Manager, Sustainability

Closing Date: Open until filled

Hybrid Work: Eligible

Position Type: Permanent

Location: St. Albert Office or Mill Site

The Opportunity

Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. (Al-Pac) is seeking a Manager, Sustainability to work out of our St. Albert office or Mill Site in Athabasca, Alberta.

Reporting to the Director, Stakeholder Relations & Sustainability (SRS), the Manager, Sustainability is accountable for leading the Sustainability business unit and implementing Al-Pac’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework. This includes driving cross-functional integration of sustainability goals, leading ESG reporting and compliance, managing responsible sourcing and operations certifications and ratings, and supporting ecology-based initiatives that align with Al-Pac’s operational and long-term strategic objectives.

Responsibilities

• People Leadership: Lead a team of professionals across multiple locations, fostering a culture of safety, wellbeing, growth, and continuous improvement. Set clear goals, work plans, and KPIs, and oversee daily operations. Manage the business unit’s budget in alignment with Al-Pac policies.
• Operational Excellence: Drive performance within the Sustainability team by setting clear objectives, aligning KPIs, and ensuring accountability. Support internal and external audits, manage regulatory and certification compliance, and lead continuous improvement initiatives. Collaborate with other teams to align resources and plans with broader organizational goals, while identifying and mitigating risks.
• ESG Framework & Implementation: Lead the implementation and ongoing improvement of Al-Pac’s ESG framework. Work with business areas across the organization to integrate ESG priorities into operational decision-making and support departments in applying sustainability practices. Stay ahead of emerging issues and evolving standards and recommend appropriate responses.
• Compliance, Monitoring & Reporting: Support compliance with enterprise certifications and ratings (e.g., FSC, ISO 9001 & 14001, Ecovadis, C-TPAT), including managing audits, assessments, and recommend system improvements. Lead internal and external reporting, manage sustainability data, and monitor performance against KPIs. Ensure adherence to all relevant policies and disclosure requirements.
• Environmental Stewardship: Collaborate with other business areas on initiatives that promote environmental stewardship, including biodiversity, ecosystem-based management, decarbonization, and responsible sourcing and operations.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: Collaborate with business areas to support ESG framework execution and achieve sustainability objectives. Develop and deliver reports, briefings, and other materials. Collaborate with Sales to communicate Al-Pac’s sustainability performance to customers, and contribute to brand-related communications initiatives.

Requirements

• Post-secondary degree in a related field is required.
• Minimum 7 years’ professional experience in a sustainability or environmental management role with a focus on implementation, preferably in the forest or natural resource development sectors, is required.
• Demonstrated leadership experience supporting change initiatives and progressing sustainability objectives, preferably in an industry setting.
• Management, consulting, and/or auditing experience in progressive roles associated with sustainability programs, standards, certifications, and/or ESG frameworks.
• Strong understanding of ESG reporting and disclosure standards, frameworks, requirements, and best practices, including but not limited to, IFRS Sustainability Standards 1 & 2, GHG Protocol, Science Based Targets Initiative, The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
• Knowledge of current sustainability-related issues, such as biodiversity, ecosystem-based management, and decarbonization, and emerging issues and regulatory reporting requirements, and global responsible supply chain initiatives.
• Understanding of sustainability and responsible operations certifications and ratings, such as Forest Stewardship Council, ISO, and Ecovadis.
• Ability to collaborate and engage with stakeholders and the public with professionalism, tact, discretion, good judgment, and trust.
• Strong communicator with excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Skilled at building trust, influencing outcomes, and developing strong stakeholder relationships with professionalism, tact and sound judgment.
• Analytical and detail-oriented; comfortable managing complex data.
• Organized and efficient, able to manage multiple priorities and drive results.
• Skilled in project and strategic planning to deliver on business objectives.
• Sustainability-related accreditation experience would be an asset.

Job Details

• Travel to the mill site (located near Athabasca, Alberta) is required.
• This position is eligible for our Hybrid Work Arrangement Program that provides the flexibility of working from home and the office.

Who Are We?

Al-Pac is the largest single-line kraft pulp producer in North America. Our mill is located near the communities of Athabasca, Boyle & Lac La Biche. We are leaders in our industry, from our quality products, mill operations and responsible forest management practices, to the way we grow and develop our team members and work with local communities. We are continuously exploring new and innovative ideas, while delivering premium products with a commitment to strong environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility – a commitment that is demonstrated by our long-standing Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification*.

We are an inclusive workplace where different points of view are welcomed and encouraged. We believe that diversity in our workforce drives innovation, and we foster a culture that supports team members to be themselves and rewards thinking differently. You will experience first-hand that our culture values health and safety, teamwork, continuous improvement, open communication, productivity and quality.

We also understand that work should be just one part of your life, and we strive to ensure our team members have a healthy work-life balance. We offer a compressed work week schedule, a hybrid work arrangement program, as well as a generous time-off policy starting with four weeks of vacation allowance. As a result of programs like these, combined with our culture and working environment, we have been recognized over the last decade with Canada’s Top Employer, Alberta’s Top Employer and Top Employer for Young People awards.

Legal Statement

Al-Pac is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals. We wish to express our thanks to all applicants for their interest and effort in applying for this position; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

*FSC-C021640

How to Apply:

Please apply online using this link.