholder communication.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, demonstrate your ability to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Don't just list your knowledge of laws; explain how you have previously implemented a compliance process or handled a complex reporting requirement in a real-world setting. Highlighting experience with specific standards like EcoVadis or ISO certifications will be a significant advantage. Since this is an owner-managed family business, emphasize your alignment with their values of long-term stability and pragmatic innovation. Showing that you understand the specific challenges of the metal recycling sector—such as resource scarcity or waste management logistics—will prove you have done your homework. In your cover letter, focus on your communication style. The company is looking for a 'personality' rather than just a bureaucrat. Frame yourself as a solution-oriented partner who helps the business grow safely rather than someone who just points out what isn't allowed.

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

The role focuses heavily on circular economy and resource conservation. Because the company’s core business is recycling, your work in compliance directly supports the environmental integrity of the metal lifecycle. You will likely spend a lot of time on waste law and international transport compliance to ensure materials are recovered responsibly. From a reporting perspective, you will be the lead on ESG transparency. This involves managing ratings that reflect the company’s environmental footprint and social responsibility. This is crucial for maintaining the firm’s status as a preferred supplier to large industrial players who have strict supply chain sustainability requirements. There is also a significant governance component. You will be responsible for ensuring that the 'G' in ESG is robust, focusing on internal ethics, policy management, and meeting the high standards expected of an international leader in the metal trade.

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

One of the primary challenges will be the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. Keeping up with the sheer volume of new EU and national laws regarding ESG and recycling can be daunting, requiring constant vigilance and the ability to pivot strategies quickly. Another challenge is the pragmatic implementation of these rules. In a medium-sized industrial company, you must find a balance between being strictly compliant and maintaining operational efficiency. Convincing diverse departments to adopt new reporting habits or compliance checks requires diplomacy and persistence. Finally, managing international complexity in waste shipments can be difficult. Dealing with different jurisdictions and authorities while ensuring that all documentation is flawless requires a high level of attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure during audits or inspections.

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

A typical day might begin with reviewing the latest updates in environmental legislation to see if any new requirements affect the plant's operations. This is often followed by a meeting with department heads to discuss how to integrate a new internal policy or customer standard into their existing workflows. In the afternoon, you might shift your focus to data collection and analysis for an upcoming EcoVadis assessment. This involves reaching out to various internal stakeholders to gather evidence of sustainable practices and ensuring the documentation meets the required quality for external submission. Your day could conclude with answering specific legal inquiries from the sales or procurement teams, perhaps regarding the compliance status of a new international partner or the necessary permits for a specific type of metal residue shipment. It is a mix of desk-based legal work and active internal consulting.

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

This role offers a path toward becoming a strategic ESG leader within the company. As the importance of sustainability continues to grow in the metal industry, the person in this role can expand their influence from compliance into broader strategic planning and corporate development. Because the role is close to the executive management, you will have high visibility. Successfully managing the company's compliance and ESG reputation can lead to broader responsibilities in operations or international legal coordination as the company expands its global reach. Furthermore, the Jacob Metal Academy provides a platform for continuous learning. You can take on specialized training to become an expert in specific sustainability niches, potentially positioning yourself as a key thought leader in the metal recycling industry’s transition to a greener future.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will report directly to or work very closely with the Management/Geschäftsleitung, providing them with the insights needed for high-level decision-making. Internally, your main partners are the Operations and Logistics teams, who rely on your guidance to handle materials legally and safely. External stakeholders include regulatory authorities and government bodies with whom you will communicate regarding permits and compliance audits. You will also interact with customers and business partners, particularly their procurement and sustainability departments, to address their compliance questionnaires and ESG expectations. Finally, you may work with third-party auditors and certification bodies. Ensuring these stakeholders have a clear and positive view of the company’s processes is a vital part of maintaining the firm’s market-leading position and operational licenses.

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