Location
Central London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Competitive salary - accredited Living Wage employer

About the Role
This newly created role of Sustainability Manager - Circularity and Waste is pivotal in delivering and shaping apetito's sustainability strategy. apetito aims to be one of the UK's leading companies in ethics and sustainability, creating competitive advantage by gaining support from current and potential customers and driving business growth. The role involves managing key sustainability initiatives including packaging circularity, waste reduction, and water stewardship, with a focus on both existing operations and new developments such as the upcoming Kitchen West production facility and a new Customer Service and Distribution Centre.

Key responsibilities include developing and implementing a forward-looking packaging policy that promotes the circular economy, managing the Project Boomerang PET tray recycling system across both B2B and D2C businesses with ambitious return targets, finding solutions to improve packaging recyclability, and exploring reusable packaging opportunities. The role also owns the food waste reduction programme, manages relationships with partners like Fareshare, and leads the development of a water strategy to ensure sustainable sourcing and reduced usage.

Reporting and stakeholder management are critical, requiring close collaboration with internal teams and external bodies such as Defra, WRAP, FDF, and Fareshare. The role supports apetito’s Group-wide ESG Framework and represents the company at external events and conferences, working closely with Corporate Affairs, Public Relations, and Marketing to communicate progress and successes.

apetito is proud of its sustainability achievements, including the 2024 Kings Awards for Enterprise - Sustainable Development, strong Net Zero commitments validated by SBTi, and pioneering closed-loop packaging recycling systems. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to a company dedicated to ethical, sustainable food production and to influence the future of sustainability within the UK food sector.

Experience
- Successful track record in a sustainability influencing role, ideally 3+ years
- Experience implementing sustainability projects with a results-oriented focus
- Proven ability to work collaboratively within teams and deliver through others
- Strong communication skills with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders
- Subject matter expertise across packaging, food waste, water, and circular economy areas preferred

About you
- Strategic thinker with the ability to challenge and influence business strategy
- High level of intellectual ability and strong influencing skills
- Passionate about ethical and sustainable issues with real-life experience
- Thrives in cultivating strong cross-functional partnerships
- Professional representation skills for internal and external events

Qualifications
- Degree-level or equivalent qualification or experience
- Sustainability-related qualification desirable
- Strong network or good understanding of relevant industry bodies and structures preferred