Who are we?

A pioneer of organic home delivery, Abel & Cole is a brand famous for seasonal organic fruit & veg. Since 1988 we’ve built close relationships with other brilliant organic pioneers to deliver a wide range of fantastic organic product to people’s homes across much of England. We represent a refreshing alternative to supermarket shopping, but without being worthy or preachy.

Understanding and minimizing negative environmental and social impact is at the heart of what we do, and every team member is responsible for upholding those values. No air freight, no silly packaging, no nasty chemicals – just great food produced by people who really love what they do. We deliver to around 45,000 households and we employ over 700 great people. We consider ourselves bold, irreverent, genuine, friendly and honest, and it is crucial that this comes across in everything we do.

Who are Abel & Cole? Check us out at www.abelandcole.co.uk, https://bcorporation.net/directory/abel-cole, Instagram and Facebook

Role Summary

Our sustainability team works across several areas such as environmental and social impact, carbon reduction strategy, packaging, B Corp certification and Responsible Supplier Program, just to name a few. As we progress with our carbon reduction strategy in line with our SBTi commitments it is becoming increasingly important that we can access as much of our suppliers’ impact data – both social and environmental - as possible.

This data will form the foundation upon which we will build our understanding of our suppliers’ carbon-emitting activities. It is only with this data, and the associated insight into our supply chain, that we can influence our suppliers’ practices, our purchasing decisions and our customers’ shopping behaviours.

Based at our Head Office in Wimbledon, the successful candidate will report to the Head of Sustainability and will be a business partner to the Buying team. Supported by both teams, they will gain in-depth knowledge of all environmental and social impacts of our suppliers and their products. They will work closely within our third-party partners’ frameworks to obtain critical and actionable data with the aim to continuously improve our suppliers’ ESG practices. This candidate will also take the lead on any related projects and policies, maintain strong working relationships, and build new relationships with suitable collaborators.

This role requires superior communication skills, expert knowledge on matters relating to supply chain and best carbon-reducing practices, coupled with a passion for sustainability. The candidate’s success in this role will depend on their ability to influence and challenge others within the business.

What you’ll be getting up to: 

Data collection and monitoring 

· Immerse yourself into our Buying team to lead suppliers in collecting ESG data for our Responsible Supplier Programme, eco-impact labelling and other standards. 

· Lead suppliers in utilising insight on best practice and spearhead regular webinars to further develop our supplier community around topics relating to sustainability. 

· Provide leadership on responsible supply chain related KPIs and report to the board on a regular basis. 

· Partner with the Technical Team and take accountability for records on ingredients to be monitored, such as palm oil and soya, within our products. 

Collaboration 

· Join the Buying team’s meetings to engage the A&C supplier community and obtain eco-impact information in a positive and constructive manner. 

· Take the lead on strategic planning where Buying and Sustainability intersect.

· Collaborate with consultants and third parties to secure appropriate advice and tools to interpret the data. 

· Develop a way forward to reduce suppliers’ carbon-emissions through discussions with all stakeholders and external partners. 

· Grow and maintain network of partners for collaboration purposes on sustainable supply chain practices. 

· Ability to inspire and motivate collaborators to bring about change. 

· Confidently challenge existing processes, continuously looking at ways of working efficiently and opportunities for the business to be pioneering. 

Projects 

· Spearhead eco-impact labelling initiatives and act as main point of contact for external partners. 

· Implement the Responsible Supplier Programme into the eco-impact data-capture web portal and process with third party support. 

· Take ownership of growing membership of our Responsible Supplier Programme within the data-capture framework; chair meetings and develop webinars. 

· Initiate and lead projects and policy development that are centred on sustainable supply chains. 

· Further develop ethical sourcing policies, for example, around deforestation. 

· Strong project management and organisational skills with the ability to juggle multiple projects and priorities. 

· Keeping abreast of new plans and developments within the industry. 

· Ability to analyse and evaluate initiatives and make recommendations for future improvements. 

· Implementing best carbon saving initiatives and incentive schemes 

· Taking supplier engagement on ecological impact on the next level through forging advantageous partnerships 

What we’re looking for: 

· Proven track-record in minimizing impact within supply chains through collaboration and initiative. 

· Exceptionally clear, succinct, and engaging communication skills, both written and verbal. 

· Ability to tailor communication, presentations, and reports to suit the audience it is intended for. 

· Experience in presenting complex subject matters and public speaking. 

· Passion and thirst for knowledge for all areas of sustainability. 

· A natural curiosity, willingness to ask questions and engage with any external parties. 

· Advanced knowledge of MS Excel. 

· Confident in Trello, MS Word, and PowerPoint. 

· Logical and systematic, with great attention to detail. 

· Has the tenacity to investigate and think creatively. 

· Persuasion and influence at all levels including directors and senior leadership team. 

· Inspiring various stakeholders and demonstrating though leadership 

What we offer: 

Monday – Friday, 37.5hrs/week; flexible start and finish time depending on job requirements and in line with ways of working guidelines; minimum of two days per week in the Wimbledon office. 

· Salary of up to £45,000 per annum (FTE)

· 33 days holiday (inclusive of Bank Holidays). 

· A free box of fruit and veg every week alongside company discount of up to 35%. 

· Cycle to Work Scheme. 

· Contributory Pension Scheme. 

Abel & Cole promotes equal opportunities for all employees. We want our employees to feel they can be themselves at work and develop their talents to the full. Members of staff are expected to take personal responsibility for keeping our workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and bullying - a place where everyone is treated fairly and respectfully. As part of the recruitment journey, if you need us to make any reasonable adjustments so you’re not disadvantaged, please contact us as soon as possible. We welcome applications from people with disabilities. To support Abel & Cole’s commitment to inclusion and diversity, we ask that you remove all personal details from your CV. This includes removal of home address, D.O.B and place of education.