Sustainability Specialist

The Sustainability Specialist supports implementation of Worthington's sustainability strategy within the business, with a focus on product and packaging sustainability, customer sustainability requests, emerging regulatory requirements, and cross-functional sustainability programs. The Specialist will serve as a day-to-day resource for Brand, Product, Engineering, Purchasing, and other business partners; coordinate data and documentation; support Design for Sustainability and New Product Development activities; and help translate sustainability and regulatory requirements into practical business actions. 

This is a hybrid role spending 3 days/week on-site at our Columbus, OH corporate headquarters.

Key Position Results:

• Support business teams in integrating sustainability considerations into product development,
• packaging, and business processes
• Coordinate responses to customer sustainability surveys and environmental compliance requests
• Perform customer and competitor benchmarking activities
• Support packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) data collection and reporting, development of internal packaging guidance, and identification of emerging product/packaging regulatory requirements.
• Serve as a trusted sustainability resource for Brand and Product teams and coordinate cross-functional actions to address priorities.
• Participate in the Sustainability Council and contribute to internal teams established to carry out the Corporate Sustainability strategy.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Product & Packaging Sustainability / NPD Support: Support New Product Development and Stage Gate activities by identifying sustainability considerations, customer expectations, packaging requirements, and regulatory watch-outs; support Design for Sustainability tools and implementation; provide guidance to Brand and Product teams on product and packaging sustainability questions.
• EPR & Regulatory Compliance Support: Support packaging data gathering, organization, validation, and reporting for EPR requirements; support monitoring and assessment of emerging product and packaging regulations, including packaging labeling, electronic-waste and battery stewardship, PFAS, Canada Federal Plastics Registry, and PPWR; coordinate follow-up with Legal and other functions as needed.
• Customer Sustainability Reporting: Coordinate responses to customer sustainability surveys and questionnaires; provide input to environmental compliance requests; support customer and competitor benchmarking, alignment reporting, and recurring customer updates regarding product and company sustainability performance.
• Business Sustainability Integration & Cross-Functional Coordination: Serve as a sustainability resource for Brand and Product teams; participate in quarterly business touchpoints with brand and product leaders, purchasing and other cross-functional teams; support internal teams established to implement corporate sustainability goals and activities; coordinate stakeholders and suppliers on assigned initiatives; identify practical opportunities to improve sustainability outcomes.