Sustainability Manager

Overview:

This newly created role of Sustainability Manager – Circularity and Waste has a key to role to play in both delivering on our current sustainability strategy and influencing it moving forward.

apetito aim to be one of the UK's leading companies in ethics and sustainability. This role has a key responsibility in helping deliver that. In becoming leaders we expect to create real competitive advantage, getting the support of current and potential customers and helping our business to grow. We seek an individual with the passion, drive and commitment to share and deliver on our vision.

We have made considerable progress in sustainability over the past few years and have won multiple awards, including the Kings Awards for Enterprise - Sustainable Development in 2024.

We have one of the strongest Net Zero commitments of any business in the UK, with targets independently validated by the SBTi and are proud that we are one of few businesses brave enough to publish our short-term targets. We aim to be open and trustworthy and will not greenwash.

We have also introduced a world-first via our closed-loop packaging recycling system for CPET ready meals trays. We have recycled over 35m of these trays to date and have successfully influenced Government to make changes to packaging legislation to now recognise ours and other closed-loop systems.

In early 2027 we will open our new production factory, Kitchen West – a circa £100m investment in one of most sustainable food production facilities in the UK; this role has a critical part to play in ensuring our new site delivers on our circularity and water lean ambitions of that site – and then to transfer those learning back to our existing factory, Kitchen East.

We are also working on our plans for a new Customer Service and Distribution Centre – this role will be heavily involved in ensuring we develop and deliver on a sustainability framework for that site that maximises circularity and efficient use of resources

We drive our work via a Group-wide ESG Framework, developed in the UK and now rolled out across the apetito group worldwide; that framework is summarised below.

Who we are:

apetito is the UK's leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors serving more than 1,300 care homes, health care and education settings.

Our meals are expertly crafted by our dieticians and chefs, and then frozen to lock in the goodness.

Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK's largest ready meal supplier cooking and delivering over 330 different delicious frozen ready meals across the UK.

Responsibilities:

Packaging - Policy

• Create a Packaging policy that is fit for the future of the UK business – looking to promote the circular economy, create competitive advantage in our markets and work with stakeholders to execute across our B2B and D2C businesses.

Packaging - Maximise Re-use and Recycling

• D2C - Working with operational stakeholders, own the Project Boomerang PET tray recycling system across our D2C business.
• D2C - Target 50% return rates in 2 years and 75% by 2030
• Film – Find solutions that support all elements of our D2C packaging to be recycled.
• B2B – Own the Boomerang system across all B2B business units, setting a strategy and targets for recycling to 2030
• Re-Use – Look for opportunities to introduce re-usable packaging
• Reduce – Minimise packaging used in our supply chain and direct operations – hierarchy of reduce, re-use and recycle

Packaging - Life Cycle Assessment

• Use LCA;s where appropriate to ensure we are using the most appropriate packaging materials, incorporating elements of sustainability, food safety, customer requirements and cost

Packaging - Regulatory Requirements & Compliance

• Ensure the business is meeting all regulatory reporting requirements
• Ensure the business can minimise its current and future packaging taxation liabilities (PPT and EPR)

Food Waste

• Own the food waste reduction programme across Finished Goods and Raw Materials
• Manage Fareshare relationship for all edible food waste (and others as appropriate)
• Align with and work with the requirements of the UK Food and Drink Pact's Waste Reduction Roadmap

Water

• Develop and introduce an appropriate Water strategy for apetito UK
• Ensure sourcing from areas with sustainable water management
• Work with manufacturing stakeholders to minimise water usage

Reporting

• Working with Data and Disclosure Manager, monitor, report on and evaluate our Circularity and Waste performance, internally through KPI measures and externally via Corporate and industry reporting

Stakeholder Management

• Work with key industry stakeholders and represent apetito with influencing organisations, such as Defra, WRAP, FDF, Fareshare and others

Masterplans

• Support the new "Kitchen West" development and new Customer Service and Distribution Centre to maximise sustainable outcomes around circularity and waste

General

• Support the development of effective partnerships across the sector, that bring real value to apetito and its customers
• Represent the company as and when required at external events and conferences.
• Work closely with Director of Corporate Affairs/Public Relations/Marketing to ensure our internal and external communications shares our progress/successes
• Best-Practice – Engage with the wider industry to understand new and emerging concepts

About you:

Essential

• Successful track record in a sustainability influencing role – ideally 3 years plus
• Experience implementing sustainability projects, with a results-orientated focus
• Track record of working collaboratively within a Team structure and delivering through others
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders.
• Subject matter expertise across the majority of areas relevant to this role
• Ability to think strategically and challenge business strategy
• Degree-level or equivalent qualification or experience

Desirable

• Experience working within circular economy areas of Packaging, Food waste and Water
• Strong network in relevant areas and/or good understanding of structures and effective approaches in key relevant bodies
• Sustainability related qualification

Personal Qualities

• High level of intellectual ability
• Strong influencer who inspires and motivates.
• Thrives in cultivating strong, cross-functional partnerships to deliver through others
• Passionate about ethical and sustainable issues – with real life experience
• Professional representation of the Company at internal and external events

Company Benefits:

• Competitive salary – accredited Living Wage employer
• 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme
• Pension scheme - employer matched contributions up to 4%
• Life assurance scheme worth at least 1x annual salary
• Subsidised canteen
• Free parking
• Free turkey or voucher at Christmas
• apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts

Our Values:

As a family-owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of.

We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well-being for all our customers.

We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK's most vulnerable people.

We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040.

Our ethical standards are recognised by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer.

Learn more about apetito's commitment to a more sustainable future.

We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we're on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.