Sustainability Manager
(Water Stewardship)

Location: Bratislava, Budapest, Bucharest or Sofia.
In exceptional cases, another location in the Central and Eastern European region may be
considered.

Water is the ultimate shared resource and we can only manage it sustainably if all water users in a river basin work together. Businesses, every level of government, and local communities must collaborate to ensure water is responsibly governed and shared. To leverage the relative nimbleness and influence of the private sector, WWF challenges businesses to become water stewards — to go beyond internal water efficiency practices and engage in external collective action and governance in river basins around the world.

For the private sector, water is both a risk and opportunity. Without it, businesses will fail. Water dependencies and impacts range from the clean water workers need at corporate headquarters, through manufacturing facilities and complex supply chains, to the fields where raw materials are grown. But businesses are also uniquely positioned to champion innovative solutions to freshwater challenges, emerging as visionaries that secure water for profit, people and planet.

We're looking for a Sustainability Manager (Water Stewardship) to lead WWF’s efforts to promote water stewardship across the Danube basin, focusing particularly on engaging businesses as champions and leaders.

The position will draw on the significant know-how and resources of the WWF global network, including the Water Stewardship community within the Global Freshwater Practice, as well as existing work and relationships, particularly the Living Danube Partnership (region-wide partnership between WWF-CEE, governmental platform and corporates). Part of the responsibilities include working directly with WWF's Global Water Stewardship Hub to help to build internal corporate engagement capacity on water stewardship.

The position will play a significant role in developing the next phase of the Living Danube Partnership – helping to expand it to additional partners and issues, including a stronger focus on climate/water resilience as well as leveraging the supply chains and other assets of participating partners. The role may touch upon all three dimensions of WWF’s corporate engagement work: transformation (improving sustainable business practices), philanthropy and marketing.

Major responsibilities 

  • Drives WWF-CEE’s corporate engagement related to water stewardship.
  • Promotes collective action by identifying and cultivating partners to work with WWF-CEE individually and/or within the next phase of the Living Danube Partnership.
  • Strengthens the water stewardship capacity of WWF-CEE for the longer term and contributes to broader WWF network water stewardship capacity.

Development of WWF-CEE’s work on water stewardship:

  • Contributes to strategic and annual planning, monitoring and evaluation related to water stewardship
  • Develops, advises and supports actions related to water stewardship.

Development of partnerships and a platform of companies promoting water stewardship in the Danube basin:

  • Identifies companies that are potential candidates for engagement, draws on support from, and works in conjunction with the Global Water Stewardship Hub (Freshwater Practice).
  • Leads/supports engagement of candidate companies, including preparation and follow-up of meetings proposals, and event organization.
  • Identifies opportunities for corporate partnerships to promote WWF-CEE’s freshwater and other priorities.
  • Advises WWF’s strategic corporate partners on water stewardship, including within their own operations, supply chains as well as external advocacy and engagement. 

Promotes water stewardship in the Danube basin:

  • Leads efforts to raise awareness and educate business on water stewardship and the business case for action.
  • Supports communications and outreach related to water stewardship, including media, social media, events, and dedicated training courses.
  • Participates in conferences or other events, represents WWF’s key messages and approaches.

Builds out WWF’s corporate engagement plan under the Living European Rivers initiative. 

  • Consults with other WWF offices and internal water stewardship community to gather input and feedback.
  • Creates a corporate engagement prioritisation plan in consistency with WWF’s Water Stewardship Hubs emerging corporate engagement process.

Supports and contributes towards WWF’s Global Water Stewardship Hub capacity to deliver against its mandate:

  • Deliver water stewardship deliverables within corporate partnerships, either directly with corporate partners or on-behalf of other network offices
  • Contribute to building the network’s thought-leadership on water stewardship, the internal water stewardship capacity (by knowledge sharing, training and supporting local offices)
  • Works for a more proactive process towards corporate engagement on water stewardship.

Leverage WWF Network knowledge, contacts and resources for promoting water stewardship in the Danube basin.

  • Supports the global Water Stewardship Hub team and colleagues working on freshwater and corporate engagement across WWF-CEE.
  • Keeps up to date with developments related to water stewardship within and outside of the WWF Network.

Key requirements

  • University degree/education in Environmental sciences or policy, Sustainability Studies, Business Strategy, Social Sciences, Water Resources Management or other related field
  • At least 3-5 years professional experience in sustainability consulting (or similar). Experience with marketing and business consultancy is a distinct advantage.
  • Understanding of conservation and sustainability issues, in particular of the CEE region
  • Knowledge of and experience with freshwater, water resources and/or water stewardship is an asset
  • Experience that is an asset: working with large, multinational corporations in sustainability, strategic planning and implementation; with or within a non-profit, civil society organization; and a policy-driven campaign planning and implementation
  • An excellent networker, with good interpersonal skills, including strong client orientation
  • Intercultural awareness and sensitivity
  • Good team player
  • Internal drive and ability to work independently
  • Proven skills to organize, meet deadlines, identify, follow and adapt to changing priorities, as well as learn dynamically
  • The ability to envision solutions, describe them in a compelling and engaging way and make them reality
  • Ability to communicate the importance of conservation and of the work of WWF in a compelling manner (in written and oral form) to corporate audiences
  • Excellent oral and written communications skills in English and one other language of the region (Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian or Bulgarian)
  • Strong computer literacy, tech-savvy
  • Alignment with the core values of the WWF organization: Courage, Integrity, Respect and Collaboration

We offer:

  • the opportunity to make a difference – for the CEE region and for WWF
  • challenging and fulfilling work in one of Europe’s most exciting eco-regions
  • friendly and highly professional working atmosphere in an international context
  • varying tasks and independent work style
  • a pleasant working atmosphere and great learning environment
  • a salary according to NGO standards*

* The compensation package will be aligned with local salary and benefits conditions, in line with our reward policy.

If you are interested in joining our team, send your CV and cover letter (in English) to the attention of
Tsveta Petrushinova, Regional HR Manager at [email protected] no later than 10 May 2022. Please understand that we can only reply to short-listed candidates.

For more information about WWF-CEE, kindly check the website: https://www.wwfcee.org/.

Scroll to Top