Purpose of employment

Knauf Insulation has defined its sustainability strategy For A Better World (FABW) in 2019. This strategy sets ambitious objectives and targets by approaching sustainability in 4 different aspects: Put People First, Achieve Zero Carbon, Circular Economy and Create Better Buildings.

In September 2022 Knauf announced at Group level new sustainability targets. Amongst others, the ambition of the group is to become a leader in the Circular Economy activities related to the products it puts on the market.

The Sustainability Team of Knauf Insulation has the ownership of FABW strategy and is the driving force to have it implemented in a transversal way throughout the company.

The main purpose of the function is to lead the Circular Economy part of the FABW strategy in order to ensure that KI is future proof in a very challenging and versatile environment. The role should find its inspiration from both inside the company (Knauf MWB, R&D, departments & local initiatives, …) and outside the company (global programs such as Ellen Mc Arthur Foundation, EU Com … regulations, competitors, customers …). Once this vision is endorsed by the Board, it needs to be translated into clear and meaningful mid- and long-term objectives and targets. The function requires to ensure that these targets will be met through alignment of the efforts across the organization (regions, departments …) It should provide support in the implementation of the programs, and development & research projects, and it should ensure cross fertilization through best practice sharing across the company. It will contribute setting-up specific reporting tools and communicating results across the company. It will be responsible for assessing whether KI delivers on the objectives and coordinate corrective actions if needed.

The Circular Economy program covers 3 major aspects:

- Setting up recycling services for construction and demolition waste from our products

- Lowering impacts of our plants: increasing recycled content, zero production waste-to-landfill, more sustainable packaging, lower NOx & SOx emissions (the decarbonization agenda is led by a separate person of the team)

- Reflecting on future circular economy aspects of our business

Reporting to

The Circular Economy Manager will report to the Group Sustainability Director.

Missions and responsibilities

Owner / leader of the Circular Economy (CE) Strategy :

- Provide internal guidance on setting up recycling services in the different markets, in collaboration with both the market teams and the production plants. This guidance covers the business aspects, the regulatory aspects, the development aspects as well as the operational aspects.

- It will create and animate the debate in Sustainability Steer Co and in departments around the circular economy strategy

- The role requires to accompany the creation of a roadmap and the Capex selection process, to support R&D programs, to guide manufacturing developments and improvements programs, to support the development of a circular economy approach throughout the whole company

- Monitor & inform on the speed of the transition towards the CE objective & targets, and coordinate putting in place corrective actions, if necessary

- Provide support in the KI sustainability dashboard and governance

Drive the transition program towards implementation of the Circular Economy strategy :

- Keep an overview of the projects, running or in the pipeline, to achieve the CE targets

- Create and keep momentum into the different actions plans to deliver on the CE strategy

- Create and update the CE dashboard and share it to ensure that it is part of the management review at all levels.

- Provide input & participate in the key KI projects related to achieving the Circular Economy targets

- Position the role as the internal knowledge partner on circular economy aspects by internal communication and awareness raising.

- Provide input from a Circular Economy perspective into the technology roadmap

Be the topic reference person :

- Stay up-to-date on the Circular Economy developments in our environment

- Disseminate key learnings internally

- Ensure that waste management services are harmonized across the company

- Participate to the KI Sustainability Core team and SteerCo

- Represent KI in external events related to circular economy

- Represent KI in Circular Economy discussions at Knauf level

To be the driving force behind the continuous improvement of processes and tools :

- I know and I participate: I actively participate when an improvement proposal is made using the techniques and tools at my disposal.

- I apply: I regularly use the acquired skills (RCA, 5S, improvement proposal).

- I suggest: If I detect a potential improvement, I do not hesitate to bring it up, along with a solution proposal for the project to be carried out.

- I lead: If an improvement project is proposed and considered valid and that I have the agreement of my hierarchy, I carry out this project with the necessary management and team.

Respect the Knauf values and apply them in our daily work: Commitment, Entrepreneurship, Partnership and Menschlichkeit.

Qualifications and experience required

- Higher education – studies with a sound technical background

- 5 - 10 years’ experience on circular economy related topics, with a focus on waste management

- Very good understanding of the functioning of a waste business

- Project management skills

- Excellent English; French and German are an additional strength

- Field time with a high degree of flexibility

- Computer literate on online collaboration tools, MS Office and Email

- Internationally mobile : up to 25%

Required skills

- Ability to take a strategic vision on a topic and to communicate with higher management

- Ability to mobilize the whole company around one of the most important overarching objectives

- Organizational skills: Ability to handle several tasks simultaneously

- Team player with capacity to create transversal collaboration with other teams

- Ability to deal with ambiguity and with different perspectives on a topic

- Good communication, presentation and interpersonal skills

Quality - Hygiene – Safety – Environment – Energy

Every worker has the obligation to take care of his / her safety and health, as well as that of his colleagues, including subcontractors. The worker also ensures the respect of the Values, knows and respects the rules and contributes to the objectives of the site and the group with regard to QHSEE.

Any team leader needs to update the entity's QHSEE indicators and actively participate in the improvement of the entity's QHSEE indicators. He is also the guarantor of the respect of these rules with his team.

About Knauf Insulation

Knauf Insulation products save energy, cut emissions and make sure buildings are good for the environment and keep people healthy, safe and well.

With over 40 years of experience in the insulation industry, we now employ nearly 6,000 people across more than 40 countries. We have with 29 manufacturing sites in 15 countries.

Knauf Insulation (KI) is part of the Knauf Group, which employs about 40,000 people worldwide, operating more than 300 factories, generating sales in excess of 12.5 billion Euros.

The Knauf Group was founded in 1932 and is a family-owned company driven by the values of Menschlichkeit (Humanity), Partnership, Commitment, and Entrepreneurship.

These values and the fast-moving environment in which we evolve allows us to take initiative and implement new processes or structures, working together and taking care of the others. We have lots of opportunities inside the company who allows you to consider to make your career with us.

Our Belgian site in Visé is representing the biggest Glass Mineral Wool Plant in Europe and is location of Knauf Insulation Head Office. Today there is a strong focus on such topics, as sustainability, energy efficiency and waste reduction. Knauf Insulation brings one of the solutions to climate change and that’s why we are proud to be working as leader in the insulation industry.

In 2020 we launched our sustainability strategy For A Better World with a focus on four key goals: Put People First, Achieve Zero Carbon, Deliver A Circular Economy and Create Better Buildings. To ensure these words were translated into concrete action we set mid-term targets for 2025 that everyone can start achieving now.

** We encourage and welcome all applications **