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Head of Sustainability (Packaging and Transport)

Remote Working

Are you looking for a role where you can make a meaningful impact to both the business, and sustainability within a global industry?

RS are a FTSE 100 company with £2 billion in revenue, operating in 32 countries, shipping 60,000 parcels a day to over 1.2 million customers worldwide.

We have set four ambitious global goals, as part of our 2030 ESG action plan. These include advancing sustainability, championing education and innovation, empowering our people and doing business responsibly. The Head of Sustainability – Transport and Packaging will be a key driver of our Advancing sustainability goal across our supply chain. We want to develop cleaner and greener operations and product and service solutions that help our customer be more sustainable. We’ve set six 2030 actions covering carbon, packaging, waste, transport, products and solutions and suppliers, and committed to net zero in our direct operations by 2030.

We’re making positive progress against all our goals, which you can read about in our 2021/22 ESG update. We’ve been recognised with top tier ESG ratings across CDP, EcoVadis and others, and we were recently awarded PLC of the year award for the combined strength of our financial and ESG performance in FY22.

We are now seeking a Head of Sustainability – Packaging and Transport to take us to the next level. They will work closely with the Supply Chain team and ESG team to drive forward our ambitious sustainability and net zero agenda across our packaging and 3PL transport operations (scope 3).

What you will be doing:

This role is varied, broad and impactful across the entire business, and you’ll be engaging with stakeholders from across RS to deliver against our goals. Your focus is going to be in 4 key areas:

1. Group wide packaging role to co-ordinate sustainable packaging strategy, execution, and reporting:

• Develop the packaging strategy to include electronics, inter-company movements, customer packaging
• Directly lead the RS EMEA/APAC packaging team and ensure a robust supply chain is maintained for all packaging materials optimising cost and service levels.
• Packaging materials – packaging sustainability audit against external best practice including a plastics strategy & plan to achieve the key packaging targets for 2030
• Procurement review – working with key suppliers to drive increase in sustainability. Ensuring suppliers are compliant with RS requirements for responsible procurement e.g., SBTi targets
• Process – CI process, further roll out of automated packing machines and void fill, review of down pack process
• Internal management and co-ordination – Lead the Group Packaging Steering Committee, Liaison with regions and group companies
• Regulations – horizon scanning for new packaging regulations; co-ordinated approach for RS markets and suppliers to comply with new regulations
• RS Suppliers – sustainable packaging approach, comms, and engagement for suppliers
• Customers – working with RS sales team to develop reusable proposition for key customers e.g., ecototes, returns packaging

2. Group wide scope 3 transport lead:

• Manage the transport scope 3 CO2 reduction plans across group – working with each business unit
• Influence across the group on the CO2 reduction plans
• Working with external 3PL providers influencing their plans, and impact on RS
• Ensuring 3PLs are compliant with RS requirements for responsible procurement e.g., SBTi targets

3. Reporting and Communication:

• Reporting and assurance - Working with ESG team on quarterly management reports, end of year stats, narrative, and case studies
• All internal & external reporting against 3 packaging KPIs
• Internal and external reporting against the scope 3 transport emissions target
• Developing customer reporting of CO2 emissions and customer sustainable delivery options e.g., in setting, offsetting, green transport options, deliver my parcels together

4. Sustainability leadership, culture, and engagement:

• Work with the ESG team to lead training and internal engagement campaigns to create a culture of sustainability at all levels across the Group.

• Deliver inspiring written and in person presentations that engage internal and external stakeholders on our sustainability progress
• Network, benchmark and innovate to achieve best in class environmental programme and position RS Group as a leader on sustainability in the global industrial sector and beyond

What we are looking for from you:

• Previous responsibility for leading sustainability initiatives at a senior level in complex, multi-site organisations, preferably global
• Specific experience of working with packaging and transport activities to develop strategies and drive sustainability

• Inspiring leader with strong people skills, able to lead direct and indirect teams across the matrix to deliver
• Able to operate strategically, but also execute tactical solutions and initiatives.
• Highly developed influencing and communication skills (to Board level).
• Ability to evaluate and translate complex technical details into digestible communications material for a variety of audiences.
• Awareness of cultural environments and able to adapt approach accordingly.
• Influencing a culture of sustainability and organisational behaviour change
• Strong work ethic and appetite for change and improvement.

We are RS Group.

RS Group is a global integrated omni-channel solutions partner for industrial B2B customers who design, build, and maintain industrial equipment and operations. We are a FTSE 100 company with £2 billion in revenue, operating in 32 countries, shipping 60,000 parcels a day to over 1.2 million customers worldwide.

Our Vision is to be first choice for all our stakeholders, and we know that starts with our people. At RS we want everyone to show up to work as themselves and know that they will be supported and encouraged to develop and grow. We want work to be a place that excites and empowers, a place where you can be passionate and challenge people to think differently.

We want to hire the best talent, people who share our values and understand that when we act with respect and humility, we can do great things. That’s why we’ve put our purpose at the heart of our organisation, we want to make amazing happen for a better world. We empower our people to make a difference, innovate to make more possible and deliver to make it happen.

Are you ready to explore the possibilities?