The Job:

Sustainable development (SD) is a strategic imperative for our businesses and part of our overall approach to building long-term value for our shareholders. The Group’s Sustainable Development Office oversees this important area. We are now looking for a talented individual to work in our London office to support the Swire Group’s transition to the integration of sustainability within the overall business in general and the work of the Sustainable Development Office in particular. This is an exciting role and opportunity to build your career in a global organisation. Main duties and responsibilities include:

• Supporting senior management in both parts of the Group to execute policies and programmes that drive our commitment to sustainable development,
• Supporting the implementation of our Group SD strategy, SwireTHRIVE
• Playing a key role in the successful utilisation of our SD Funds which offer central financial support to our businesses innovation and project delivery on SD matters.
• Supporting the Group’s operating units, spanning a wide range of sectors, across the privately held entities of John Swire and Sons Ltd (JS&S) and our publicly held interests in Swire Pacific (SPAC), located in UK, continental Europe, Africa and the USA.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited academic institution in a relevant discipline (e.g. environmental sciences, sustainability, geography, economics, sociology or business)
• A minimum of 8-10 years of relevant experience in working on sustainable development issues, gained in a corporate, government, consulting or civil society setting
• Preferably, experience of working in developing countries and/or emerging markets
• Willing and able to travel internationally

Full details of the job can be viewed below

Application:

We offer a competitive package to the right candidate. Qualified and interested parties please send, an application with a CV and cover letter quoting the above vacancy highlighting your interest and suitability for the role and detailing contact information, education, employment background and salary expectation to:

Head of Sustainable Development, John Swire & Sons (HK) Limited by clicking "Apply Now"

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Closing Date for Applicants: 15 March 2019

Interviews will be held in London for shortlisted candidates during the week of 25 March 2019.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applications received will be used exclusively for selection purposes and handled confidentially by authorized personnel only.  Your application may also be considered for other suitable positions within the Swire group.  (Please indicate clearly on your application if you would not like to be considered for other positions within the group.)  Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed after an appropriate time.

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Job Description

Company/Department: John Swire & Sons Ltd/ Sustainable Development Office

Overview

Sustainable development is a strategic imperative for our businesses and part of our overall approach to building long-term value for our shareholders. As a key team member of the Group’s Sustainable Development Office, the Group Sustainable Business Manager, based in London, is responsible for supporting the Swire Group’s transition to integration of sustainability within the overall business. The role also has a specific remit to support the Group’s operating units across the privately held entities of John Swire and Sons Ltd (JS&S) and our publicly held interests in Swire Pacific (SPAC), located in UK, continental Europe, Africa and the USA.

Main Purpose

Support senior management in both parts of the Group to execute policies and programmes that drive our commitment to sustainable development (SD), in particular, to support our Group SD strategy, SwireTHRIVE and the successful utilisation of our SD Funds which offer central financial support to our businesses innovation and project delivery on SD matters. In addition, to assist local management teams of JS&S and Swire Pacific operating companies located in UK, continental Europe, Africa, the USA and Latin America in advancing these areas, including the following operating divisions/companies:

• Finlays (beverages)
• Argent Energy (biofuel)
• HAECO Americas (aero engineering)
• Swire Coca Cola USA (beverages)
• Purestream (water treatment and purification)
• US Cold Storage (cold storage facilities and logistics)
• Swire Oilfield Services (offshore oil and gas support)

The postholder may also be required to support other group operating companies from time to time to exchange best practice and support overall SD efforts.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Supporting the implementation of the group’s sustainable development strategy, ‘SwireTHRIVE’, which is understood by our people, teams and external stakeholders.

• Strategy execution
• Support the Head of Sustainable Development in the implementation of SwireTHRIVE, particularly across the operating companies above
• Participate in working groups as assigned including internal capability and best practice sharing and the development and monitoring of targets, metrics, guidelines and policies as applicable in areas of the strategy with assigned responsibility

2. Supporting the maintenance and development of the JSS and SPAC SD Funds*

• Provide day to day management for the JS&S SD Fund to ensure that the fund can support the group’s overall strategic aims for strategic development as these evolve, encouraging new proposals and supporting opcos develop concept notes, proposals etc
  
• Provide ongoing technical assistance and support to opcos wishing to utilise the SD Funds
  
• Support the SPAC SD Fund by encouraging relevant proposals from those opcos under the postholder’s responsibility
  
• Screen and prepare proposals for consideration
  
• Participate in JS&S SD Committee meetings (held biannually in London) and to represent opcos that have tabled proposals at these meetings.
  
• Provide secretariat support to the JS&S SD Committee
  
• Undertake project completion reports/impact assessments with the relevant opcos

*The group operates two centrally held SD Funds, with up to GBP 20 million available annually for JS&S and HKD $100 million for SPAC, which aim to drive innovation and performance in our business for relevant projects, but which fall below our usual cost of capital targets.

3. Ensure Senior Management has fully visibility of sustainable development in those businesses under the remit of the postholder, and encourage improved performance within these operating units

• Develop and maintain a database of all those involved in the management of environmental, social, and community aspects of sustainable development across operating units located in EMEA and USA
• Coordinate the sustainable development board reporting process for JS&S companies
• Provide expert advice and practical level support, as well as signposting to external specialists, to drive improvement on specific SD issues (e.g. energy efficiency, environmental management, climate change, social development/community issues)
• Support with reporting, disclosure, target setting for opcos in the region to ensure their performance is known and appropriately managed. This includes the roll-out, adoption, and successful use of the Credit 360 SD data management system within private group companies (planned for 2019-20).

Reporting & Participation

Based in London/UK.

The Group Sustainable Business Manager will maintain open lines of communication with their colleagues based in Hong Kong through:

• Dialling in to team meetings whenever feasible
• Producing a weekly status report for the Head of Sustainable Development Office to be delivered every Friday evening
• Participating in SGSC and providing Secretariat to JSS SD Committee meetings and assisting in preparation, representing their opcos/Divisions
• Sharing all work with colleagues through collective management of electronic files on a shared drive
• Visiting Hong Kong offices on a periodic basis, to coincide with Group mandated training and strategy development/reviews etc
• Participation in the annual SD Forum, held in Hong Kong

Relationships

Reporting to: Global Head of Sustainable Development

Overseen by: JS&S Finance Director

Internal: JSS Board, Sustainable Development Office, Group Risk Management, Group Public Affairs, Group Finance, opco sustainability teams in UK, Europe, Africa, USA, Latin America

External: Environmental NGOs, academia, governments, consultants, suppliers etc

Specification

Education: University degree in relevant discipline (e.g. Environmental Sciences, Sustainable Development, Geography, Economics, Social Sciences)

Experience: 10 + years in a relevant corporate, consultancy, government or civil society setting; experience of developing countries/emerging markets preferred