JOB OVERVIEW:
We are seeking a highly self-motivated, pragmatic leader to expand our Sustainability team at Darden restaurants. Darden is a family of leading restaurants with talented teams who are passionate about serving great food and creating memorable experiences for our guests, and giving back to local communities.

We recognize that when communities thrive, businesses and individuals do too. That is why Darden is committed to being a positive force in the communities we serve, and we strive to make an impact through our sustainability efforts. Darden is committed to sourcing food with care and protecting our planet for future generations.

We are looking for a leader with the expertise and pragmatic skills to help champion sustainability within our restaurants every day and passion to work towards a more sustainable tomorrow.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities:

• Support Darden’s sustainability objectives under the direction of Director of Sustainability, with daily tasks related to project management, data analysis, strong verbal and written communication, and robust reporting
• Own reporting on key sustainability metrics, including data collection and analysis, for both internal and external reporting frameworks
• Manage data and reporting related to Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks
• Lead projects related to sustainability, including energy and water conservation, and landfill diversion initiatives
• Provide operational, analytical and analytical support to ensure success of projects
• Facilitate cross-functional teams to support sustainability, including functions such as Operations, Marketing, Finance, Facilities and Supply Chain
• Conduct desktop research on sustainability related topics, and produce concise briefs for internal audience
• Prepare communication and reporting materials for internal and external audiences
• Provide content expertise, and be able to articulate business impact and provide guidance on key issues such as: Climate, Packaging, Renewables, Animal Welfare, ESG reporting, etc.

REQUIRED TECHNICAL SKILLS:

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple work streams independently with strong drive for results
• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written, with ability to convey both context and business impact of issues
• Proficiency in digital platforms, including Microsoft Office, and ability to prepare presentations, spreadsheets and graphs of complex data sets
• Expertise in corporate sustainability material issues, including climate, energy, water, food waste, packaging, agriculture systems, and protein supply chains
• Familiar with relevant industry sustainability reporting frameworks, for example TCFD, CDP, SASB and other ESG frameworks
• Facilitate cross-functional teams, to build business solutions to support success of business
• Meeting and strong organization skills, with ability to coordinate on-site logistics and material preparation

REQUIRED EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, such as Environmental Science, Sustainability, Business Management; Master’s Degree preferred

OTHER KEY QUALIFICATIONS:

• 3 to 5 years of work experience relevant to corporate sustainability, working with or inside corporate environment
• Multi-stakeholder engagement experience, including NGOs, policy engagement and business-to-business
• Effective intrapersonal skills to develop relationships with key stakeholders
• Ability to travel if needed

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Restaurant/food service engagement on sustainability and/or policy preferred
• Experience engaging with NGOs within sustainable food systems, especially food waste, sustainable agriculture, animal welfare
• Familiar with food supply chain sustainability material issues, and demonstrated partnerships with supply chain partners
• Development of communication materials on sustainability topics