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Senior Sustainability Manager

Vestacy • France • Added on Sep 23, 2026
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As the Senior Sustainability Manager, you will co-lead the integration of sustainability across iconic global home care brands, defining strategic pillars, setting key metrics, and building long-term action glidepaths. You will own the day-to-day intersection of brand innovation and environmental performance.

Operating within a newly independent, fast-paced corporate spinoff backed by private equity, this position offers a rare chance to deeply embed carbon reductions and packaging circularity into mass-market household products. Your work directly alters the environmental footprint of millions of daily-use consumer goods worldwide.

This suits someone who brings strong commercial or trade marketing experience in the FMCG sector, pairs it with an entrepreneurial drive, and can smoothly turn abstract sustainability theories into practical market strategies.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

The successful candidate will co-lead the development of sustainable brand strategies alongside the head of sustainability, establishing key strategic pillars and short- to long-term performance glidepaths. This involves transforming high-level environmental goals into tangible actions across various commercial brand portfolios. Additionally, the role focuses heavily on partnering with global innovation teams to accelerate eco-conception and co-developing carbon and packaging targets for submission to global standards. The manager will also create commercial sustainability dashboards to align data systems with business KPIs across the value chain.

Key learning opportunities for this job

This role offers an exceptional opportunity to learn how to operationalize sustainability within a private equity-backed corporate spinoff. The candidate will gain deep experience in navigating governance transitions and establishing sustainability frameworks from the ground up. Furthermore, by working closely with IT&D and external standard-setting bodies, the professional will develop advanced technical knowledge in ESG data infrastructure, carbon accounting compliance, and sustainable packaging regulations applicable to mass-market consumer products.

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

The ideal profile looks like a self-starter with significant experience in trade or brand marketing within the FMCG sector, preferably with prior exposure to complex international corporate structures. A strong understanding of consumer goods operations is essential for translating theory into practical market execution. While deep technical environmental expertise is listed as a bonus, the candidate must possess excellent analytical capabilities and a proven entrepreneurial mindset. Fluency in English and the capacity to collaborate across cross-functional commercial teams are critical for success.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, applicants should extensively highlight their past achievements in driving cross-functional projects and embedding commercial KPIs into business processes. Demonstrating an agile, founder-like mentality will resonate strongly with the company's core cultural values. Tailor the application by showing specific examples where you managed retail customer relationships or collaborated on product innovation. Emphasizing your ability to handle fast-paced corporate transitions or carve-out environments will also provide a competitive edge.

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

The role is highly likely to concentrate heavily on the environmental footprint of consumer products, particularly around packaging circularity and lifecycle carbon emissions. This aligns with global regulatory pressures on the chemical and home care manufacturing industries. Another significant focus area will be value chain accountability, ensuring that retail partners and commercial manufacturing units adopt sustainable practices. The position bridges the gap between corporate climate commitments and consumer-facing brand claims.

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

A primary challenge will be driving behavioral and operational change within an organization that is simultaneously managing a major corporate transition. Balancing the fast-growing demand for sustainability performance with commercial volume growth targets in FMCG can create structural tension. Additionally, establishing strong data infrastructure with IT&D teams might present initial hurdles. The candidate will need resilience to overcome data gaps when constructing the brand sustainability dashboards and KPIs.

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

A typical day could involve aligning with the global innovation team during the morning to review alternative materials for upcoming product pipelines. This might be followed by a strategic workshop with brand managers to refine sustainability glidepaths and metrics. In the afternoon, the manager might analyze value chain emissions data alongside external consultants or IT partners to optimize reporting systems. The day would likely conclude with a collaborative session with sales leads to design custom ESG dashboards for major retail clients.

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

Given the high visibility of this role within the Category Growth Organization, successful execution can lead to advanced leadership paths. The professional could progress into a Global Director of Sustainability position or transition into senior commercial brand management. As the company solidifies its standalone market presence, pioneering its sustainability architecture creates an undeniable internal legacy. This exposure to private equity stakeholders and cross-functional executives provides excellent leverage for executive-level career advancement.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

The primary internal interactions will occur with the Head of Sustainability, global brand directors, trade marketing teams, and the IT&D department. These collaborations ensure that sustainability goals are fully integrated into product design and corporate data systems. Externally, the manager will frequently engage with key retail customers, supply chain partners, and international environmental standard organizations. These relationships are vital for validating carbon reduction targets and securing marketplace alignment.

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