Jobs That Make the Supply Chain More Sustainable

Both job seekers and hiring managers alike talk about sustainability and waste reduction being an important factor in their career decisions. More and more companies are boasting about having a plan to lessen their carbon footprint and it’s really impacting candidates’ decisions around where they go next. 

“Some candidates won’t even consider a company if they know they don’t have a good eco footprint,” said Erin Radke, a Senior Manager for Michael Page out in Los Angeles whose focus is on supply chain. We spoke with her recently regarding what she has been seeing in the job market surrounding packaging and manufacturing. She has found that a company’s decision to be conscious of their environmental impact can make a difference in hiring the best talent in emerging roles; people want to work for an organization that is part of the solution.

If you are one of these people, Radke’s insights may help you to find your ideal job within the supply chain industry.

Sustainability Focus in Supply Chains

Supply chain companies are analyzing how they do and create business. Radke mentions that there has been a shift in companies’ sustainability, “and how they can do better and be better.” As a result, organizations both large and small have seen an increase in business, as their carbon footprint gets smaller. One way they do this is by reducing the resources used to create, ship, and package products. “Companies are realizing they are wasting a lot of resources on packaging and fuels to create certain products,” said Radke.

The manufacturing and moving of products along the supply chain directly impacts a business’s carbon footprint, as do the methods by which products arrive to their end user and the containers and packaging each item. Companies are taking more of a notice around where they fall short in their environmental impact and adjust accordingly to diminish it. 

A focused area for best sustainability practices is the CPG (consumer packaged goods) space. “Through using recyclable materials, reducing their carbon footprint, and even hiring leaders in the business to focus on sustainability, the CPG space is on a mission to be better, and candidates are taking notice. This is all for the benefit of the environment, for the planet, and for the people that consume their products.”

New Roles with a Sustainability Focus

As more businesses explore sustainability options, they will need talent to adapt into new job titles and roles. The examples below are some new and current job opportunities that are popping up more often.

Sustainability Manager: This role focuses on how to be sustainable in the long-term and dedicates a person to figure out how to lessen that waste. 

Carbon Reduction Manager: In this position, the candidate will focus heavily on how to reduce emissions while gathering the resources required to create the end product. Also, part of this role is being able to assess the company’s current carbon footprint and implementing methods of reducing it even further.

Community Outreach Director: Like other outreach roles, this one focuses on bringing the attention to the environmental tasks at hand. This role publicizes and builds relationships with stakeholders and people in the community to bring awareness to the work the company is doing.  

If you have a passion for saving the planet and reducing waste, get in touch with our team of dedicated recruiters today to discuss which companies are making sustainability part of their mission statement. The role doesn’t have to be specifically involved with sustainability for your work to make an impact. Helping to grow a business whose supply chain focus supports these efforts is a good place to start. 

If you want to learn more, please reach out to our expert recruiters or browse more of our job listings today.