Environmental & Sustainability Manager

What makes this a great opportunity?

To support our Proof Positive sustainability ambition, this Environmental & Sustainability Manager role will support our full UK&I Estate (Scotch, Irish and Gin) and will also feed into the larger global environmental & sustainability team.

The E&S Manager will be responsible for supporting business compliance with current, and future, energy and environmental legislation and targets, both internal and external, through the identification and delivery of improvement projects focusing on water, energy & carbon.

Additionally, this position will support Sustainability strategy planning and execution across raw materials (water and cereal), energy (carbon and Net Zero), watershed and peatland conservation (NWS and PWS), and will include aspects of capital planning and justification, in conjunction with OU engineering and operations teams.

The E&S Manager will ensure consistency of approach across local EHS Compliance teams and contribute to UK&I representation and influence on internal and external working groups (e.g. SGS global sustainability teams, SWA, Suntory MBC and sustainability groups etc.).

This key role will help ensure that Suntory Global Spirits go beyond compliance in the attainment of all environmental and sustainability objectives and targets, as we work toward our Proof Positive and Industry (SWA) strategy achievement.

This role will require some travel to our UK&I sites as required. This role is a Permanent position based in Scotland but overseeing Sustainability activities across all UK&I operational sites

Role Responsibilities

• Act as the sustainability subject matter expert (SME) on best practices to manage compliance and reduce energy, water, and waste.
• Support in the identification and delivery of Energy and Water optimization, Carbon reduction, and waste reduction initiatives and projects.
• Support the global sustainability CoE (Centre of Excellence) to deliver a consistent approach to managing, measuring, and reducing key environmental aspects.
• Coordinate the monitoring and tracking of current fuel, electricity, water, wastewater, recycling, and waste disposal metrics, managing OU energy, carbon, water, packaging, and waste key performance indicators (KPIs) and their local and central reporting.
• Act as the owner of the Environmental Management System (EMS) for the UK&I operations and support accreditation to ISO14001:2026, through coordinating annual internal and external audits in conjunction with the local and central compliance teams.
• Support project ideation, validate cost savings and execute projects related to the reduction of energy usage (and associated carbon footprint) in existing and new systems, the reduction of the water footprint, and the optimization of all process and co-product streams towards creation of a sustainable business operation.
• Represent BSI externally with Governmental, Non-governmental, and industry organisations such as SWA, SEPA, Scottish Water, HSE etc.
• Act as the key contact between UK&I, SGS and Suntory stakeholders, supporting MBC spirit quality workstreams relating to water quality and cereal sustainability as required.
• Participate in capital planning for sustainability related projects, including preparing project specifications for request for proposals (RFP), ensuring Management of Change (MoC) documentation is completed, and contributing to the development of justifications for capital projects and preparation of Capital Authorization Requests (CARs) in a timely and accurate fashion.
• Develop and maintain best operating practices for design, maintenance and operation of utility and energy data management systems with regards to energy and water use.
• Review and evaluate government programs related to grants and rebates on energy usage/carbon, energy reduction/transition projects, and programs.
• Support the definition of environmental and sustainability business requirements and objectives, aligning to OU & Brand House business strategies and Masterplans, including CAPEX plans.
• Assist in the development of new installation techniques and standards. Troubleshoot technical issues related to sustainability equipment and processes. Manage technical documents related to sustainability standards and other guidance.
• Prepare and communicate sustainability presentations to management, site visit reports, meeting minutes, schedules, and routine status updates for sustainability projects.
• Act as the main contact for the UK&I within the SGS sustainability global team.
• Other duties as assigned.

Key Stakeholders 

External

• Industry Associations and Bodies: SEPA, SWA, SWRI, MAGB, MDAS, HSE, DESNZ etc.
• Key Suppliers (Energy, Utilities, Co-products, Instrumentation & Measurement) and Contractors (Water Systems, Utility Management, Energy Systems).
• Academic Linkages: JHI (Water & Soil), IBH (BARIToNE PhD)
• Technical Experts / Managers of other companies: Development and sharing of Operations “best practice” and industrial benchmarking.

Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelor of Science Degree (or higher) in: Environmental, Chemical, Mechanical, or Civil Engineering or relevant scientific discipline. Equivalent experience may be considered.
• Ability to work towards professional certifications is strongly desired.
• 3 – 5 years’ experience in a similar role, ideally within the spirits industry or a similar FMCG environment, engaging with key Business Leaders and SHE advisors.
• A strong grounding in process engineering and project management and strong technical expertise in conducting assessments at manufacturing sites, evaluating options/technology, and recommending short and long-term improvements.
• A solid understanding of current environmental legislation and how it impacts commercial decision making.
• Knowledge and experience of managing and developing an EMS to the ISO 14001:2026 standard.
• Competent IT / computer skills (Microsoft Office, etc.)
• Must be fluent in English; second language is a plus but not required. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and written, and explain technical concepts or innovations to technical and non-technical employees.
• Candidate should have a passion for sustainability and driving continuous improvement.
• while working collaboratively with others

Desirable

• Membership of a relevant professional body e.g. ISEP.
• Industry experience with water conservation related to usage rate reduction, water reuse, and watershed replenishment.
• The candidate will Ideally have industry experience of energy management systems (e.g. boilers/steam raising, cooling, chilling and compressed air).

Skills & Competencies

• Strong engineering / technical skills.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, and computer-generated reports.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong presentation and communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively and bring a forward-thinking and entrepreneurial spirit to the position.
• Physical requirements: ability to conduct visits and “gemba” activities throughout the manufacturing sites at on-grade, below-grade, and above-grade working surfaces.

Additional Requirements

• All applicants must have legal authorization to work in the country in which the manufacturing sites are located.
• The candidate must be able to travel to (and throughout) countries in which BSI has manufacturing locations (travel <25%).
• The candidate should have a clean driving licence.
• The role will be based in Glasgow, though other locations (Aberdeenshire or Islay) may be considered.

Diversity & Inclusion

At Suntory Global Spirits, people are our number one priority, and we believe our people grow together in diverse and inclusive environments where their unique insights, experiences and backgrounds are valued and respected.