Svp Social Responsibility/Esg

Who We Are

The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy is working across the dairy community to advance our vision of dairy providing transformative good for people and planet. Founded by dairy farmers through Dairy Management Inc, the Innovation Center brings leaders from across dairy companies, farmers, NGOs, CPG companies, academia, government and more to align on pre-competitive priorities, identify innovative solutions, share best practices and drive positive impact in health and wellbeing, environmental stewardship, animal care and communities.

About The Role

This is an office-based role in Rosemont, IL with hybrid flexibility. Visa sponsorship and relocation are not available for this position.

Senior leadership opportunity to advance the U.S. dairy industry’s sustainability and social responsibility platform. Provide ESG expertise and perspective for the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, helping to drive a shared agenda that advances the U.S. dairy category as a thriving industry that is part of a more sustainable future.

Accountabilities:

Guide ESG strategy, measurement and reporting for Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy

• Manage U.S. dairy materiality; lead next U.S. dairy materiality assessment cycle, engagement with stakeholders and development of resources for industry; serve as point of contact and guidance for industry stakeholders seeking to do their own materiality assessments
• Provide ESG expertise and counsel for the U.S. dairy industry’s shared social responsibility platform and U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment (spanning environment, health and wellness, animal care, workforce, food safety and community)
• Oversee metric and goal development process to ensure credibility, appropriateness for U.S. dairy and alignment with marketplace and globally recognized protocols; provide guidance to IC Committees as they identify the need for and develop metrics
• Identify emerging ESG trends or developments, continually scanning the internal and external landscape for potential areas of impact and incorporate insights into planning; serve as key liaison with DMI Strategic Intelligence team

Proactively represent the Innovation Center’s role as the national aggregator of U.S. dairy’s sustainability and social responsibility’s efforts; ensure U.S. dairy’s voice is strongly represented at key forums/organizations

• Engage with key cross-sector and industry groups to identify opportunities for alignment and future progress
• Build relationships with counterparts at other national aggregators
• Convene cooperative, processor and other Innovation Center or industry leaders to lead development of U.S. dairy’s point of view related to topics that arise, including from these organizations
• Serve as the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy representative within select key influential and marketplace forums and groups, working with peers across the global food industry and providing a strong U.S. dairy voice and position

Serve on Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy’s senior leadership team and actively collaborate across the Innovation Center team to advance shared objectives, supporting other Innovation Center major events and milestones, including but not limited to: Board meetings, Dairy Sustainability Alliance meetings and the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Report. The successful candidate with work with a central core team, manage outside consultants when necessary and will routinely collaborate with cross-functional environmental sustainability staff.

Requirements

Education, Skills, and Experience:

• Degree or significant experience in sustainability or related field
• Harness our collective experience (highly collaborative leader that supports the success of the whole team and individual team members)
• Excellent communications skills; ability to translate complex information for broader audiences and distill and advocate for a point of view
• ESG (social responsibility/impact and sustainability) expertise and credibility; food industry experience a plus
• Build partnerships, trust, and influence (including relationship management across diverse stakeholders, demonstrating exceptional listening, persuasion, and negotiation skills)
• Proven track record of leading ESG initiatives and developing systems for metrics, targets and reporting
• A proven track record that demonstrates DMI’s four leadership competencies:
• Drive results in the case of ambiguity (outcome focused with sense of urgency)
• Look to the future (creating and communicating vision and strategy at every opportunity and motivating others to achieve it)
• Solid understanding of current ESG trends, including government, investor and marketplace expectations, particularly as it relates to the food and agriculture sector
• Highly functional within a matrixed organizational structure

Other:

• Willingness to travel domestically or internationally approximately up to 30% of time

Benefits

We know that in order to meet our goal of growing dairy demand, we need the best people. We offer competitive compensation and generous benefits to help our employees balance their work and personal lives.

Our comprehensive health and welfare plans offer medical, dental, vision, life, short-term and long-term disability and flexible spending accounts (health care, dependent care, transit and parking). Our 401k provides up to a 10% match and includes a Roth account. DMI reserves the right to change or end its benefits plans or programs at any time.

Dairy Management Inc.™ is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to the principles of diversity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ethnicity, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

About Dairy Management Inc.

Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by America’s 31,000+ dairy farmers, as well as dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association, and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. DMI works with state and regional promotion organizations to implement these programs across the country.

We regret it is not possible to communicate with candidates except those who most closely match our requirements. Thank you.