Sustainability Manager

Job Description

Reporting to the Head of Sustainability, Europe, and working closely with the Senior Sustainability Manager, GB, they will support the successful implementation of the Sysco sustainability plan by engaging teams, complying with reporting standards, and delivering projects that drive value for Sysco and its customers. The role will also be a direct point of contact for customers, responding to queries and creating and delivering presentations both internally and externally. The candidate will be GB-based but will work closely with the global team and take on responsibilities that contribute to Sysco’s wider sustainability efforts. 

The candidate will have a strong understanding of the food system and key sustainability topics, as well as the ability to translate complex concepts into actionable business strategies. Strong problem-solving skills, commercial awareness, and experience in business transformation or change management will be key to success in this role. 

This role is home-based, with travel to offices in London; Ashford, Kent; regional depots; and visits to customers across the UK where required. 

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities: 

• Engagement: Engage key internal stakeholders, including engineering, sales, merchandising, technical. 
• Customer support: Manage customer requests for information and data, prioritising and responding to queries and requests from sales teams, customers and the bid team, across all businesses within Sysco, including the sustainability mailbox. Develop and maintain consistent messaging and responses on FAQs. 
• Data management: Work with key stakeholders across GB and globally to manage the data collection and input process to Workiva, HowGood CO2AI, and supporting compliance with reporting requirements, such as CSRD. Ability to analyse data, spot trends and anomalies. 
• Customer surveys & questionnaires: Complete surveys and questionnaires from customers, following up with relevant internal stakeholders where necessary to collect information and data. E.g. EcoVadis sustainability assessment. 
• Asset creation: Develop assets to support engagement with customers (e.g. presentations, one-pager explainers on specific topics) 
• Strategy development: Support strategy development by contributing customer perspectives and demands 
• Project implementation: Undertake tasks to implement sustainability projects in the market, working collaboratively with the team. 
• Administration: Support the sustainability team with administrative tasks, where required, such as Purchase Orders and team coordination. 

About you: 

To be successful in this role you will hold a relevant qualification in Sustainability and have a passion for improving sustainability of the food system through working with businesses to create change. You will have the relevant knowledge and understanding of sustainability and the food system, including experience in climate issues, data collection and presentation related to carbon footprints, and sustainability-related legislation. It’s essential to have strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks and requests of a busy role with strong data management experience, including complex environmental and social data. You must have strong presentation skills and copywriting skills and understand sustainability- related data and have the ability to clearly and simply explain complex issues. It’s crucial to be a keen networker who is confident in building collaborative relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. 

What you’ll receive: 

• A competitive salary 
• Company car allowance of £5,500 
• Pension scheme 
• Single private medical healthcare cover 
• Generous holiday allowance of 25 days, with option to purchase additional holidays + bank holidays 
• Huge discounts on all sorts of lovely food and award-winning products through our staff shop 
• Discounts on Cinema tickets, shopping and earn cashback on purchases through Sodexo. 
• Recognition awards and Incentives 
• Real career opportunities - being part of Sysco, the world’s leading foodservice business, opens up a world of possibility 

Our background:

With 20,000 customers across Britain, from restaurants and pubs to hospitals and schools, and over 800 suppliers, Sysco has a unique opportunity to influence the food system. This newly created role in Sysco GB’s award-winning sustainability team will support the mission to embed sustainability in everything we do across all departments in Sysco while strengthening our data collection and reporting, customer engagement, project management, and implementation. 

Sysco operates some of Great Britain’s most well-known and respected foodservice businesses, including Brakes, Kff, Medina, Fresh Direct, M&J Seafood, Wild Harvest, and Country Choice. The business has made strides in sustainability, becoming the first foodservice business to set science-based targets, removing black plastics from its own-brand range in the UK, and launching the industry’s first fleet decarbonisation program. 

The role requires not only a passion and depth in sustainability, but also strong business acumen, problem-solving skills, and a transformation mindset. Sustainability at Sysco is not a standalone function – it is a driver of innovation, operational efficiency, and commercial growth. The ideal candidate will be able to balance ambitious sustainability goals with the realities of business operations, identifying solutions that create value for both Sysco and its customers. They must be comfortable navigating complexity, influencing stakeholders at all levels, and driving change in a dynamic business environment.