Sustainability Manager - Forest and Nature

About the role 

Located in Central London, DS Smith’s Group Head Office serves as a hub for employees from all divisions to come together and deliver on the company’s vision. Employees work together to ensure that we’re always aligning with our core values and bringing ideas and expertise to combat the challenges we come up against.

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced sustainability professional to join DS Smith as our Sustainability Manager (Forest and Nature) at a pivotal point to drive our sustainability agenda forward. The successful candidate will play a key role in being our subject matter expert in the topics of Forest and Nature, one of the four central themes in our Now & Next sustainability strategy.

You will be responsible for in-depth understanding of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), No Deforestation and how these impacts our business. You will support efforts to improve responsible sourcing across the business (e.g. palm, soy, timber). You will work closely with Group Legal and Government Affairs to understand the impact of these initiatives on the business, advising key colleagues and key customers. You will also lead our approach to forest certification (e.g. FSC) globally, ensuring that we have the processes in place to meet the requirements of the certifications. This work contributes to DS Smith’s leadership in transitioning to a low carbon, circular economy.

This is a fabulous opportunity for a talented and enthusiastic individual to use their expertise in nature-based sustainability to make a difference for customers, DS Smith, and the environment!

About you  

• Degree in related field (forestry, biology, environmental sustainability)
• Demonstrable experience across one or more of these areas: forestry and related certification systems, biodiversity, environmental policies, and due diligence, EUDR, TNFD, SBTN, FLAG emissions, CSDDD.
• Experience leading change with colleagues, customers, and suppliers
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Able to work independently but also comfortable building strong working relationships with colleagues around the business
• Initiative-taking, detail-orientated & solutions focused

Benefits 

• Competitive salary
• Discretionary bonus
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays 
• Pension scheme, life assurance and income protection
• Sharesave scheme
• Salary sacrifice electric car scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee Discounts
• Cycle to work scheme

Location: This is a hybrid role, split between being our head office in Paddington and home, with limited travel to sites as needed

About us

We’re DS Smith, the FTSE100 company who are redefining packaging for a changing world. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. Today, we operate in more than 30 different countries, proudly employing over 30,000 people, and supporting customers across sectors like FMCG, industrial, and e-commerce. We deliver on quality, service, innovation, and added value to deliver market-leading sustainable packaging solutions our customers need. Our industry needs to transform, and we’re building the team to drive change across Europe and North America.

To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas, and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.