Agriculture Sustainability Manager

Sainsbury's is seeking an Agriculture Sustainability Manager in Coventry, UK, to lead sustainability projects in their agriculture team. The role involves improving supply chain sustainability through data-driven strategies, engaging with farmers and suppliers, and reducing carbon emissions and waste. Candidates should have a degree in Agriculture or relevant experience, strong communication skills, and a flexible approach, including regular travel. The position is not remote.
The purpose of the role is to work across Sainsbury’s Agriculture team and priority agricultural supply bases to implement applied sustainability projects and initiatives that will enable progress towards our Plan for Better commitments and enable greater resilience across our agricultural supply chains.

You will understand agricultural systems and fundamentals of applied agricultural sustainability. You will be at the forefront of identifying data-driven mechanisms to implement supply chain sustainability. You are the expert in factors that influence the sustainability of the farming system, such as carbon emissions, water, inputs, agronomic practices, drivers of waste, etc., and will be able to identify drivers of sustainability performance and proactively work with farmers, growers, and suppliers to drive improvement in these areas. You will also work with colleagues on agricultural projects to deliver a point of difference for Sainsbury’s customers.

You will use excellent communication and interpersonal skills to influence stakeholders across the supply chain to accelerate progress across our priority work streams.

Accountabilities:
• Identify opportunities to reduce carbon emissions, environmental risk, and waste in a commercially astute way.
• Identify and engage centres of excellence and collaborate on projects with a clear benefit to Sainsbury’s and our customers.
• Engage with our existing partners and suppliers e.g. Woodland Trust and Land App, to accelerate the progress towards our Better for the Planet commitments.
• Utilise your expertise in water usage in agriculture to drive best practices, constantly looking to enhance the attributes of the finished product.
• Identify and manage research and development projects that contribute to the delivery of carbon emission reduction and driving efficiency in our supply base.
• Use technology, data, and your expertise to inform your plan for the area using actionable insights to drive change.
• Utilise your knowledge of agriculture and sustainability to spot opportunities to step change the performance of the value chain, delivering a better product for customers.

Requirements:
• Degree or equivalent in Agriculture or relevant experience.
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in an Agricultural or Agricultural Supply Chains role.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint & Word.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills
• Strong examples off cross functional project working across agriculture, technical, commercial teams
• Ability to interpret and communicate agriculture and sustainability data
• Excellent self-awareness and communication with the ability to create and maintain positive relationships
• The ability to identify opportunities delivering better products for our customers
• Effective planning and prioritisation
• Good judgement, drive and influence and a clear targeted personal development plan to enhance these areas
• Demonstrate behaviours, attitudes, values and beliefs of Sainsbury's
• Creating a positive and consistent impact with internal and external audiences
• A flexible approach to work, including regular travel.

We are committed to being a truly inclusive retailer, so you’ll be welcomed whoever you are and wherever you work. Around here, there’s always the chance to try something new - whether that’s as part of an evolving team or somewhere else across the business - and we take development seriously and promise to support you. We also recognise and celebrate colleagues when they go the extra mile and, where possible, offer flexible working.