JOB FILLED - Sustainability Manager - Joe Produce | Produce Jobs, Produce Careers, Agriculture Jobs, Agriculture Careers

Job Description:

Dayka & Hackett LLC. is a leading grower, packer, shipper, and importer of fresh fruit to North American supermarkets and club stores and a member of the global sales and marketing platform Frutura. The Company specializes in the sourcing of table grapes, citrus, tree fruit, avocados, mangos, kiwi and Asian pears from Brazil, California, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, and Uruguay. Dayka & Hackett LLC. maintain offices in Wilmington, DE, Edinburg, TX and Ventura, CA with headquarters in Reedley, CA.

Job Description:
The Sustainability Manager leads Dayka & Hackett’s sustainability strategy and supports the company’s partnerships with retailers, non-profits, and impact investors. They own ambitious targets related to renewable energy, corporate GHG footprint, packaging, waste, community engagement, and supply chain. They spearhead the company’s B Corp Certification process, prioritizing environmental, social, and governance investments and collaborating across departments and geographies to achieve certification by 2024.

The Sustainability Manager reports to Dayka & Hackett’s COO and partners with Frutura LLC (holding company) VP of Sustainability on strategy and reporting. As a member of the Global Sustainability Leadership Team, they collaborate with counterparts at Frutura’s operating companies in Peru, Chile, and Uruguay to implement platform-wide initiatives. They also work with Frutura’s partners at the Sustainable Water Impact Fund, including private equity asset manager Renewable Resources Group and environmental non-profit The Nature Conservancy. On a day-to-day basis, they operate with broad autonomy.

The Sustainability Manager must be a self-starter who can also lead project teams and influence others without formal authority. The ideal candidate possesses sustainability experience and knowledge of ESG topics, proven stakeholder and project management skills, and a resourceful, resilient, and practical approach to building a best-in-class sustainability program. For this individual, the position offers an exceptional degree of responsibility and growth.

Job Duties:
Strategy Implementation & Program Management

Refine and implement existing plans to achieve ambitious targets related to renewable energy, GHG footprint, packaging, waste, community engagement, and supply chain sustainability, among other areas
Serve as internal champion of B Corporation certification and project manager for US operations, partnering across departments to achieve B Certification by 2024
Own and drive progress on D&H sustainability priorities, policies, targets, key performance indicators, standards, programs, projects, and timelines, in coordination with Frutura’s existing initiatives
Collaborate and project manage across functions including operations, sourcing, transportation, sales, finance, and human resources to accomplish sustainability priorities
Develop an annual budget for staffing and implementation of sustainability programs; evaluate ROI of potential projects and communicate the business case to company leadership
Partner with Frutura’s VP of Sustainability to strengthen D&H’s sustainability strategy based on evolving science, market trends, and Frutura platform vision and objectives

Internal & External Stakeholder Engagement

Proactively engage at the individual, department, and company-wide levels to educate various teams on sustainability priorities and programs and communicate their day-to-day relevance and business value
Facilitate cross-functional sustainability committees and working groups (e.g., B Certification, Frutura CoLab) to drive sustainability performance
Conduct annual Stakeholder Engagement and Materiality Assessments and translate findings into recommendations for Senior Leadership and Frutura’s VP of Sustainability
Represent D&H in industry and topic-specific working groups and initiatives to share lessons learned, deepen knowledge of relevant sustainability topics, and develop partnerships and shared value supply chain projects
Support D&H Sales organization in developing talking points and marketing materials on sustainability and ESG-related topics for engagement with external stakeholders

Data Management & ESG Reporting

Own all D&H sustainability metrics; Collect, analyze, and report on sustainability data and key performance indicators related to energy, water, waste, and supplier-related impacts
Monitor and incorporate as needed external accounting standards and reporting frameworks (e.g., 100% Renewable Energy, GHG Protocol, Zero Waste, Food Loss and Waste Protocol) to verify and validate sustainability performance
Manage reporting of ESG data to interested stakeholders including retail customers, Frutura, and investors, complying with any requirements and evolving regulations

Candidate Qualifications:
Education & Experience

Bachelor's Degree and 5-10 years’ experience in sustainability or related field (e.g., environmental management or engineering, CSR), ideally in manufacturing and/or food and agriculture industries
Experience with some or all the following sustainability topics: renewable energy, GHG footprinting and reduction, packaging, waste, community engagement, supply chain sustainability
Knowledge of external sustainability standards (Zero Waste, Food Loss & Waste Protocol, GHG Protocol) and ESG reporting frameworks (GRI, SASB, and CDP) beneficial but not required

Skills & Characteristics

Measurable success as self-starter with limited direction; Resourceful, resilient, and practical
Strong project management skills; translates plans into action and drives results
Comfortable in a fast-paced and evolving environment; navigates uncertainty and roadblocks with maturity and humor
Excited by challenge of engaging, educating, and influencing diverse stakeholders (e.g., executives, front-line employees,suppliers, NGOs) who bring varying levels of sustainability knowledge
Ability to travel domestically and occasionally internationally up to 20% of the time
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or related software as well as other accounting software programs.
Ability to operate related office equipment, such as computers, 10-key calculator, and copier.
Ability to work independently and in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to anticipate work needs and interact professionally with customers.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Working knowledge of Famous Software is preferred, but not required.
Spanish proficiency beneficial, but not required.