Health & Sustainability is one of Ahold Delhaize’s four strategic pillars, supporting our ambition to lead the transition to a healthy and sustainable food system. As Director Biodiversity & Product Sustainability, you will lead Ahold Delhaize's transition to an inclusive and regenerative food system supporting biodiversity.

Hi, we are Ahold Delhaize, a global family of caring brands
Helping people eat well, save time, and live better. That is what Ahold Delhaize stands for. Ahold Delhaize entails over 7,500 stores with more than 413,000 associates, characterized by trusted brands with strong local identities in more than seven countries. We serve over 55 million customers weekly in the United States and Europe. Health & Sustainability (H&S) is one of the company's four strategic pillars, and with the H&S agenda, actions that create a healthier planet is a top priority.

This is what you’ll be doing
As Director Biodiversity & Product Sustainability, your goal is to stimulate and accelerate the transition to a circular food system which supports nature and ecosystem restoration and the decarbonization of Ahold Delhaize’s supply chains by building strong business cases. You will work together closely with senior leaders to increase both the concentration of sustainable products and transparency throughout our value chains. 
You will drive our global approach to deliver a positive impact to nature and the restoration of ecosystems. This is accomplished through our commitments regarding the commodities critical to our business (e.g. 100% physical certification of deforestation-free palm oil), and also through the impact themes that are most relevant to our business (e.g. deforestation and conversion-free, regenerative agri- &aqua culture, animal welfare and stock management); activities that can also support our scope 3 climate ambitions. 
In this role you will develop, implement and maintain a process to ensure nature and ecosystem related trends and research are captured and shared globally, including topics of stakeholder concern (in collaboration with communications and investor relations teams). With your team, you’ll coordinate and create platforms for best-practice sharing among brands, to accelerate movement toward AD’s strategy.

Dive wholeheartedly into these key responsibilities

• Lead the development of our global approach to biodiversity and product sustainability, global targets, policies, and opportunities to scale and share best practice across the group 
• Develop and communicate Ahold Delhaize’s product sustainability policies related to critical commodities and animal welfare across all brands, align product sustainability elements in other Sustainable Product policies, and manage policy implementation.
• Develop and communicate Ahold Delhaize’s biodiversity commitments related to our material topics (e.g. regenerative agriculture) across all brands. 
• Develop supplier engagement approach and tools in close collaboration with the regions and brands
• Maintain and develop strong expertise in biodiversity with a focus on nature and value chain in relation to food retail
• Act as a source of expertise, advising internal stakeholders and leadership on approaches for risk management, due diligence, and future considerations, in close collaboration with the risk & controls team
• Plan and execute assigned biodiversity & product sustainability projects; lead (improvement) projects to implement new systems, procedures, and processes
• Maintain a strong network of internal biodiversity & product sustainability peers and key business leaders 
• Represent Ahold Delhaize as needed on external committees or through speaking engagements related to critical commodities and biodiversity. Also, you’ll maintain good relationships with NGOs working on issues relevant to climate and environment
• Translate recommendations from external stakeholders (NGO partners, benchmarking groups and other experts) into strategy and practical plans (i.e. stakeholder contribution to data collection project, TFND)

This is how you keep growing 
Ahold Delhaize is growing enthusiastically but sustainably. If we can grow while having a more positive impact on people or our planet, we're going for it. We encourage all 413,000 colleagues to share this attitude on a personal level, so opportunities to master new skills and expand your capabilities are a given. And because we're a global family of brands, finding your next challenge comes (almost) as naturally as calling an actual relative. We #daretocare for our people at all levels. 

What that translates to in this role?

• A rewarding salary, plus attractive bonuses, a first-rate pension plan with a personal contribution of just 4.7%
• A first-rate pension plan with a personal contribution of just 4.7%
• The development and career prospects you associate with a global player: best-in-class coaching, well-constructed growth paths and international, cross-brand career options
• 20 vacation days, supplemented by a personal budget: take an additional 12.5 days off
• Flexible working hours in a hybrid mix from home and from the office
• Travel allowance, discounts on health insurance and groceries 
• The chance to drive meaningful change – healthy, affordable, sustainably produced food matters – on a truly global scale 
• Membership in a lively and diverse community that wholeheartedly embraces courage inspires growth and dares to care

We welcome caring colleagues who 

• Combine a Master's degree in an environmental or sustainability study with over 8 years of relevant work experience in manufacturing, agriculture, or retail sector
• Are proficient and ambitious in the levers of sustainability, natural capital, and carbon storage 
• Have knowledge on various risk and reporting frameworks (e.g. CSRD, TNFD), as well as scope 3 challenges and calculation methodology
• Are experienced in working with an investor community 
• Bring solid communication and engagement qualities to the table – which is important as you will be guiding senior stakeholders in a complex organization and building strong networks of engaged nature and ecosystems champions 
• Can bridge the gap between gathering complex data and presenting it for strategic decision making
• Are versed in creating data insights as evidenced by your track record
• Are as caring, courageous and growth-minded as your colleagues and are happy to embrace and advocate the #daretocare philosophy

At Ahold Delhaize and our local brands, we broadly define diversity as inclusive of thoughts and skills, generational differences, LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disabilities, nationalities and more, and we accept all people for who they are.

Dare to care and grow with us? 
We look forward to teaming up soon, at your home away from home: our vibrant HQ, right next to Zaandam station. You can apply until 7 June 2023. Do you wish to know more before you hit the Apply button? Please contact Karen de Geus, Talent Acquisition Partner Sustainability at karen.de.geus@ah.nl.