How To Write Better Sustainability Job Descriptions

How To Write a Job Description For Sustainability Manager Roles

Sustainable business operations are more important now than ever. Since the initial rise of the “sustainability wave” in 2005, green positions have become a crucial piece of the corporate strategy puzzle.

Regulatory compliance, employee and stakeholder expectations, and moral and social responsibilities — there are so many reasons that sustainability roles are important in today’s business model. At the very least, the sustainability team is responsible for helping your team meet those goals. 

As the sustainability industry has matured, so too have the professionals within the field. Attracting the top sustainability managers today hinges on your company’s ability to create clear and engaging job descriptions. 

Learn how to write better job descriptions for sustainability manager roles so you can recruit the best professionals in the field.

Detail the Role’s Responsibilities & Its Impact

Start with a basic “About the Job” section. In 1-2 short paragraphs, try to cover the following:

• The name of your company and job title
• If it’s a full-time/part-time/contract position
• Their key responsibilities and/or impact you expect them to provide
• Some of the qualities you find most favorable in a candidate

If years of experience is an important hiring quality, consider adding the preferred years of experience in this section, too. The higher up that’s placed, the better your chances of weeding out application submissions that don’t align with your needs. 

Here’s an example of a job description that you can use as a template to write your sustainability manager role:

Outline Key Responsibilities 

Below the overview section, it’s time to get more detailed. This is where the need to balance specificity and conciseness is crucial. Experienced sustainability candidates look for clarity about the job expectations and tasks they’ll be responsible for. 

Adding buzzwords and sweeping statements about the value of sustainability may have worked in the past, but they aren’t going to attract the same caliber of talent in today’s climate. 

Be specific about the job’s expectations, but keep it short. Job seekers appreciate a clear description of the tasks they’ll be expected to handle without reading pages of responsibilities. 

Approach writing the job description similar to how you would review a resume. Think about what sort of things you are looking for when reviewing resumes. Aside from the relevant skills and experience, most hiring managers are looking for

1. Clarity
2. Brevity
3. Readability

Use those same descriptors as a guide for how to write great job descriptions for your sustainability manager roles. Here’s a sample that’s structured in an easy-to-read format:

Specify Required Skills, Qualifications, Experience

Now it’s time to outline your hiring parameters by detailing what skills, qualifications, and professional experience you’re looking for in the ideal candidate. 

This will likely be the longest section of your job posting but remember to keep it brief and format it to be easily skimmed like we did in the example below:

Detail the Benefits & Compensation

Not all platforms or career boards require job postings to reveal your company’s benefits or the job’s compensation, but including that information typically leads to higher engagement from in-demand candidates. 

A LinkedIn study found that 91% of respondents — across industries and job seniorities — in the United States reported that a salary range on a job post impacts their decision to apply for a job. On top of that, around 60% said they’d still apply to a job with a “disappointing” pay range if the role aligned with their values and work experience. 

The majority of hiring managers agree: it pays to be transparent. Over 60% of hiring managers in that same study reported that they always include a pay range. And of that 60%, 42% said that their transparency goes beyond legal compliance. 

If you’re reluctant to showcase that information on the job posting, maybe it’s time to face the music and assess how your benefits and compensation compare to your competitors.

Share a Company Overview

The final thing to consider adding to your job posting is a short description of yourself! Give potential candidates a glimpse into who your company is — your business, culture, mission, values — whatever you think is most appealing and appropriate for potential employees to see. 

This is your chance to highlight what makes your company stand out. If done correctly, you’ll attract sustainability talent that is not only qualified but also the best fit for your culture. 

A Note About Using AI To Write a Job Description

The quality of your job posting impacts the quality of candidates you attract. While AI is a powerful tool that can help give you a head start, your job posting will lack the voice and style of your business. 

If you decide to use AI to write a job description, always go through it and add a touch of personalization to make it unique to your company. Generic job postings attract generic talent, but engaging postings attract winning candidates.

Still struggling with how to write a job description for sustainability manager roles? Contact our recycling and sustainability recruitment team to let your recruiting partner do the heavy lifting.