(USA) Senior Manager, Product Development & Sustainability - Walmart Fashion

Walmart is seeking a Senior Manager of Product Development & Sustainability in Bentonville, AR. The role focuses on developing guidelines for product sustainability claims, collaborating with teams to improve products, managing relationships with certification bodies, and setting sustainability goals. The manager will advocate for sustainable practices, ensure compliance with regulations, and monitor market trends to propose sustainable options. Hands-on experience in sustainability and product development is essential.
About the position

As a Senior Manager of Sustainability at Walmart, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of retail through responsible sourcing and sustainability initiatives. Your primary mission will be to develop guidelines and transparent processes for approving product sustainability claims, ensuring compliance with industry certifications and regulations. You will collaborate with merchants and cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for product improvement, focusing on waste reduction, the use of recycled materials, and the design of products with recyclability in mind. Additionally, you will work to avoid hazardous substances and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing transparency and traceability in our supply chain. In this role, you will manage relationships with certification bodies and third-party labs to ensure that Walmart's sustainability standards remain current and compliant. You will serve as a guide for suppliers, helping them understand and achieve Walmart's sustainability goals, and you will work closely with various teams, including packaging, technical, and product development, to benchmark and leverage sustainable materials across departments. Your efforts will also involve setting sustainability goals, tracking performance, and delivering results that align with the company's objectives. You will actively participate in industry associations and discussions to stay ahead of trends and keep Walmart's sustainability initiatives relevant. By monitoring commodity costs and market trends, you will propose more sustainable options to cross-functional teams. Your hands-on experience in sustainability, raw materials, and product development will be crucial as you influence decisions about sustainable product development and raw material selection. You will advocate for sustainability initiatives, ensuring that quality and continuous improvement remain a focus in all areas of responsibility.

Responsibilities
• Develop guidelines and transparent processes to approve product sustainability claims in accordance with industry accepted certifications and applicable regulations.
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• Support merchants and cross-functional teams to identify opportunities to improve products by reducing waste, using recycled materials, and designing with recyclability in mind.
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• Manage relationships with certification bodies and third-party labs to ensure sustainability standards are up to date and compliant.
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• Guide suppliers in understanding and achieving Walmart's sustainability goals and expectations for sustainable products.
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• Collaborate with packaging, technical, and product development teams to benchmark and leverage sustainable materials across departments.
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• Set sustainability goals, track performance for supported business units, and deliver results.
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• Work closely with suppliers, responsible sourcing, product safety, and compliance teams to promote traceability, transparency, and product performance.
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• Participate in industry association committees and discussions to anticipate trends and keep sustainability initiatives relevant.
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• Collaborate with NGOs, foundations, and startups to drive product innovation.
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• Monitor commodity costs of materials and inform cross-functional teams about market trends while proposing sustainable options.

Requirements
• Bachelor's or master's degree in environmental science, engineering, or a related field.
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• At least 5 years of experience working in sustainability initiatives, project management, technical and quality, product safety and compliance, or strategic initiatives.
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• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
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• Ability to work collaboratively across multiple functions.
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• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Word).

Nice-to-haves
• Hands-on experience in sustainability, raw materials, manufacturing, and product development of private branded products.
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• A network of sustainable materials suppliers in the industry.
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• Experience in application development with emphasis on VBA and SQL programming languages.
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• Creative design software experience.
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• Financial modeling skills.
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• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or Six Sigma certification.

Benefits
• 401(k) match
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• Stock purchase plan
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• Paid maternity and parental leave
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• Paid time off (PTO)
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• Multiple health plans
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• Short-term and long-term disability
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• Company discounts
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• Military Leave Pay
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• Adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement
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• Live Better U education benefit program for associates.