In the ranking drawn up by LinkedIn of the 25 jobs on the rise in the last 5 years, the role of Sustainability Manager occupies the fifth position.
This figure, with transversal skills, and mostly represented by women, deals, in any sector, with all the sustainability implementation strategies within the company, both in reference to environmental issues and in reference to social and governance.
The open positions for this role are numerous, not only in Italy but also abroad, and in particular the growing demand is dictated by the increasing responsibility that companies have in respecting and adapting to the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) of the United Nations. and to the creation of value demanded by the market, driven by increasingly attentive and competent consumers in terms of sustainability, especially among the new generations.
The birth of this figure is quite recent and in continuous evolution and his role within companies is now essential in the context of any corporate management strategy: this is why the Sustainability Manager operates in a much wider space than mere sustainability. environmental. In fact, it is flanked by the social and economic ones, for an increasingly sustainable management of resources.
The Sustainability Manager is therefore a person (or a team of people) in continuous training and updating, and a precise and profound connoisseur of company processes and behaviors, in order to make the latter sustainable from all points of view. A non-negligible skill is the ability to communicate: the concept of sustainability and its relevance must in fact be communicated to all company levels and to stakeholders, just as essential to the role is the intervention in strategic and planning decisions, on which they are set goals and goals. The versatility of this figure requires professionalism with requisites and attitudes that range from the technical skills of the sector, to organizational and leadership skills, but also analytical and reporting skills; a particularly appreciated soft skill is the aptitude for multitasking and problem solving.
The training of this figure, therefore, is particularly important, and draws from technical-scientific studies (engineering, chemistry, biology ...), managerial (project management), but also juridical-economic studies. Since this is an "emerging" profile, there is no professional register, however a Register (for the fashion and luxury sector) has recently been set up in which the person is inserted at the end of the course (and the related final exam) "Sustainability Manager : sustainable production in fashion and luxury " certified by AICQ-SICEV, Personnel Certification Body recognized by ACCREDIA, and provided by Process Factory, a company specialized in the sector.