Director, Sustainability & ESG Strategy

Wolverine Worldwide•Rockford, MI

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Sustainability & ESG Strategy is responsible for developing and driving the company’s enterprise wide sustainability and ESG strategy in a manner that enables growth, strengthens brands, and meets evolving consumer and stakeholder expectations. This role serves as a strategic enabler—partnering with brand, product, sourcing, operations, finance, and legal teams to translate sustainability priorities into commercial opportunity, innovation, and long term enterprise value. While ESG reporting and regulatory compliance are critical responsibilities, they are executed in close partnership with the Legal and Finance teams and are not the sole focus of the role. The Director balances strategic vision with execution discipline, ensuring the company’s sustainability agenda is credible, measurable, and growth oriented.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
8–12+ years of experience in sustainability, ESG, corporate strategy, or related roles.
Demonstrated ability to develop and execute enterprise‑level strategies that balance growth, risk, and stakeholder expectations.
Working knowledge of ESG reporting frameworks and regulatory requirements.
Proven ability to influence cross‑functional teams and senior leaders without direct authority.
Commercially minded and growth‑oriented
Strategic thinker with strong execution capability
Comfortable operating at the intersection of brands, legal, finance, and operations
Pragmatic, credible, and data‑driven
Strong communicator with executive presence

Nice To Haves

advanced degree in sustainability, business, law, public policy, or related field preferred.
Experience in a public company and/or multi‑brand consumer business strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and drive an enterprise‑wide sustainability and ESG strategy aligned with corporate objectives, brand strategies, and consumer expectations.
Identify and advance sustainability initiatives that support revenue growth, brand differentiation, innovation, and market relevance.
Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on sustainability‑related risks, opportunities, and emerging trends.
Partner closely with brand and commercial teams to identify sustainability opportunities aligned with brand positioning and consumer demand.
Support product, materials, packaging, and sourcing initiatives that drive value and differentiation.
Translate sustainability goals into actionable, brand‑relevant roadmaps.
Act as a connector across brands to scale best practices and successful initiatives.
Establish sustainability and ESG goals, targets, and KPIs in collaboration with cross‑functional stakeholders.
Drive consistent methodologies for measurement, tracking, and performance management.
Embed sustainability considerations into enterprise planning, risk management, and decision‑making.
Lead ESG reporting and disclosures for a public company environment, including sustainability reports and investor‑facing materials.
Partner with the Legal team on regulatory compliance and governance matters, including SEC‑related disclosures, CSRD or other international requirements, as applicable.
Ensure ESG data and disclosures are accurate, consistent, defensible, and audit‑ready.
Support engagement with ESG rating agencies and external assessments.
Collaborate with Investor Relations, Communications, and Legal to ensure consistent, credible ESG messaging.
Serve as a subject‑matter expert for internal and external ESG‑related inquiries.
Support proactive engagement with investors, customers, and other key stakeholders.