Manager, Enterprise Sustainability

Aramark |

Overview

About Aramark
Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, state-of-the-art healthcare providers, the world’s leading educational institutions, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world.  Our 270,000 team members deliver experiences that enrich and nourish millions of lives every day through innovative services in food, facilities management and uniforms. We operate our business with social responsibility, focusing on initiatives that support our diverse workforce, advance consumer health and wellness, protect our environment, and strengthen our communities.  Aramark is recognized as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE, as well as an employer of choice by the Human Rights Campaign and DiversityInc. Learn more at www.aramark.com or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Description

At Aramark, our purpose revolves around our mission to “Enrich and Nourish Lives,” which brings together 270,000 committed team members in a collective effort to be successful by doing well. Our approach is to drive sustainable growth and create long-term stakeholder value by focusing on every dimension of how the company operates — ethical, economic, and environmental. We do this through initiatives that engage employees, empower healthy living, preserve the planet, and build local communities.

This position is responsible for supporting the implementation of Aramark’s company-wide sustainability strategy, with an emphasis on environmental practices, and the enhancement of Aramark’s reputation.

This role will focus on 1) leading implementation of the company’s public environmental commitments including responsible sourcing, waste minimization and operational efficiency, and 2) supporting engagement of key external stakeholders, responsible for cultivating relationships, gaining insights and expertise and advancing Aramark’s strategy and brand

The Sustainability Manager will play an integral role in Aramark’s business success and, is responsible for partnering with key functions across the company including supply chain, culinary development, operational excellence, investor relations, legal and communications. The ideal candidate will have subject matter expertise on social and environmental matters, with a priority focus on sustainable sourcing issues and consumer health and wellness, in additional to understanding employee wellbeing and community engagement. This role will communicate and consult with Aramark’s key external stakeholders including advocacy groups, investors and industry organizations.

This position reports to the Vice President, Sustainability.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Integration

Primary focus on environmental practices and food service business, with responsibility for coordination and alignment across facilities services and uniforms business. Key projects include:

  • Lead cross-functional teams responsible for Aramark’s public waste minimization commitments including implementing and reporting on the company’s commitment to reduce single-use plastics globally by 2022, reduce food waste in the U.S. by 50% by 2030 following the U.S. EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy, and oversee food donation program partnership and approach to addressing food insecurity.
  • Partner with supply chain to drive sustainable sourcing strategy and public commitments by providing support through development and implementation of new sustainable sourcing strategy.
  • Support implementation of Aramark’s plant-forward strategy including coordinating with culinary, supply chain, lines of business and external partners to reinforce and expand Aramark’s consumer driven solutions, while tracking environmental impact of the company’s menu offerings.
  • Manage field engagement strategy including national network of sustainability coordinators across lines of business, and develop model to engage employees in driving enterprise priorities and cultivate sense of purpose and impact.
  • Across all projects, develop agendas, coordinate and facilitate meetings, identify gaps and opportunities, partner functional owners to advance key outcomes, provide updates on progress and outcomes.

 

Marketing and Communications

  • Oversee Green Thread™ platform and brand by maintaining and developing tools and resources to support implementation of operational practices and consumer marketing materials, working in partnership with center-led and field marketing teams.
  • Partner with internal and external communications to tell Aramark’s environmental sustainability story through progress reports, blogs, articles and social media.
  • Support Request for Proposals (RFPs) responses, quarterly business review content development and annual refresh of proposal content, in partnership with Global Sales.
  • Manage limited set of Public Reporting requests, including overseeing timelines, information gathering, drafting responses, review processes, and completing submissions. Track evaluations from CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) and other organizations, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.

 

Governance and Stakeholder Engagement

  • Support internal governance structure by formalizing and managing process to ensure all public announcements include input from key external stakeholders, socialized with functional and business leaders, and communicated to clients and employees through suite of tools and resources.
  • Develop stakeholder engagement plan that (1) links to Aramark’s sustainability and business objectives, and builds upon current practices and partnerships (2) identifies specific issues and objectives related to each stakeholder group, and (3) identifies Aramark’s goals, objectives and preferred outcomes from engagement with each group.
  • Develop and facilitate relationships of trust and confidence with key stakeholders, based in providing timely and transparent information that maximizes stakeholder opportunities to proactively engage and provide feedback to Aramark, and that enable Aramark to do the same.
  • Define and facilitate lines of communication between each stakeholder group and key functions across the company based upon overlapping subject matters and issues.
  • Identify and understand stakeholder issues, interests, aspirations and concerns to better define what matters most, and identify opportunities to advance mutual interests.
  • Understand and incorporate into the stakeholder engagement process best practices and standards including the Global Reporting Initiative.
  • Represent the company in external events, conferences and industry meetings.

Qualifications

  • Degree in a subject related to sustainability; Master’s degree preferred (business, environment and/or sustainability).
  • Significant (5-7 years +) experience working in sustainability team or specialized consultancy. Relevant professional experience from a top-tier consulting firm, non-profit working with business, or sustainability, corporate affairs, or similar role in the private sector.
  • Knowledge of and experience with social and environmental matters, including interconnected issues; understands business and operations of large food, facilities and uniform company.
  • Inquisitive mind set with strong analytical abilities. Strategic thinker looking outside to bring new approaches to continually improve internal effectiveness.
  • Highly analytical, ability to synthesize information and offer recommendations/solutions.
  • Ability to work independently and manage multi-stakeholder engagement from vision to implementation.
  • Ability to communicate and facilitate dialogue with those holding diverse and opposing views, by finding common ground and identifying opportunities to move forward. Courage and conviction in managing difficult conversations.
  • Resilient, and able to adapt to challenges, identify underlying concerns, share ideas and develop effective responses or elevate to higher management.
  • Demonstrated ability to work across complex organizations.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Organized with a strong attention to detail and follow through.
  • Able to handle multiple projects and competing priorities effectively.
  • Budget development and oversight experience.
  • Ability to travel as needed, up to 10% of time.

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