Who we are
We are William Reed.
We are a global media group delivering exceptional content through events, digital, data & insight.
From agribusiness, ingredients and food processing, to retail, hospitality & fine dining – we provide the inspiration, insight and connections to power our customers’ success.
We have offices in Gatwick and London, UK; Montpellier, France; Singapore and Chicago, US. In line with the Company’s current Agile Working Policy, the successful candidate would be eligible to work part of the week from either our Crawley, London or Brighton office and to work remotely for the rest of the week.
Position: Full time (35hr per week Crawley)
Location: Crawley, London or Brighton (Hybrid)
Are you passionate about leading efforts to achieve net zero commitments and driving meaningful progress in reducing environmental impact? Are you ready to lead cross-functional collaboration to embed sustainability, CSR and DEI initiatives?
If so, our newly created Head of Sustainability role exists to drive William Reed’s sustainability agenda, addressing the risks and opportunities that sustainability presents across the sectors in which our business operates. Central to this is implementing William Reed’s sustainability framework, which aligns with the company’s commercial and financial objectives while contributing positively to stakeholders and society.
What you'll be doing:
* Organising and leading volunteer teams/nominated experts across the business to implement sustainability and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in a structured and impactful way, ensuring progress toward William Reed’s goals in both areas.
* Fostering cross-functional collaboration, building engagement and momentum across teams such as Events, Content, Commercial Tech, Facilities, Product Development, and HR.
* Driving initiatives aligned with the company’s sustainability and DEI strategies, delivering measurable progress across multiple functions.
* Convening a community of event professionals to create and implement best practice guidelines for reducing the carbon footprint of events.
* Bringing together content teams to establish best practices for embedding thought leadership on net zero and inclusive representation within William Reed’s markets.
* Collaborating with editorial, marketing, and events teams to ensure diverse and inclusive representation in content, speakers, contributors, and events programming.
* Developing and implementing a structured communications plan to engage suppliers, focusing on collaborative efforts to reduce carbon emissions and uphold DEI principles in supply chain operations.
* Conducting high-level discussions with senior representatives from key suppliers to align on sustainability and inclusion goals.
* Designing a framework to evaluate suppliers’ carbon and ethical credentials, including their alignment with DEI values, and providing guidance for teams during supplier selection processes.
* Managing relationships with external sustainability partners (e.g., Good Business) and DEI advisors to ensure successful implementation of initiatives in both areas.
* Overseeing the annual carbon footprint measurement process, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and producing accurate carbon data.
* Monitoring progress against DEI-related benchmarks, such as the diversity of contributors, speakers, and team participation across events and media.
* Developing and executing robust communication plans to report progress on sustainability and DEI internally via email, Teams, intranet, and town halls.
* Sharing progress externally through the corporate website, events, and other platforms to enhance transparency and stakeholder engagement in both sustainability and inclusion efforts.
* Building and maintaining key assets that support both sustainability and DEI initiatives, such as guidelines, training materials, and templates for sales and procurement teams.
* Sourcing and curating relevant, inspiring resources to educate employees and drive positive change in sustainability and DEI.
* Working closely with content, editorial, and events teams to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded in the company’s public-facing activities.
* Developing tools and standards to evaluate and improve the inclusivity of content and speaker lineups, ensuring representation reflects the diverse audiences and industries served by William Reed.
* Regularly reporting to senior management on progress toward sustainability and DEI targets, including carbon footprint measurements, DEI metrics, and other key performance indicators.
* Providing clear updates and insights to ensure alignment with overarching business objectives, statutory obligations, and stakeholder expectations.
What you'll need:
* Sustainability Knowledge: While deep expertise in net zero is not required, a foundational understanding of sustainability—acquired through relevant work experience and/or academic studies—is essential. A genuine passion for this field is critical.
* Content Development: Proficiency in creating compelling resources in multiple formats, including infographics, social media posts, website updates, and articles, is key. Experience in producing professional-quality content for diverse audiences is essential.
* Events and Media Expertise: Background in events or media is a strong advantage, enhancing the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders.
* Initiative and Drive: A self-starter who can independently lead projects, rally cross-functional teams, and drive action.
* Organisational Skills: Exceptional administrative and organisational skills to manage and prioritise multiple work streams effectively. Basic project management skills are an asset.
* Adaptability: Ability to flexibly adapt strategies and initiatives to align with the company’s evolving priorities and operational constraints.
* Stakeholder Engagement: Strong verbal and written communication skills to foster relationships across the organisation and with external stakeholders.
* Professional Presence: Confidence and poise to engage senior-level representatives, both internally and within the company’s value chain, and facilitate meaningful, complex discussions.
* Presentation Skills: Comfort and confidence presenting to groups, stakeholders, communicating ideas effectively and persuasively.
* Innovative Thinking: Demonstrated ability to generate creative and ambitious ideas that drive progress toward net zero and other key initiatives.
* Strategic Alignment: An appreciation for the company’s broader commercial operations to align sustainability goals with overarching business objectives.
* Values: A hardworking, dedicated professional with a flexible approach to managing responsibilities.
* Collaboration: Strong ability to collaborate and build consensus across diverse teams and stakeholders.
Company Benefits Include:
* 25 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays- increasing by one additional day after 6 years, up to a maximum of 30 days.
* An additional day of leave for you to take on a cultural celebration day or on your birthday if you like. A day for you! At William Reed, we call this our “MeDay”.
* A volunteer day to take for supporting a chosen charity and giving back to the community.
* Opportunity for hybrid working
* Contributory Pension
* Life Assurance Scheme
* Group Income Protection
* Enhanced family-friendly leave pay entitlements
* Wellbeing benefits, including: A health care cash plan, Employee assistance programme and a 12-month wellness calendar for company-wide health, wellbeing, diversity & inclusion awareness dates.
* Cycle to Work Scheme
* Electric Car Scheme
Why work for us
We provide a supportive work environment and are committed to maintaining a healthy work/life balance for all of our employees. Working for William Reed means that you will be joining a stable organisation that is committed to developing its employees and brands.
We warmly welcome and encourage applications from talented individuals of all backgrounds and characteristics.
If you need any support in accessing this opportunity, please do not hesitate to discuss this with us.