Sustainability Specialist

The core of this role is ESG reporting coordination. The specialist will manage submissions to frameworks such as CDP and EcoVadis, which means gathering environmental data from sites around the world, checking it for accuracy and consistency, and presenting it in the required formats. This is not a purely analytical desk job; it involves chasing colleagues for information, reconciling figures, and ensuring that what Sodecia discloses is traceable back to source data. The posting's emphasis on traceability suggests this is a pain point the company wants addressed systematically. Beyond reporting, the role supports the execution of Sodecia's global sustainability strategy and decarbonisation roadmap. That could mean helping to define carbon reduction initiatives, monitoring their progress, and working with engineering and manufacturing teams to embed sustainability into processes and products. The specialist may also contribute to environmental audits, ISO 14001 management system upkeep, and compliance activities across Business Units. Given Sodecia's size and geographic spread, the work is likely to involve both central coordination and on-the-ground support at different facilities. A third dimension is cross-functional integration. The posting explicitly names Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, and Corporate Functions as partners. The specialist will need to translate sustainability requirements into language that operational teams understand and act on, whether that is a purchasing team sourcing lower-carbon materials or a plant manager reducing energy consumption. Over the longer term, the role aims to help Sodecia meet customer and regulatory expectations while genuinely reducing its environmental footprint, not just reporting on it.

The most immediate learning will come from hands-on involvement in CDP and EcoVadis submissions. These are widely recognised disclosure frameworks, and guiding a global company through them builds practical expertise that is difficult to acquire in a classroom. The candidate will likely develop a deep understanding of how environmental data is gathered, validated, and presented to external rating agencies, a skill set in growing demand across all industries. Beyond reporting, the role offers exposure to decarbonisation roadmapping and carbon reduction initiatives. Working alongside engineering and manufacturing teams, the specialist could learn how emissions reduction is operationalised on a factory floor, from energy efficiency projects to process redesign. This bridges the gap between theoretical carbon accounting and real-world implementation, a combination that is relatively rare and highly valued in the sustainability job market. Sodecia's global footprint also provides a natural classroom for understanding multi-jurisdictional ESG compliance. With operations in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa, the candidate will encounter different regulatory environments and reporting expectations. Mentorship may come from senior sustainability or engineering colleagues, and there could be opportunities to pursue certifications such as GHG Protocol training or ISO 14001 auditor qualifications, depending on the company's investment in professional development.

The posting calls for a degree in Environmental Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field and one to three years of experience in sustainability, ESG, or environment roles. This suggests the ideal candidate is early-career but not a complete beginner, someone who has already touched real reporting cycles, even if in a supporting capacity. Familiarity with ISO 14001, GHG Protocol, and carbon accounting is stated as a requirement, so demonstrable knowledge of emission scopes and environmental indicators is essential rather than nice-to-have. On the technical side, exposure to CDP, EcoVadis, LCA, or Product Carbon Footprint methodologies is flagged as an advantage. A candidate who has prepared or contributed to a disclosure submission would stand out. Because Sodecia is a manufacturing business, comfort with industrial data (production metrics, energy consumption, waste streams) is likely more valuable than pure policy or communications experience. Fluent English is required, and additional languages, particularly Portuguese given the Porto location, could be beneficial. Soft skills matter too. The role spans Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, and Corporate Functions, so the ability to chase data from reluctant stakeholders, explain sustainability requirements to non-specialists, and maintain structured processes across time zones is critical. The posting's emphasis on analytical rigour, attention to detail, and a structured approach to problem-solving points to someone who is methodical and persistent rather than purely visionary. Willingness to travel nationally and internationally is non-negotiable.

Given this role sits at the intersection of ESG reporting and manufacturing operations, a tailored application should lead with concrete evidence of hands-on reporting work. If you have prepared or contributed to a CDP or EcoVadis submission, describe the data-gathering process, the stakeholders you chased, and the outcome, even an improved score or a completed disclosure. Similarly, quantifying carbon accounting work (scope boundaries, emission factors used, verification steps) will resonate far more than generic statements about caring for the environment. Sodecia operates across multiple continents and its sustainability team is described as global and lean. Your cover letter should therefore signal comfort with cross-functional coordination, working with engineers, plant managers, and purchasing teams who may not see sustainability as their primary job. A brief example of persuading a non-specialist colleague to adopt an environmental metric or process would demonstrate exactly the influencing skill this role likely demands. Finally, because the posting emphasises national and international travel and multi-site coordination, mentioning flexibility and any prior experience in industrial or factory settings will set you apart. Before interviewing, familiarise yourself with Sodecia's stamping and welding operations and the automotive sector's broader decarbonisation pressures; being able to discuss how a Tier 1 supplier fits into an OEM's scope 3 emissions will show you understand the business context, not just the reporting mechanics.

The role's primary focus is likely environmental reporting and carbon management. CDP and EcoVadis are both disclosure platforms with strong environmental weighting, and the posting explicitly mentions decarbonisation roadmaps and carbon reduction initiatives. This means the specialist will spend significant time on greenhouse gas accounting (probably across Scopes 1, 2, and 3) and on translating that data into credible disclosures. For an automotive supplier, scope 3 emissions linked to purchased materials and product use are often the largest and most complex category, so some exposure to supply-chain carbon accounting seems probable. Sodecia's manufacturing operations, stamping and welding, are energy-intensive, so operational eco-efficiency is another likely area of focus. The specialist may support energy reduction projects, waste minimisation, or process improvements that lower the environmental impact of production. ISO 14001 and environmental management systems provide the framework for this work, and the role's audit and certification responsibilities suggest a strong compliance and continuous-improvement dimension. On the social and governance side, the role appears less directly involved, though ESG reporting by nature touches on health and safety, labour practices, and business ethics data. The company's emphasis on sustainable mobility and responsible growth suggests that the specialist will also need to connect environmental performance to customer expectations, particularly from automotive OEMs that increasingly audit their suppliers' sustainability credentials. The focus is therefore practical and operational rather than purely strategic or communications-led.

One likely challenge is the sheer breadth of the role. The posting lists ESG reporting, carbon management, policy implementation, decarbonisation roadmaps, cross-functional collaboration, and audit support, a wide remit for a specialist with one to three years of experience. Without a large central team, the candidate may need to prioritise ruthlessly and resist spreading themselves too thin. Managing expectations across multiple Business Units with different maturity levels in sustainability could be a constant balancing act. Data quality is another probable hurdle. Manufacturing environments generate vast amounts of operational data, but it is rarely collected with ESG reporting in mind. The specialist may spend considerable time chasing inconsistent or incomplete information from plants, reconciling different units of measurement, and building traceability from scratch. The posting's emphasis on accuracy, consistency, and traceability hints that this is a known pain point rather than a hypothetical risk. Finally, the travel requirement and global scope suggest that time-zone coordination and cultural differences could add friction. Persuading colleagues in different regions to adopt new processes or provide data on tight deadlines requires patience and influence rather than authority. The role sits in a support function, so the candidate will need to build credibility through competence rather than relying on positional power, a challenge that is also an opportunity for personal growth.

A typical day might begin with checking emails and messages from colleagues in different time zones, a plant in North America or Asia may have sent energy or waste data overnight. The specialist could then spend the morning validating and consolidating environmental data, updating spreadsheets or sustainability software, and flagging inconsistencies for follow-up. This part of the role is detail-heavy and often involves reconciling figures against previous periods or against production volumes to ensure they make sense. Mid-morning or afternoon could bring meetings with cross-functional teams. A call with an engineering colleague about a carbon reduction project, a check-in with purchasing about supplier ESG criteria, or a session with a plant environmental officer preparing for an audit. These interactions are often about problem-solving and persuasion rather than simply collecting data. The specialist might also spend time drafting sections of a CDP or EcoVadis submission, reviewing framework requirements, or preparing internal summaries for management. The rhythm likely varies with the reporting calendar. During disclosure season, days may be dominated by data crunching and deadline management. At other times, the focus could shift to site visits, audits, or roadmap workshops, especially given the travel requirement. There may also be quieter periods for process improvement, building templates, documenting methodologies, or training colleagues on data collection. The mix of routine and project work is probably one of the role's appealing features for someone who likes variety.

The role's exposure to CDP, EcoVadis, GHG Protocol, and ISO 14001 suggests that a candidate could deepen their technical ESG credentials substantially within a few years. If Sodecia pursues science-based targets or net-zero commitments, the specialist might move from data collection into target-setting and roadmap design, a significant step up in strategic responsibility. The global scope of the role also means visibility to senior leadership across multiple Business Units, which can accelerate promotion beyond the typical timeline for a specialist position. Lateral growth could come through specialisation: becoming the go-to expert on product carbon footprints and LCA, or pivoting toward sustainable procurement as Sodecia's purchasing teams embed ESG criteria into supplier selection. Either path would build a distinctive profile. In a company of nearly 3,000 employees with operations on four continents, internal mobility into a regional sustainability lead or a corporate ESG manager position seems plausible for someone who performs well and demonstrates initiative. External marketability should also grow. A few years of hands-on CDP, EcoVadis, and carbon accounting experience at an international manufacturer is a highly transferable profile, opening doors to larger OEMs, consultancies, or other Tier 1 suppliers. The automotive sector's regulatory momentum, particularly CSRD and supply-chain due diligence rules, means demand for this skill set is likely to remain strong.

The most immediate stakeholders are likely the sustainability or ESG team and the corporate functions that own environmental data, finance, legal, and health and safety. The specialist will report to a sustainability manager or director and work closely with colleagues responsible for compiling disclosures. Because the role coordinates ESG reporting, there will also be regular interaction with external bodies such as CDP and EcoVadis, either directly or through consultants, requiring clear and timely communication. Cross-functional collaboration is explicitly mentioned in the posting. This means the specialist will interact with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Purchasing teams across multiple Business Units. The nature of these interactions is often persuasive and coordinative: gathering data, explaining reporting requirements, and helping operational colleagues see how sustainability connects to their work. Plant managers and environmental officers at individual sites are likely key contacts, particularly for audits and certification activities. Senior leadership may also be stakeholders, especially if decarbonisation roadmaps require investment decisions or strategic sign-off. The global scope suggests interactions with colleagues in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa, making cultural fluency and asynchronous communication skills important. External auditors, certification bodies, and potentially customers, particularly automotive OEMs with their own supply-chain ESG requirements, round out the stakeholder map. Managing these relationships well will be central to the role's success.