Director, ESG (Northfield, IL) at Medline Industries, Inc. in Northfield, Illinois

Job Description:

THIS IS A HYBRID ROLE (TUE/WED/THU) AT OUR GLOBAL HQ IN NORTHFIELD, IL

JOB SUMMARY

The Director, ESG is a key member of the global ESG team, leading global alignment across all markets related to ESG communications and reporting. This individual resides on the global ESG team and collaborates cross functionally with many different departments within the company. In addition, the Director advises on and leads global reporting activities including the publication of an annual ESG report and third-party questionnaire submissions. The Director manages and provide support to the ESG team.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting

Lead the development and execution of the annual ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Report, including defining report strategy and project management from start to finish. Work with global markets to streamline ESG reporting and ensure a unified, global voice. Serve as the lead author, master architect and storyteller for the report; define and lead development / collection of all content, metrics, and visuals - in alignment with global reporting frameworks, regulations and best practices.

Serve as the company subject matter expert (SME) for current and emerging ESG reporting standards and frameworks (e.g., GRI, SASB, TCFD, EU CSRD, UNSDG, etc.); evaluate, identify and monitor company reporting capabilities, gaps and improvement opportunities and present recommendations to senior management.

Play a leadership role alongside the VP, ESG in strategic alignment with regulatory reporting obligations, including CSRD, SEC Climate Rule, California climate laws and other ESG regulations, and analysis of how new external reporting and disclosure translates into business risk and opportunity.

Lead ESG-related communications strategy for customers, including developing data-driven materials for sales and marketing, leading ESG's responses to customer inquiries, and benchmarking Medline's ESG program against peers.

Lead global ESG communication strategy plan and execution across all markets; provides reporting and communication support for other sustainability-related reports, ratings, rankings, surveys, etc.

Develop annual continuous improvement plans to enhance year/year sustainability program performance, reporting and transparency.

Establish and oversee ESG reporting processes, policies and practices; support data collection, analysis and verification.

Communications

Develop and lead global ESG communication strategy plan and execution across all markets.

Collaborate and build relationships with internal communications, marketing, PR, social and web teams to advance the communication strategy and analyze results and insights.

Partner with VP, ESG and other senior leadership to support ESG communication to internal and external audiences, including senior leadership, sponsors, investors, the Global Alignment Committee and the executive office. This includes agenda-setting, messaging, and presentation development.

Serve as a ESG subject matter expert, content creator and lead editor for the company's sustainability messaging and storytelling; proactively manage sustainability communication program execution and channels (e.g., web, intranet, Powerpoint presentations, newsroom, etc.).

Develop and manage corporate sustainability messaging, presentations, tools, and creative assets to support business, brand, marketing and commercial teams.

Serve as ESG subject matter expert and deliver presentations both internally and externally. Must be able to command a room and rally others to believe in a larger mission.

Other

Oversight over charitable giving program, inclusive of philanthropy, community engagement and volunteerism; responsible for operational aspects of events, campaigns and employee engagement. This includes gift matching, Month of Service and global health initiatives.

Management over ESG Project Manager; oversee management of project, process and program documents and implement mechanisms to standardize their use, in order to maintain well managed programs (i.e. presentation decks, KPIs, workflow trackers).

Conduct ongoing research and benchmarking to help the company stay informed and prepared for risks and opportunities associated with ESG trends, best practices, market developments, customer expectations, current/emerging ESG regulations, evolution in reporting standards, etc.

Management responsibilities:

Typically oversees professional employees/teams OR manages non-professional employees through Supervisors in manufacturing, distribution or office environments

Day-to-day operations of a group of employees

May have limited budgetary responsibility and usually contributes to budgetary impact

Interpret and execute policies for departments/projects; develop, recommend and implement new policies or modifications to existing policies-Provide general guidelines and parameters for staff functioning

Hiring staff, recommending pay increases, performing performance reviews, training and development of staff, estimating personnel needs, assigning work, meeting completion dates, interpreting and ensuring consistent application of organizational policies

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant areas, such as business, marketing, communications, or related field.

Certification / Licensure

None required.

Work Experience

At least 10 years of relevant experience, such as communication/marketing experience and/or experience in community engagement, advocacy or social cause campaigns. Four years of management experience. Experience leading in a sustainability communication and ESG reporting role with a publicly traded global company preferred.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

Experience and skills influencing, managing, leading and directing individuals in multiple functional areas.

Ability to understand, clearly communicate and present complex sustainability messages to a broad range of internal/external audiences in a simple, compelling and technically accurate manner.

Strong technical knowledge and proven experience leading and working with relevant ESG / sustainability reporting standards and frameworks (i.e. GRI, SASB, TCFD, EU CSRD, UN SDG, etc.).

Proven experience with developing and project managing ESG reports, including messaging, content creation, data aggregation/analysis, creative design, and communication delivery.

Superior project management skills and attention to detail.

Excellent communication skills - written, visual, and verbal - and the ability to translate them into emails, Powerpoint presentations, talking points, data visualization, etc.

Effectively communicate with executive leadership and senior management, including experience creating/presenting to senior leaders.

Experience collaborating with internal resources and external resources to develop strategies that meet department goals within budget and established timelines.

Intermediate level skill in MS Suite (Powerpoint, Excel, Word, Outlook)

Ability to travel up to 10% of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state).

PREFERRED JOB REQUIREMENTS

Work Experience

At least 4-6 years of communication/marketing experience and/or experience in community engagement, advocacy or social cause campaigns, inclusive of management experience.