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Nachhaltigkeitsmanager / Sustainability Manager

Sonnländer Gruppe • Germany • Added on Jul 6, 2026
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In this position you act as the central hub for shaping the Sonnländer Group’s sustainability direction. You take ownership of building out a comprehensive strategy, drive the integration of sustainability targets into every business process, and make sure regulatory requirements such as CSRD and the LkSG are met on time.

The work matters because you directly shape the environmental transformation of a complex value chain — from the group’s own organic apple orchards to state-of-the-art bottling plants and its in-house logistics fleet. As part of the EDEKA network, you help embed sustainable consumption patterns deep into German retail through targeted data analysis and supplier assessments.

This suits someone who is an analytically strong professional with several years of ESG experience, who enjoys building complex reporting structures independently in a mid-sized production environment and can assertively represent them to different departments and senior management.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The core of this role involves architecting a comprehensive sustainability strategy that aligns with the overarching goals of the EDEKA Group while addressing the specific needs of beverage production. You will be responsible for setting up a central data platform to monitor KPIs and ensure compliance with emerging regulations like CSRD, the EU Taxonomy, and the German Supply Chain Act (LkSG). Beyond administrative oversight, you will act as an internal consultant for departments such as purchasing, logistics, and production. This involves identifying efficiency potentials and sustainable innovations in material sourcing and energy use, while ensuring that all sustainability-related reports and ratings are handled with high analytical precision.

Key learning opportunities for this job

Candidates can expect to gain deep expertise in regulatory compliance and ESG frameworks within the food and beverage industry. Navigating the requirements of PPWR and EWKFondsG provides a specialized legal and operational skill set that is currently in high demand across the European Union. Furthermore, the position offers unique exposure to a vertically integrated supply chain. Learning how to manage sustainability across diverse assets—from organic agriculture and industrial manufacturing to heavy-duty logistics—will provide a holistic view of corporate environmental management that few other roles can offer.

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

The ideal profile features a professional with a solid academic background in environmental science or business management, complemented by several years of hands-on ESG experience. Since the role requires building structures from the ground up, a high degree of self-reliance and analytical rigor is essential. Technical proficiency in modern reporting standards like GRI or CSRD must be paired with strong communication and negotiation skills. You should be comfortable translating complex data into actionable business cases for senior management and driving change across different operational levels of the organization.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, move beyond theoretical knowledge and demonstrate your ability to operationalize sustainability in a production context. Highlight specific instances where you successfully integrated KPIs into existing business processes or managed complex supplier evaluations under the LkSG. Given the company's affiliation with EDEKA, showing an understanding of how retail-led supply chains function will be a significant advantage. Tailor your application by articulating how you would balance the speed of a medium-sized company with the reporting standards of a large corporate national network.

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

The focus is heavily weighted toward supply chain transparency and regulatory reporting. Because Sonnländer operates its own logistics and plantations, you will likely tackle carbon footprint reduction in transport and biodiversity management in agriculture alongside industrial resource efficiency. Another major pillar is packaging and waste management, given the specific mention of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). You will likely steer initiatives to minimize single-use plastics and optimize the circularity of beverage containers across their five German locations.

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

One of the primary difficulties will be data consolidation across disparate business units including logistics, production, and farming. Creating a unified informational platform required for reporting will demand both technical patience and soft-power influence over departmental data owners. Additionally, balancing operational cost pressures in a competitive retail environment with ambitious sustainability targets can be challenging. Navigating the 'push and pull' between short-term production efficiency and long-term ESG resilience will require significant diplomatic skill and a results-oriented mindset.

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

A typical day might begin with a cross-functional meeting involving production and logistics managers to review current energy or emissions data. Mid-morning could be dedicated to deep-diving into reporting software, ensuring all documentation for the LkSG or CSRD is accurate and audit-ready. Afternoons are often spent in strategic coordination with EDEKA's central sustainability office to align local initiatives with the broader group strategy. You might finish the day by preparing training materials for internal workshops designed to foster a culture of sustainability among employees at the various production sites.

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

This role offers significant strategic visibility, reporting directly to or working closely with the executive board. Success in this position could lead to broader leadership roles within the internal management structure or specialized ESG leadership positions within the wider EDEKA Verbund. Professional development is actively encouraged through targeted training programs. As the sustainability department grows in response to increasing regulatory pressure, there may also be opportunities to build and lead a dedicated sustainability team in the future.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

You will be a central hub interacting with internal leadership (Managing Directors) and specialized departments such as Purchasing, Quality Management, and Production Technology. These interactions are focused on operational changes and data collection. Externally, you will represent the company toward regulatory authorities, rating agencies, and customers. Collaboration with the EDEKA headquarters is also a critical component, ensuring that Sonnländer’s activities are synchronized with the national retail giant's sustainability ambitions.

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