Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago

Director Sustainability

Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience required.
  • Minimum of 8 years in operational management with a focus on strategic planning.
  • Experience with project management and change leadership preferred.
  • Strong budget development and financial oversight capabilities.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead teams and manage talent development.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and implement strategies to enhance donation goods acquisition and sustainability operations.
  • Evaluate industry trends and emerging opportunities to optimize inventory and sustainability performance.
  • Ensure compliance with municipal regulations and public policies related to donations and recycling.
  • Implement initiatives to enhance inventory utilization and improve resource efficiency.
  • Collaborate with various departments to increase operational efficiency and reduce environmental impacts.
  • Identify training opportunities for team members and promote professional development.
  • Lead complex, cross-functional projects aimed at operational improvements and change management.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance options.
  • Short and long-term disability coverage.
  • Life insurance.
  • Retirement plan offerings.
  • Paid time off (PTO) and additional leave options.
Full Job Description
Develop long- and short-term business strategies (3-5 years) and oversees execution for Inventory & Sustainability Operations, including the acquisition of consumer and business donations, donation acquisition channels, secondary markets, inventory management, and sustainability initiatives. RESPONSIBILITY LEVEL: Develop long- and short-term business strategies (3-5 years) and oversees execution for Inventory & Sustainability Operations, including the acquisition of consumer and business donations, donation acquisition channels, secondary markets, inventory management, and sustainability initiatives. Leads efforts to maximize donated goods utilization, improve operational efficiency, advance sustainability objectives, reduce waste, and support organizational growth. Develop departmental procedures, performance metrics, and operating strategies. Forecasts and plans annual operating and capital budget, implements cost-savings measures. Maintains and adjusts operating budget, manages expenses and COGS based on changes in internal or external factors, and communicates budgetary performance. Typically leads projects and initiatives that span 2-5 years. Responsible for integration of systems, systems metrics and analysis. PRINCIPAL DUTIES: 1. Develop and implement strategies and partnerships that increase the quantity and quality of donated goods, strengthen inventory availability, promote responsible resource stewardship, and support organizational sustainability objectives 2. Assess industry trends, market conditions, and emerging opportunities to develop strategies that enhance inventory performance, expand donated goods supply, improve operational effectiveness, advance sustainability initiatives, and support long-term growth. 3. Navigate municipal regulations, sustainability initiatives, and public policy opportunities that support responsible donation collection, material diversion, recycling, and community environmental partnerships. 4. Support organizational initiatives that increase donated goods generation, improve inventory utilization, reduce waste, enhance resource efficiency, and advance environmental and business performance objectives 5. Partner with Retail, Supply Chain, Facilities, and Mission teams to identify opportunities for process improvement, inventory optimization, environmental impact reduction, operational efficiency, and responsible resource utilization 6. Identify appropriate training and professional development opportunities for self, members of management and the inventory team. Determines requirements for employee training initiatives are developed and meet the needs of the employees. Including staying informed of new technology and processes as well as industry initiatives to drive innovation and efficiency within the operation. 7. Develop and implement long-range inventory, sustainability, and operational strategies that optimize inventory performance, strengthen resource utilization, improve organizational efficiency, and ensure inventory-related functions achieve or exceed established financial, operational, environmental, and growth objectives. 8. Leading and Developing Talent: Manages organizational design for area of responsibility and directs talent planning, hiring, development and training of staff. May participate in succession planning discussions. Networks and sources for positions throughout the organization. 9. Project and Change Management: Serves as project owner for high complexity department, cross-functional or multi-location projects and improvement initiatives. Set project direction including project scope, timeline and resources. Accountable for making decisions and project success. Manages change through effective planning, communication and coaching. Builds and participates in leadership coalition supporting and implementing organizational change. 10. Community Engagement: Actively engages with community partners and links activities to business performance. 11. Responsible for completing other duties/responsibilities as assigned. REQUIREMENTS: 1. Bachelor s Degree or experience equivalency, and a minimum of 8 years experience. 2. Extensive experience in positions of progressive responsibility in operational management including strategic planning, project management, change leadership and budget development is preferred. LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES: 1. Business Insight: Demonstrates thorough business/industry knowledge and can synthesize business information and respond to changing market dynamics effectively. Proactively monitors external factors and policies that may affect the organization. Uses knowledge to plan work and guide decision making. 2. Courage: Fosters a culture that supports people taking well-reasoned risks, regardless of outcome and appropriately advocates for decisions that are for the good of the organization. Confronts actions that are inconsistent with the Guiding Principles and demonstrates the ability to provide leadership through high-stakes situations, crises, or conditions of uncertainty. CORE CULTURALCOMPETENCIES: 1. Customer Focus: Fosters a customer service-focused environment with a sense of urgency and importance of meeting the customer s needs. Establishes organizational partnerships with key customers and ensures resources and support are focused on meeting customer needs. 2. Values Differences: Cultivates an environment that makes all people feel valued and that encourages and supports diversity and inclusion. Sponsors and mentors people from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. Applies understanding of cultural differences to create value and help meet business goals. 3. Communicates Effectively: Promotes a free flow of information throughout the organization and demonstrates candor and openness when discussing major organizational initiatives. Creates venues for constructive dialogue and ensures organizational information is cascaded to a wide variety of audiences at all levels. 4. Situational Adaptability: Demonstrates flexibility in a changing, competitive environment and initiates change in response to the cues in the external environment. Adapts leadership style in response to a broad range of situations and challenges that ingrains flexibility within the organizations structures, systems and culture. 5. Drives Results: Drives organization to achieve results that have a direct impact on business performance. Pushes the organization to move forward in difficult circumstances and eliminates obstacles that affect organizational performance. 6. Ensures Accountability: ensures the organization meets commitments and holds leaders accountable for team performance. Sets and monitors goals that align with organizational strategy creating an environment of accountability for meeting agreed upon expectations and performance expectations. PHYSICAL/SENSORY DEMANDS: Job requires the following: remain stationary for sustained periods of time; ability to move about to accomplish tasks; must be able to operate a computer or similar technology, which typically involves substantial motions of wrist, hands and/or fingers; visual acuity to perform activities such as preparing data, operating equipment or review thoroughness of work; ability to communicate with others and exchange information. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. When determining placement within the salary range for this position Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago considers education, experience, internal equity, market demands and other qualifying criteria. It is not typical for individuals to be hired at or near the top of the rage for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on facts and circumstances of each case. Certain roles are eligible to participate in an incentive plan. Participation in this plan does not guarantee an incentive payment and is subject to the terms and conditions of the plan, which are subject to change. In addition to compensation, we offer a competitive benefit program that may include medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, retirement plan, paid time off (PTO) and more. The specifics of each benefit package will vary depending on factors such as full or part time jobs, contracted, temporary, or other job categories.

About Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago

Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago is a nonprofit organization that provides job training, employment placement services, and other community-based programs for people with disabilities, those who lack education or job experience, and others facing challenges to finding employment. The organization operates retail stores and donation centers that generate revenue to support its programs. Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago serves communities in southeastern Wisconsin and metropolitan Chicago.
Learn more about Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago
Size
5,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1919

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