Sustainability Specialist

The Coca-Cola Company is seeking a Sustainability Specialist in South Africa to drive environmental initiatives focused on energy, water, waste, and carbon reduction. The role involves implementing sustainability programs, conducting audits, ensuring compliance with regulations, and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders. Key responsibilities include tracking sustainability metrics, managing waste initiatives, and preparing sustainability reports. This position is integral to fostering a culture of sustainability within the organization.
South Africa is the largest Coca-Cola market in Africa and consistently ranks among the best performing countries in the world of Coca-Cola. This impressive position is made possible by the hard work and commitment of our four bottlers, our canning operation as well as our employees, whose main vision is to benefit and refresh the people of South Africa. We’re proud to be a business unit of the Coca-Cola Eurasia and Africa Group, which is headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey. TheCoca-Cola Company has operations in more than 200 countries around the world and serves its beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion every day.
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) presents an exciting opportunity for a Sustainability Specialist in our Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability team.

Key Purpose:

The Sustainability Specialist powers the business's environmental momentum—driving bold initiatives that cut energy, water, waste, and carbon while accelerating our journey toward a cleaner, greener future. In this role, you ignite change across operations by leading high-impact programs, championing sustainable packaging solutions, and inspiring teams to embed responsible practices into everyday decisions. Through sharp data insights, hands-on project leadership, and strong partnerships with internal teams and external stakeholders, you fuel continuous improvement, amplify climate resilience, and help shape a sustainability culture that makes a real difference.

Key Duties & Responsibilities
Key Outputs and Accountabilities include, but not limited to:

Sustainability Program Implementation

Execute the company's environmental sustainability strategy, focusing on energy, water, waste, and carbon reduction. aligned with global and local goals.
Roll out site-specific waste minimization, segregation, and recycling programs across production and distribution operations.
Conduct waste management training and awareness campaigns across operational teams to build a waste-conscious culture
Execute packaging recovery and recycling initiatives, including partnerships with recyclers and community collection schemes.
Collaborate with packaging teams to explore eco-design and sustainable packaging options.

Environmental Performance Monitoring, Waste Auditing & Analysis, & Regulatory Compliance

Track and report key sustainability metrics (e.g., water use ratio, energy intensity, CO2 emissions).
Conduct regular environmental audits and assessments to ensure compliance and identify improvement areas.
Analyze waste data to track progress, identify trends, and adjust strategies for improvement.
Ensure compliance with national waste management laws, EPR schemes, packaging waste regulations, and industry standards and and support external environmental and waste compliance audits.

Climate Resilience & Risk Management

Support climate risk assessments and develop resilience strategies for production operations.
Coordinate with global teams to ensure local initiatives align with international commitments.

Sustainability Reporting & Compliance

Prepare sustainability reports in line with regulatory and voluntary frameworks (e.g., GRI, CDP).
Ensure compliance with environmental laws and standards applicable to the beverage and FMCG sector.

Cross-functional Collaboration

Work with supply chain, quality, and engineering teams to embed sustainable practices.
Support training and awareness programs to build a sustainability mindset across the business.

Stakeholder & Partner Engagement

Engage with government agencies, NGOs, and industry bodies on sustainability initiatives.
Represent the company in sustainability forums and partnerships.

Skills, Experience & Education
Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Sustainability, Engineering, or related discipline.
Postgraduate qualification in Sustainability Management, Environmental Engineering, or Climate Studies is an advantage.

Experience:

5 - 8 years' experience in sustainability roles within FMCG, manufacturing, or beverage sectors.
Proven track record in implementing resource efficiency, climate, or packaging sustainability initiatives.
Familiarity with sustainability reporting frameworks and compliance requirements.

Skills:

Strong knowledge of ISO 14001, ISO 50001, and environmental compliance standards.
Proficient in sustainability reporting platforms and tools (e.g., CDP, GRI, TCFD).
Skilled in data analysis and sustainability performance management.
Solid understanding of waste auditing methodologies and waste hierarchy principles.
Project management skills, including multi-site coordination.
Excellent communication skills for technical and non-technical audiences.
Proficient in MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word); data visualization skills are an asset.

Closing date: 26 February 2026