Head of Sustainability

Arxada is a global specialty chemicals business that’s committed to solving the world’s toughest preservation challenges through better science. [With a proud history of innovation dating back more than a century], we aim to help our customers develop more sustainable solutions that protect and maintain the health and wellbeing of people and extend the life of vital infrastructure while working to reduce our and our customers’ ecological footprint.

Sustainable preservation is one of our top priorities. We are making significant strategic investments that will not only decrease our own environmental footprint, but also help customers adapt to long-term environmental and social change through the development of cleaner, greener solutions.

The Head of Sustainability will be responsible for developing and implementing Arxada’s Sustainability strategy, across all business lines. The senior leader owns the day-to-day management of company-wide sustainability plans and priorities, combined with a technical role translating the strategy into actions to drive decarbonization, sustainability reporting, and addressing customer-focused requirements such as enabling the calculation of Product Carbon Footprints (PCF), and the execution Life Cycle Assessments (LCA). This role will involve close collaboration with various departments to ensure alignment with our sustainability goals and respond effectively to customer inquiries regarding our environmental impact.

Essential Job Functions:

Working closely with the Executive Leadership Team, define and advance company’s comprehensive sustainability strategy that aligns with the company’s business objectives and values

Definition and project management of company-wide Sustainability plans relating to decarbonization, waste reduction and water management. Includes:

• Definition of medium-term plan with clear actions and clear financials (Capex, Opex and payback period)
• Knowledge of market partners for solutions – eg capex for decarbonization
• Specific area of priority: developing a detailed, fully costed and board approved global decarbonization plan
• Strategically liaise with business lines to select and define strategic participation in key chemical industry sustainability initiatives
• Lead the implementation of CSRD, working closely with cross functional team (operations, legal, finance and human resources) and external consultants.
• Develop and implement training programs to educate internal stakeholders on sustainability principles, strategies, and practices
• Work closely with individual business lines to integrate sustainability practices into their operations and product marketing processes
• Foster collaboration between departments to ensure consistent application of sustainability principles
• Lead team to establish methodologies and tools for calculating the PCF of products and services
• Develop and implement training programs to educate internal stakeholders on sustainability principles, strategies, and practices, and educate customers on the company’s sustainability initiatives and achievements

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical or Environmental engineering; Chemistry or similar
• Advanced degree MS, PhD or MBA preferred
• Highly experienced in Sustainability, Project and Change Management, Decarbonization
• Advanced professional experience, preferably within Specialty Chemical Industry, LCA/PCF, SBTi
• Proven track record in developing and implementing sustainability strategies, including decarbonization
• Strong business and financial acumen
• Strong knowledge of PCF and LCA methodologies (e.g. ISO 14040, ISO 14044, ISO 14067 and TFS guidance) and tools
• Experience with selecting and implementing sustainability software (e.g., SimaPro, GaBi, OpenLCA for LCA; and Carbon Trust, SimaPro for PCF)
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to liaise effectively with various business lines and stakeholders
• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret complex data and provide actionable insights
• Experience in customer engagement and managing sustainability-related inquiries
• Proficiency in sustainability reporting and compliance standards

Arxada has world class offering in two distinct areas:

Microbial Control Solutions (MCS) focuses on threats posed by microorganisms to people and planet through five distinct business lines including Professional Hygiene, Home & Personal Care, Wood Protection, Paints & Coatings and Material Protection.

Nutrition, Care & Environmental (NCE), meanwhile, provides materials used to manufacture composites for electronics, aerospace and other markets, as well as vitamins and nutritional ingredients, chemicals and performance intermediates, and raw materials for a wide range of high-performance applications.

Arxada is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a qualified individual with disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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