Senior Manager, Strategic Sustainability Initiatives

International Paper•Springfield, OR

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Strategic Sustainability Initiatives (SMSSI) leads IP’s climate enterprise strategy, with primary responsibility for decarbonization and water stewardship in support of IP’s Deliver 2030 commitments. Reporting to the Chief Sustainability Officer, this role drives strategy development and cross‑functional execution across climate and water impact areas, ensuring alignment with business objectives and including compliance with voluntary and regulatory requirements, and collaborating with key stakeholders. The SMSSI represents IP externally at conferences and events, advances strategic partnerships through active engagement and influence, and manages a small team to deliver positive environmental outcomes through sustainable packaging solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, Sustainability, Natural Resource Management, or related field (Masters or MBA preferred).
7+ years of experience in manufacturing, sustainability, management consulting, or comparable corporate environment.
Deep understanding of carbon and water accounting, climate target setting, decarbonization pathway development, and reporting frameworks.
Strong business and financial acumen; ability to translate sustainability strategy into measurable business value.
Proven ability to lead complex, cross‑functional initiatives and influence senior leaders.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Expertise in GHG Protocol, SBTi, sustainability data management, controls, and disclosure frameworks.
Understanding of product life cycles and global supplier ecosystems.
Ability to translate complex technical, regulatory, and data‑heavy topics into clear executive insights.
Experience with carbon offsets/credits and climate inventory development.
Strong project and people management capabilities; ability to drive results independently.
Strategic agility and future‑oriented thinking
Ability to articulate a compelling sustainability vision
Strong organizational and process management skills
Interpersonal savvy and conflict management
Persistence and accountability for results
Effective people management and collaboration across the Sustainability team and enterprise

Responsibilities

Lead enterprise climate and sustainability strategy, including greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions accounting (Scopes 1, 2, and 3), decarbonization planning, and water stewardship.
Own development and execution of the enterprise decarbonization roadmap, supporting operational initiatives, supplier engagement, and product-level carbon accounting.
Drive cross‑functional delivery of climate, forest carbon, and water commitments across manufacturing, procurement, finance, legal, and other core functions.
Develop and maintain climate transition planning, including scenario analysis and physical climate risk assessment.
Lead sustainability reporting and external disclosures (e.g., CDP, customer and regulatory requests) and support alignment with evolving standards such as TCFD and ISSB.
Represent the company externally with customers, industry groups, NGOs, regulators, and at climate and sustainability forums.
Provide executives with clear insights into sustainability risks, tradeoffs, and opportunities.
Monitor regulatory and market developments and integrate best practices into enterprise strategy.
Lead and develop sustainability resources supporting data management, analysis, and reporting.