Sustainability Specialist

Worthington Enterprises · Columbus

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.
Data, Documentation & Program Tracking: Maintain centralized sustainability and compliance files in Teams and other designated systems; track customer requests, EPR data, project milestones, and follow-ups; support team reporting to business leadership, templates, training, reports, and other repeatable processes that improve program execution. Use available technology, reporting tools, and appropriate automation to improve data collection, validation, tracking, and recurring reporting. Identify opportunities to reduce manual effort, improve data quality, and create more efficient and repeatable processes

Critical Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

Sustainability and Product Stewardship Knowledge: Understands how sustainability expectations, product requirements, packaging, and emerging regulations affect business decisions.
Collaborator and Relationship Builder: Develops effective working relationships across Brand, Product, Engineering, Purchasing, Regulatory, Legal, and Corporate Sustainability teams.
Self-Directed: Able to organize and advance work in an environment with multiple priorities, evolving requirements, and ambiguous issues.
Problem structuring and resolution - can understand the core issue, identify information gaps, and work with the appropriate subject-matter experts to develop practical next steps.
Strong Communication Skills: Can translate sustainability and regulatory information into clear, business-friendly guidance for internal and external stakeholders.
Business-Minded and Detail-Oriented: Balances compliance, customer expectations, business priorities, and execution while maintaining accurate data and documentation.

Education / Experience / Training Required

Intermittent travel as needed (10-20%).
Bachelor's degree in sustainability, environmental science, engineering, business, supply chain, or related field.
2-4 Years of experience in sustainability, product stewardship, product compliance, packaging, regulatory affairs, or a related business function.
Experience managing multiple projects or workstreams and coordinating activities across cross-functional teams.
Experience working with data, documentation, reporting, or enterprise systems; familiarity with Microsoft Office and collaboration tools such as Teams.
Ability to research emerging requirements, synthesize information, identify business impacts, and coordinate appropriate follow-up.
Experience working with manufacturing, sourcing, engineering, or product development organizations preferred.
Experience with customer sustainability questionnaires, product declarations, EPR, or related compliance platforms is a plus.

Why you will love working here:

Health, Dental, and Vision insurance that starts on your first day! Employer HSA contribution (up to $1,000/single or $2,000/family depending on plan type)
On-site Medical Center, Pharmacy, Barbershop, and fitness center
401(K) Match + Employer contribution
As Our Philosophy states: People are our most important asset. Ample opportunity for career growth- we promote from within
Employee Assistance Program
Quarterly profit sharing (with no cap!)

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