Director of Sustainability

ABOUT UNITED

United Sugar Producers & Refiners Cooperative ("United") is a member-owned marketing cooperative that is responsible for selling, marketing, packaging and delivering the sugar of four leading sugar growers in the U.S. They are the largest seller of sugar in the U.S., and they are passionate about their connection to the land from growing the sugar beets and sugar cane to delivering high-quality sugar to the largest food manufacturers and food retailers in the country. As a cooperative, United is by definition 'Farmer Owned', in fact, their sugar is grown by over 800 farmer families - many of which are in their fourth or fifth generation of family farming - be assured, their members know what sustainability means!

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The Director of Sustainability is responsible for leading all aspects of United's sustainability efforts. A large part of this effort is telling the story of their members who are continually investing in ongoing sustainability and regenerative agriculture practices. Additionally, the role is a key interface with their largest consumer packaged goods (CPG) customers to ensure United is addressingtheir ESG and regulatory requirements.

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Given the cross-functional nature and strategic importance in the organization, this role is part of the Strategy department at United and reports to the Chief Strategy Officer. This will ensure clarity in decision-making between the Director of Sustainability and respective sustainability leaders within the cooperative member organizations. This is a highly visible and influential role that involves regular interaction with executive leadership, director-level teams, and senior customer executives. We seek an individual who embodies exceptional integrity, optimism, expertise, and a collaborative spirit to effectively engage with both internal and external stakeholders and advance United's strategic objectives.

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KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE ROLE

Evolve and execute United's sustainability strategy to reflect the organization and its members' broad investment in sustainability and regenerative agriculture; with the goal of aligning the efforts and interests of our member growers with the needs of their customers. This strategy will likely span the following key objectives.

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• Tell the Story

• Market our members' existing sustainability efforts to customers

• Quantify the impact of existing and ongoing investments

• Create a broader industry awareness of sustainability in our growing and processing operations

• Define the Art of the Possible

• Work with members to chart a multi-year plan for increased sustainability and regenerative ag esp. in response to ongoing regulatory and customer developments

• Develop new solutions / engage outside partners

• Monetize existing efforts / pursue customer and other outside funds for sustainability

• Engage Customers

• Coordinate a collective response to customer inquiries

• Engage in a practical way to steer toward mutually agreeable sustainability objectives

• Ensure we are as good / better than competitors in sustainability efforts and reporting

• Measure and Report

• Lead and expand the usefulness of existing reporting

• Define and execute a strategic plan for working with 3rd party agencies and auditors (Bonscuro, SAI)

• Engage member leadership and thought leaders, creating a common understanding of sustainability efforts

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SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and maintain a global impact reporting framework, assessing data, identifying gaps, evaluating KPIs, understanding performance drivers and advising teams to meet targets.

• Prepare and maintain high-quality materials, dashboards, and reports for steering committees, management, and board meetings, and create training materials to enhance organizational sustainability awareness.

• Shape company communications on sustainability, oversee annual impact reporting and manage various publications and inquiries regarding sustainability and shared value narratives.

• Work with data and analytics related to impact and sustainability programs, interpreting and communicating data topics across the organization.

• Review and negotiate contractual agreements, ensuring they meet both customer expectations and cooperative capabilities

• Build programs and drive continuous improvement in line with reporting standards and best practices such as B-Corp, GRI, SASB, and GHG protocols.

• Support United's certification in Fair-for-Life and related development programs along the supply chain, especially with United growers, producers, smallholders, and indigenous partners.

• Ensure business-level guidelines and policies align with corporate sustainability commitments; identify gaps and recommend enhancements.

• Support stakeholder engagement processes and integrate relevant feedback and expectations related to impact.

• Develop and implement strategies to line up with the cooperative's sustainability efforts and the diverse needs of its members; helping to align growers who are at various stages on their sustainability journey

• Drive innovation through strategic sustainability partnerships in private, public, and non-governmental sectors.

• Represent the company at industry events and conferences on sustainability and regenerative practices.

• Act as the primary liaison with major CPG companies and other stakeholders, influencing their sustainability practices while advocating for the cooperative's interests

• Manage multiple complex projects with dependencies across various groups, ensuring alignment with company-wide initiatives.

• Lead a cross-member Sustainability Steering Committee to support and manage company-wide sustainability efforts.

• Collaborate with internal teams to drive and integrate sustainability initiatives across all facets of the cooperative's operation

• Monitor sustainability and regulatory landscapes, research emerging issues, and support impact-related compliance readiness.

• Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief Strategy Officer.

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EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree in Business, Environmental Science, Engineering, Agricultural fields, or equivalent experience.

• Minimum 5 years of specialized experience; 7+ years in sustainability, ESG, or corporate social responsibility, with preferred experience in farming and agriculture supply chains.

• Passion for agriculture and sustainability, with a commitment to representing farmers and promoting sustainable practices.

• Gravitas and confidence to engage with executives and lead strategic discussions.

• Practical and grounded approach with growers, avoiding idealistic or unrealistic solutions.

• Excellent communicator with strong presentation, verbal, and written skills; keen attention to detail.

• Familiarity with reporting standards (GRI, ISSB, SASB, B-Corp).

• Highly organized with strong project management skills, capable of handling multiple stakeholders and projects.

• Experience leading group processes, with strong influencing skills and the ability to maintain positive relationships.

• Understanding of stakeholder expectations and experience with ESG rating/evaluation systems.

• Self-starter, thriving in collaborative environments; global or multi-national experience preferred.

• Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office; advanced PowerPoint and NetSuite accounting software experience a plus.

• Ability to manage priorities, handle multiple projects, and meet deadlines.

• Team player in time-sensitive environments; versatile and flexible with changing priorities.

• Acute attention to detail and strong interpersonal skills.

• Experience engaging with major institutional investors and knowledge of ESG practices and disclosures (preferred)

• Experience with consumer products, food & beverage, merchandising, sourcing, or private-sector sustainability programs (preferred).

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TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

• This position involves travel to member farms, customer meetings, industry events, and the Cooperative's facilities in Minneapolis and Fargo (30%)

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To learn more about this opportunity, apply here or contact Richard Kent at richard.kent@acre.com.