Global Head of Sustainable Products & Packaging -Circularity & Value Chain Transformation

Global Head of Sustainable Products & Packaging - Circularity & Value Chain Transformation

Department: Circ. & Value Chain Trans. : Advisory

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: UK - London

Description

Lead one of the defining transitions of the decade. We need a leader who understands where circular systems are heading and can help shape the platform for what comes next.

This role is more than strategy. You will help clients design pilots, prove commercial value, build infrastructure, unlock investment and scale solutions that work.

You will set the direction for a global practice, grow a significant business, and help world-leading organisations turn circularity into a value system.

We are looking for a builder with deep experience in sustainable products and packaging - EPR, PPWR, eco design, chemistry, reuse and refill - ready to build a global practice around it.

You will inherit a strong client portfolio, an experienced technical team, and a market moving faster than most firms. Your job is to set the vision, grow the business, and make Anthesis the leader in this space.

If you read a new regulation or shift in trade flows, raw material costs, or consumer behavior and immediately see the commercial opportunity inside, you will build strategy, marshal the team to model ROI, and help a client pilot and scale it - not just hand them a deck.

Key Responsibilities

• Set the vision, own the strategy. Craft a compelling, forward looking vision for the portfolio, defining what winning looks like and rallying the organisation. Translate it into a multi year growth plan with clear milestones, investment priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Know the landscape. Maintain an up to date understanding of regulatory and market shifts across jurisdictions - EPR evolution, DPP timelines, green claims enforcement, chemical and packaging mandates. Translate complexity into clear strategic options and lay out the path forward.
• Know our client's world. Build a deep, ongoing understanding of clients' competitive dynamics, supply chain complexity and cost pressures. Position Anthesis as a partner that truly understands the client's business and helps them win.
• Go beyond decks - build, test, scale. Work in the trenches with clients: innovate, test, learn, pilot new approaches, prove the economics, operationalise what works and scale it. Harness AI, digital tools and emerging technology to deliver faster and sharper.
• Drive Commercial Growth. Own revenue targets, pipeline and forecasting for a substantial portfolio. Shift the model from pure advisory toward digitally enabled managed services, transformation programmes and recurring revenue. Innovate on pricing and strengthen the value story to improve margins.
• Connect across the organization. Work across business lines, geographies and sector teams to unlock client value that wouldn't exist in silos. Partner with Growth Portfolio Leads and senior leadership on cross cutting innovation, AI and go to market.
• Build and lead a high performing team. Lead a diverse group of senior technical experts, unify them around a shared direction, and build commercial, strategy and emerging tech depth as the practice grows. Lead through change with directness, empathy and respect.
• Represent Anthesis at the highest level. Serve as the senior external face in industry forums, regulatory discussions and client boardrooms. Build trusted relationships and elevate conversations beyond the immediate brief.

Technical Scope & Domains

Genuine technical fluency is required to engage packaging engineers, regulatory experts, brand sustainability directors and CFOs while connecting dots to broader Anthesis capabilities.

Domains You Will Own

• Sustainable Product Design. Integrating circularity, low impact materials, verifiable data to enable compliant by design innovation.
• Sustainable Packaging Design. Material selection, recyclability, trade offs, emerging material technologies and regulatory alignment (including PPWR).
• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Multi jurisdictional compliance, fee modulation, scheme evolution and strategic value creation.
• Product Chemistry & Material Health. Chemical compliance, restricted substance management, full material disclosure and safer alternatives.
• Sustainable Shopping & Consumer Behaviour. Intersecting purchasing decisions with sustainability messaging, product design and retail strategy.
• Reuse & Refill. Design refillable and reusable product & packaging formats - materials, formats, pack engineering that make reuse viable.
• Digital Product Passports (DPP). Emerging requirements, data architecture, supply chain implications and commercial opportunities.
• AI, Digital Tools & Innovation. Deploy emerging tech (AI compliance tools, predictive modelling, automation) to design, deliver and scale solutions.
• Business Case & Financial Modelling. Structure compelling financial business cases and ROI models that give executives the confidence to act.

Domains You Will Collaborate On

• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) & Product Carbon Footprinting. Owned by Impact Intelligence - supports design decisions and justifies investments.
• Green Claims & Substantiation. Owned by Impact Intelligence - mitigates risks regarding EU Green Claims, FTC Guides and frameworks.
• Supply Chain Transparency & Responsible Sourcing. Owned by Value Chain Transformation - manages due diligence, supplier engagement and decarbonisation.
• Circular Systems & Resource Recovery. End of life, waste, secondary markets and circular business models - partners with packaging and product design.

Key Requirements: Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

10+ years in sustainability consulting or industry, with significant time in the relevant domain.

• Background in professional services/consulting - understanding utilisation, margins and practice growth.
• Established industry network bringing immediate credibility and access to doors.
• Technical or engineering degree preferred. Master's degree or MBA highly valued.
• Languages: Fluent English required.
• Global Flexibility: Willingness to travel for client and leadership engagements.

Job Benefits

• Work within a highly motivated team in a rapidly growing global company.
• Direct impact and key role in business and team growth.
• Projects that impact sustainability and climate change goals for clients.
• Collaboration with passionate sustainability SMEs.
• Exposure to a wide range of global clients and projects.
• Competitive salary aligned with experience and skills.
• Competitive benefits including flexible working, 25 days holiday and two volunteering days off.
• Employee Participation Plan - incentive plan tied to equity value growth.
• Cooperative, supportive and open working atmosphere.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and encourage applications from all backgrounds.