Associate Director, Procurement - Sustainability & EPR

About this role

Job Description ​ ​ As the   Associate Director for   Procurement , Sustainability   &   EPR   you will be a key player in our team, responsible for building and   maintaining   trust to protect our brands’ reputation throughout the North American Zone. You will provide structure, support, and guidance to the North American Procurement team, ensuring a consistent approach   t o lead and scale our Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs and to drive responsible sourcing, supplier inclusion, and supplier development initiatives across the supply chain.   This role combines policy and program management, cross-functional stakeholder engagement, and supplier capacity building to reduce environmental and social risks, ensure regulatory compliance, and deliver measurable sustainability outcomes. The ideal candidate brings subject-matter   expertise   in EPR and responsible sourcing, strong program management skills, and a proven   track record   of influencing suppliers and internal partners to adopt sustainable practices. ​  

Essential   Functions   and   Responsibilities    

​ ​ EPR Leadership and Compliance  

• ​ Design, implement, and manage company-wide EPR strategies and operational programs to meet evolving regulatory requirements across jurisdictions.  

• ​ Serve as the business lead for EPR policy monitoring, interpretation, and internal guidance; ensure timely compliance, registrations, reporting, and fee management.  

• ​ Liaise with legal, regulatory, and government affairs teams on policy development and advocacy.  

• ​ Partner with procurement, product, operations, legal, finance, and sustainability analytics teams to embed sustainability in commercial decision-making.  

• ​ Drive internal stakeholder engagement, training, and communications to ensure program adoption and continuous improvement.  

• ​ Measurement, Reporting & Continuous Improvement  

• ​ Define KPIs, targets, and dashboards for EPR, responsible sourcing, and supplier inclusion initiatives; report progress to senior leadership.  

• ​ Oversee supplier performance monitoring, audits, and corrective action tracking.  

• ​ Identify and scale best practices, pilot innovative solutions (e.g., circular design, takeback models), and lead lessons-learned reviews.  

​ Team & Budget Management  

• ​ Lead a small cross-functional team and manage external partners/consultants; develop team capability.  

• ​ Manage program budgets and vendor relationships to deliver on objectives.  

People Management Responsibility:    

• Team (salaried):    3   direct   reports     

Expected Experience   and   Required Skills  

• ​ ​ Bachelor’s degree in sustainability, environmental policy,   procurement ,   supply chain,   or a related field. Advanced degree preferred.  

• ​ 8+ years of progressive experience in   procurement,   sustainability, EPR, responsible sourcing, supplier inclusion, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.  

• ​ Demonstrated experience implementing EPR programs or comparable extended producer accountability systems, including regulatory compliance and reporting.  

• ​ Proven track record of working directly with suppliers to implement sustainability improvements and inclusion programs.  

• ​ Strong knowledge of responsible sourcing frameworks and standards (e.g., RBA, ISO 20400, SA8000, OECD Guidelines).  

• ​ Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills across commercial and technical functions.  

• ​ Proven   record of accomplishment   demonstrating the ability to develop, design, and deploy change and transformation across large organizations.    

• ​ Ability to influence and coach without direct accountability, supporting NA Procurement teams to achieve results,   and   possessing   excellent relationship management and communication skills .  

• ​ Displays high levels of energy and commitment; is relentless in   pursuing   goals   in an environment of complexity,   diversity,   and   ambiguity.  

• ​ Advanced   and   demonstrated   change management skills with an eagerness to learn and develop further.  

• ​ Advanced user of MS Office   Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)   and   have   a technological understanding of   tools that support the responsibilities of the role.  

• ​ Professional fluency in English with strong written, verbal ,   and listening skills is a must;   multilingual   is a plus. ​  

Work Environment   and   Schedule  

This position is considered a   typical   office environment with moderate travel to   supplier   locations, stores, manufacturing facilities, etc.; offices are open workspaces.   We are committed to creating a more agile and modern workplace, allowing Chicago/Aon Center-based employees to work virtually for up to two days each week. We also expect them to work in person at their assigned work location at least three days per workweek during the defined core days, ensuring a healthy work-life balance .

Our Total Rewards philosophy is to provide a meaningful and flexible spectrum of programs that equitably support our diverse workforce and their families and complement Kraft Heinz’ strategy and values.

New Hire Base Salary Range: $164,200.00 - $205,200.00

Bonus: This position is eligible for a performance-based bonus as provided by the plan terms and governing documents.

The compensation offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors

Benefits: Coverage for employees (and their eligible dependents) through affordable access to healthcare, protection, and saving for the future, we offer plans tailored to meet you and your family’s needs. Coverage for benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.

Wellbeing: We offer events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire a physical, social, emotional, an

Similar jobs

• Senior Director, Sustainable Procurement and Process Excellence — PCI Pharma Services · Remote
• Associate Director, HR- Procurement & Quality — Kraft Heinz · Chicago, IL
• Executive Director, Supply Chain and Procurement — The University of Texas at Austin · AUSTIN, TX
• Procurement Risk, Sustainability & Programs Specialist — Kraft Heinz · Chicago, IL
• Assoc Director, Procurement - Transportation and Logistics — Gilead Sciences · Foster City, California, United States
• Director, Procurement Excellence & Strategic Initiatives — Bristol Myers Squibb · Princeton, NJ
• Lead Specialist, Procurement Process Excellence, Governance & Sustainability — AIG · GA-Atlanta
• Sr Director, Procurement — Beyondtrust · Remote