Head of Product & Supplier Sustainability

Hybrid Working - London (Kings Cross), Manchester or Corby with travel

Are you able to take the lead on turning customers’ sustainability ambitions into products, propositions and supplier partnerships that deliver measurable commercial value?

We are looking for a commercially minded sustainability leader who understands how to bring sustainable products and solutions to market successfully. You will combine customer insight, product and supplier management expertise, and ESG knowledge to develop propositions that help customers achieve their sustainability goals while creating growth, differentiation and long‑term value for RS.

You will understand what motivates customers to adopt more sustainable products, translate environmental benefits into compelling commercial value propositions, and work with suppliers to improve product ranges, data, innovation and responsible business practices. This is an opportunity to shape how sustainability becomes an integral part of commercial decision‑making across our global business.

Our Commitment to Sustainability

Environment Social and Governance (ESG) is core to the way we do business at RS. It is a key enabler of our strategy and central to how we create long‑term value for our people, customers, suppliers, communities and shareholders. It underpins our ambition to be their first choice.

We strive to be a sustainable, responsible and inclusive business leader within the global industrial sector. Our 2030 ESG action plan, for a Better World, focuses on advancing four global goals: Advancing sustainability, Championing youth and communities, empowering our people and Doing business responsibly.

We are proud to be recognised as an ESG leader, holding a Platinum EcoVadis medal and a place on the CDP A List.

We work closely with our suppliers to offer customers more sustainable and responsible products, service solutions and distribution — helping them run their businesses more efficiently, safely and sustainably.

RS Better World Products (BWP) is an established industry standard for sustainable Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) products, offering c.33,000 products from 140+ suppliers. We aim to grow this to over 100,000 products by 2030 and are launching Better World Solutions — curated product groups that help customers reduce energy, water, waste and other resources.

Through our Supplier ESG Action Plan, we work with 2,500 product suppliers and a growing network of indirect partners to raise ESG standards across our supply chain. This includes ethical trading declarations, EcoVadis and Sedex assessments, site audits, sustainable product and packaging innovation, and carbon reduction through science‑based targets.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced commercial and sustainability leader to lead the strategic development and global delivery of our:

• Better World Products programme
• Supplier ESG Action Plan.

You will be accountable for turning sustainability strategy into a compelling product proposition, product growth and stronger supplier partnerships. This will include working with suppliers to understand customer needs, identifying the commercial and operational benefits of sustainable products, shaping go‑to‑market plans, and improving the supplier capabilities, data and practices required to deliver credible solutions at scale.

Success in this role will mean achieving both commercial and ESG outcomes, including, accelerating sustainable range growth, revenue contribution, margin performance, regulatory integrity and measurable environmental impact.

This role will shape the next phase of both programmes, driving both ESG and commercial outcomes to drive strategic progression and stakeholder value creation. It is a global role, working across all three RS regions (EMEA, Americas, APAC) and our global brands. You will lead a direct team of two but influence a much larger and broader matrix of stakeholders across Product & Supplier Management, ESG, Digital, Go‑to‑Market, Procurement and Ethics & Compliance.

We welcome candidates from product management, supplier management, category leadership, commercial strategy, proposition development or sustainability backgrounds. Whatever your route, you will need to demonstrate experience of converting sustainability objectives into customer propositions, supplier action and measurable commercial results.

Key Responsibilities

Better World Products (BWP)

• Lead the end‑to‑end strategy for BWP to maximise its value for RS suppliers and customers.
• Partner with Product & Supplier, Sales and Commercial teams to define and deliver BWP growth targets (range expansion, customer adoption, and revenue contribution), embedding sustainability into core commercial decision‑making.
• Lead teams to develop the BWP go‑to‑market strategy, including digital experience, pricing & margin, customer and supplier marketing, segmentation and sales enablement.
• Oversee ongoing development of BWP claims‑based framework and launch of BWP Solutions to drive further product and supplier identification, verification and onboarding to expand the BWP range and grow to 100k by 2030.
• Oversee relationships with sustainability consultants supporting framework development and regulatory alignment.
• Ensure framework alignment with emerging sustainability and product compliance regulations such as the Green Claims Directive and industry best practice to avoid greenwashing and maintain industry standard and customer trust.
• Shape the long‑term roadmap toward product lifecycle assessment and environmental footprint model, including product carbon footprint labelling. Partner with ESG team to develop Scope 3 roadmap and deliver ongoing improvements in customer and stakeholder reporting.
• Grow sustainable product data within the Product Information Management system and utilise AI to manage efficiently.
• Develop short, medium‑and long‑term metrics, external targets and monthly ESG and commercial performance reporting in collaboration with ESG data team. Use insight to drive decision making and progress.
• Partner with the ESG team to accelerate globalisation, governance, data development and reporting — including product carbon reporting from 2026 onward.

Supplier ESG Action Plan

• Lead global strategy, policy, process development and delivery of Supplier ESG action plan to limit third party risk and create greater value for RS and our suppliers in our go‑to‑market offer
• Lead the change leadership to ensure this is fully embedded across all RS procurement teams globally: branded and RS PRO product suppliers, indirect procurement, RS Integrated Supply and new acquisitions.
• Collaborate with Group Ethics & Compliance and Procurement Governance teams across RS to develop and implement RS Group’s supplier due diligence and management approach in line with current and emerging legislation with ongoing horizon scanning
• Develop strategy and oversee delivery of education and engagement programmes for RS category and supplier partners to drive action on key ESG topics including carbon reduction, SBTi alignment and collection of primary Scope 3 data, EcoVadis/Sedex assessments, BWP alignment, packaging improvements and region‑specific priorities.
• Strengthen supplier experience and customer trust through consistent, scalable, value added ESG initiatives.

Leadership

• Influence change with stakeholders at all levels across the global matrix: ESG, Product & Supplier Management, Digital, Go‑to‑Market, Ethics & Compliance
• Lead and develop a direct team of two (BWP Lead and Supplier ESG Lead).
• Lead cross‑functional and regional matrix working groups for BWP and Supplier ESG.
• Represent RS with customer, suppliers and wider industry and be RS’ thought leader and authority on product, supplier and customer ESG topics.

What we are looking for from you:

• Strong commercial leader with end‑to‑end experience across product, supplier, or commercial roles.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills; able to build strong relationships internally and externally.
• Proven matrix leader in complex global organisations; able to align and mobilise cross functional and regional teams to drive change in ambiguous environments
• Strong understanding and passion for ESG, with the ability to guide programme development with strategic integrity and regulatory awareness.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills – able to deliver compelling narratives and insights to internal and external stakeholders, including customers and suppliers, ensuring clarity, trust, and alignment.
• Able to translate technical sustainability concepts into simple, compelling commercial messaging that resonates with suppliers and stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and data‑driven mindset; able to develop metrics, reporting and insight‑led strategies.
• Experience developing or managing sustainable product ranges and understanding of market offerings.
• Experience in sustainability roles within product, supplier or procurement environments.
• Product and/or supplier management experience with business development or value‑creation skills.
• Knowledge of sustainability regulatory requirements including Green Claims Code, EU sustainable product principles and relevant international standards.

RS – Who We Are

At RS we’ve been solving engineering problems for over 80 years: big ones, small ones, easy and difficult ones. We turn the ‘what ifs’ into the ‘why nots’, the impossible into the possible.

Our purpose? Making amazing happen for a better world.

We offer service and product solutions. We send out a parcel every 2 seconds, to over 130 countries. We provide over 700,000 in‑stock and over 3 million unstocked products to more than 1.2 million customers. We want people like you, as you are curious about things, you like doing things differently and in a human way with empathy. Because that’s exactly how we partner with people – our customers, suppliers, colleagues, and communities – to solve problems.

We’ll also invest in your development and wellbeing – because building a more diverse and inclusive culture, being ethical, responsible, and committed to our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) action plan is at the heart of everything we do.

Come and join us and over 9000 colleagues and we’ll help you to think big, do more and unleash your brilliance, so you do amazing things too.

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