Position summary

Unilever is hiring a Sustainability Manager, Impact & Assurance into its Global Procurement Centre of Excellence to safeguard the credibility, integrity and transparency of the Procurement sustainability agenda. Reporting to the End-to-End Procurement Sustainability Director, the role leads the Sustainability Impact & Assurance capability, ensuring progress against climate, nature, livelihoods and responsible sourcing commitments can be consistently measured, governed and assured, and that sustainability claims, performance data and disclosures are robust, auditable and aligned with evolving external expectations.

Why this role matters

Following Unilever’s announced agreement to combine its Foods business with McCormick & Company (completion estimated mid-2027, subject to regulatory approval), this role establishes the governance, systems and insights that let the future Foods organisation independently measure, report and assure its sustainability performance, building stakeholder confidence and supporting strategic decision-making.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the Foods Sustainability Impact & Assurance strategy, establishing the governance, operating model, systems and controls to independently manage sustainability measurement, reporting and assurance across the future Foods organisation.
• Own sustainability data governance and reporting, ensuring robust processes, controls and methodologies support climate, nature, livelihoods, regenerative agriculture and responsible sourcing disclosures.
• Drive assurance readiness and compliance by overseeing internal controls, audit preparedness, evidence management and external assurance to meet regulatory, customer and investor expectations.
• Establish impact measurement frameworks by defining KPIs, methodologies and performance-management processes for credible measurement of sustainability outcomes and business value.
• Provide technical leadership on sustainability claims and substantiation, ensuring communications are supported by appropriate evidence, methodologies and governance.
• Lead sustainability reporting transformation by streamlining systems, improving data quality, automating reporting and strengthening decision-useful insights, and build future organisational capability through knowledge transfer and documentation.

Team and stakeholders

The role reports to the End-to-End Procurement Sustainability Director within the Global Procurement Centre of Excellence and partners with Procurement, Finance, Legal, Corporate Affairs, Digital and Sustainability teams to embed data quality, reporting standards and accountability across business processes.

Key details

• Global scope; based in London (Kingston upon Thames), hybrid working in line with local policy.
• Supports the transition of governance and reporting from current Unilever structures into the future Foods organisation.

Requirements

Essential

• Significant experience in sustainability reporting, ESG assurance, impact measurement, sustainability data governance or related disciplines within a global organisation.
• Strong understanding of sustainability reporting frameworks, assurance principles, sustainability data management and internal control environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional programmes involving multiple stakeholders, systems and governance requirements.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and translate technical sustainability requirements into practical business processes and decisions.
• Strong analytical, risk management and problem-solving capabilities, with experience in highly regulated and rapidly evolving environments.

Preferred

• Experience supporting sustainability disclosures, external assurance engagements or regulatory reporting programmes.
• Familiarity with climate, nature, regenerative agriculture, responsible sourcing or agricultural supply-chain sustainability metrics.
• Experience designing or implementing sustainability reporting systems, digital solutions, data platforms or performance-management frameworks.