Job Ad
VF Corporation outfits consumers around the world with its diverse portfolio of iconic lifestyle brands, including Vans®, The North Face®, Timberland®, and Dickies®. Founded in 1899, VF is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies with socially and environmentally responsible operations spanning numerous geographies, product categories and distribution channels. We’re committed to delivering innovative products to consumers and creating long-term value for our customers and shareholders.
We are a purpose-led company that seeks not only to succeed in business but also to leverage our success and resources to make the world better. Through our brands and approximately 50,000 associates around the world, we power movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and our planet. We are movement makers. It’s who we are and have always been.
Powerful brands that are fueled by insights and innovation put us at the heart of our consumers’ lives. Many of our brands lead their respective categories, and some have risen to iconic status.
While our company and brands are diverse, we work together within a One VF culture to capitalize on our greatest opportunities for long-term performance. Across our company, a collaborative, global mindset differentiates our products and the unique experiences we provide to our consumers. It all adds up to a lasting competitive advantage built on harnessing the power of our differences to achieve great things together, all while positively impacting the lives of hundreds of millions of people and the world.
Senior Director, EMEA Sustainability
This role leads the development of implementation plans and drives the execution of VF’s environmental sustainability strategy and programs in the EMEA region, in line with the VF corporate strategy and VF EMEA’s business strategy. The leader in this role builds, measures, and monitors annual plans and directs cross-functional teams to continuously reduce the impact VF EMEA’s direct operations have on the environment. In addition, the leader in this role provides expert direction to product designers in the EMEA region to implement activities that enable the design and development of more sustainable and circular products. Moreover, this role engages with VF’s customers in the EMEA region to align sustainability efforts, reporting and messaging.
The leader in this role shall be proficient regarding environmental sustainability impacts of products and operations, including energy, carbon emissions and related GHG emissions, product impacts, and waste generated. In addition the leader in this role shall be proficient in circular design and circular business models, and will direct relevant EMEA teams to contribute to VF’s global circularity strategy. This role represents VF’s EMEA business by sitting on VF’s global sustainability leadership team, which is accountable for collaboratively setting VF’s long-term environmental vision and impact reduction strategies, targets, and reporting obligations, ensuring multiple environmental sustainability programs across the world and at each VF business are operating in an aligned manner to deliver on our business unit and enterprise-wide goals.
Responsibilities for the position:
Develop implementation plans and drive the execution of VF’s environmental sustainability strategy in EMEA, continuously reducing our direct environmental impacts in line with VF corporate targets and public goals. Build annual and long-term business unit plans in collaboration with business unit leaders. Build and implement product design and development guidelines, in conjunction with the Sustainable Materials and Product team, that are integrated into the VF EMEA product team processes and drive selection of environmentally preferred materials and designs. Maintain engagement externally to remain current on country-specific environmental sustainability requirements and best practices. Leverage regional best practices to achieve environmental impact reduction targets. Identify and engage in external collaborative opportunities to enhance VF’s reputation. Ensure all regional environmental sustainability impact data is accurate, and collected and aggregated in a timely and efficient way supporting required external and internal reporting. Lead key sustainability topics globally, enabling both regional and global execution of emerging sustainability focus areas by driving execution globally, through a matrixed environment, while aggregating measurement and reporting.
Collaborate with key internal stakeholders to develop and successfully advance the program, specifically working with the Senior Leadership in the functions and in the brands to align efforts and develop successful solutions to VF’s key material issues.
Skills for Success:
Technical Professional Knowledge: Environmental sustainability proficiency, including climate change, carbon equivalents, renewable energy, LEED certification and science based target setting.
Ability to manage a team and/or deliver results within a highly matrixed environment.
Strong understanding of EMEA operations, including country-specific locations, retail, distribution and manufacturing.
Ability to facilitate organizational change across multiple countries in services of challenging global objectives.
Systems thinker with an ability to understand underlying points of connection and correlation.
Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to motivate a team.
Proficency of environmental sustainability regulations across the EMEA region.
Excellent attention to detail, process, and organization skills, including a relentless focus on delivering measurable, objective, verifiable results.
Years of Related Professional Experience: 10+ years
Educational/ Position Requirements:
A Bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, engineering, biology, public health, sustainability, business or related field.
Master’s degree preferred.
Special Physical and/or Mental Requirements:
Travel up to 30%.
Proficiency in English (reading, writing, speaking) is required.