Sustainability & Esg Lead

**DEPARTMENT**:ESG **REPORTING TO**:Director of Operations **DIRECT REPORTS**: n/a **LOCATION**:HQ **ABOUT US**: Mercato Metropolitano embodies sustainability through our locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients that nourish communities while respecting the environment. Our founder Andrea Rasca believes, "Access to nutritious food is a fundamental human right connecting people by nurturing the balance between humans and nature." As part of the MMovement, we serve as a catalyst for positive change by bringing diverse cultures together through food. We make nutritious food accessible to everyone, regardless of socio-economic circumstances, by carefully selecting trading partners who share our values of supporting local economies and making good food accessible. In our vibrant, sustainable community markets, people from all backgrounds converge around food and forge meaningful connections. We also build inclusive, resilient communities through a range of workshops, educational programmes, and partnerships - working united towards a common goal. We share the collective responsibility to live in harmony with the _Earth_, caring for the soil that enables healthy food production while minimising our environmental footprint. **JOB PURPOSE**: The Sustainability & ESG Lead is responsible for managing the company’s overall sustainability and ESG agenda to ensure that all strategies developed and implemented are in line with the Company’s Manifesto. The role manages sustainability across the business from head office down to market floor operations, driving environmental and responsible supply chain work streams to ensure that we operate with the highest ethical, people and planet standards in line with our values and commitments. **KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**: - Identifying and then collaborating with an external ESG partner to create and implement KPI’s that support our ability to increase our ESG score. - Develop Environment, Social, and Governance roadmap in line with the objectives set out in the ESG Strategy, in collaboration with the leadership team and the external ESG partner. - Develop an action plan to deliver on ESG objectives with clearly defined deliverables, milestones and resource management plans to ensure success. - Investigate opportunities to engage with external partners to support the ESG agenda. - Project manage any internal environmental management systems (EMS) or data tracking to ensure visibility of environmental data and the optimal performance of sites, systems and processes. Provide transparency and timely reporting on sustainability and environmental performance. - Monitor sustainability metrics and compile reports for senior management outlining the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives. - Sourcing and auditing our food suppliers to ensure they are in line with our sustainable needs. - Maintaining the Sourcing, ESG and Sustainability policy. - Support the Company in obtaining any ESG related qualifications or accreditations. - Project manage the ESG rating process. - Help raise awareness of ESG matters internally and externally. Develop a comprehensive ESG induction process in collaboration with HR that aligns with the company’s manifesto and values. - Lead the carbon forum and focus on initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint. - Develop training programs for employees to foster a greater understanding of sustainability practices and encourage their active participation. - Provide support to and undertake audits on ESG performance of our Trading Partners to develop and foster sustainable practices. - Aim to constantly improve the Sustainability initiatives across the markets and ensure they are implemented. - Communicate and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, including suppliers, guests and regulatory bodies to promote sustainability efforts. - Partner with the Community team on the development of the annual IMMpact report. - Stay updated on environmental regulations and ensure the company meets or exceeds these standards. **EXPERIENCE**: - Expertise in environmental policies and corporate sustainability. - In-depth and practical understanding of global supply chains and certification systems. - Project management capabilities with a track record of delivering complex projects within tight deadlines and high-level stakeholder engagement. - Ability to work collaboratively across departments. - Ability to build rapport with TP’s, potential suppliers and key stakeholders within the business - Strong analytical and systematic problem-solving skills. - Excellent communication skills, with particular emphasis on written abilities and translation of technical information. - Experience in quality assurance, certification, or inspection programmes. - Experience managing the development or implementation of technology projects related to supply chains or auditing. - Passion for MM’s philosophy. INDHEADOFFICE