Sustainability Lead Cooperative Affairs
Sustainability Lead Cooperative Affairs
Are you ready to help build the most sustainable dairy cooperative in the world? FrieslandCampina is looking for a Sustainability Lead to accelerate farm-level sustainability in close collaboration with our member farmers.
Our unique cooperative structure enables real impact: as Sustainability Lead, you will lead the team that brings innovative measures and proven best practices to thousands of farms. You will design and deliver a robust program that drives tangible progress on climate, biodiversity, and animal welfare. With a sharp vision, data-driven approach, and strong execution, you will help improve our sustainability performance every single day.
What we ask
- A Master’s degree, preferably in Agriculture, Food Technology, Business Economics, Business Administration, Marketing or a related field.
- At least 10 years of relevant experience in project and program management within complex, matrixed and networked organizations — using a multidisciplinary approach.
- Because you will be in frequent contact with Dutch-speaking member dairy farmers and stakeholders, you are fluent in Dutch. You also reside in the Netherlands.
- You take ownership, act with decisiveness, and are continuously seeking ways to drive meaningful change.
- You are able to manage multiple priorities independently, keep focus on program goals and budget, and deliver results under pressure.
- You possess a strategic mindset and are comfortable navigating complexity. You use data to generate insights and turn these into clear, actionable plans.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills: you are a confident communicator who influences, challenges, inspires and takes bold steps when needed.
- You are results-driven, analytical and creative in solving problems, and able to translate strategy into action.
What we offer
FrieslandCampina has a unique company culture of Dutch heritage and international presence. The work environment is informal and collaborative, where passionate professionals work together to make a difference. We believe in a healthy work-life balance and offer flexibility through our hybrid work model, you are expected to work approximately 2 to 3 days per week from our Amersfoort office, allowing for both in-person collaboration and remote focus time. You will receive home office essentials, such as an ergonomic chair, desk and monitors, to support your comfort and productivity while working remotely. For commuting, you’ll receive a card for train travel. When or you’ll be compensated with a travel allowance of €0.23 per kilometer (up to 30 km one way). Enthusiastic about cycling? Take advantage of our bike purchase scheme with attractive tax benefits. As for employment benefits:
- Salary between €6,411 and €8,701 per month, depending on knowledge and experience (full-time);
- A full-time workweek of 40 hours, participation in a bonus scheme, and a pension plan;
- 200 hours of annual leave, the flexibility to buy or sell 40 extra hours, and 8% holiday allowance;
- Delicious barista coffee, and free milk and cheese during lunch at our central office;
- A laptop and mobile phone are provided to ensure seamless communication whether you’re working remotely or on the move.
Vacancy description
As Sustainability Lead within Cooperative Affairs, you will be responsible for developing and executing the long-term strategy and overall program that drives sustainability at the farmyard of all our member dairy farmers. This comprehensive program engages not only the farmers themselves, but also their direct environment — such as feed suppliers, advisors, and veterinarians — in working together to implement the right measures and good agricultural practices that support FrieslandCampina’s sustainability targets.
You will ensure that the strategy and execution are fully aligned with the company’s long-term commitments and ambitions as defined by the Corporate Sustainability team. To achieve maximum effectiveness, you will apply a structured, data-driven approach, segmenting our farmer base where relevant, and translating insights into practical and impactful interventions. You also play a key role in scaling sustainability measures that have been successfully piloted and proven to deliver results.
Furthermore, you will analyse external developments, including competitors’ strategies and industry-wide sustainability trends, and proactively adapt our approach to maintain a leading position in sustainable dairy. Communication is also a critical part of your role: you will ensure that progress, impact, and success stories are shared clearly and consistently via the right internal and external channels, especially to engage member farmers and farmyard stakeholders.
Team Details
Our members and suppliers in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany share a passion: producing the highest quality milk, from which FrieslandCampina's employees make high-quality products that find their way to consumers and customers around the world. The cooperative that unites our members has a 150-year history and is thriving by continually adapting to the demands of the times.
Cooperative Affairs is the department within FrieslandCampina that acts as the linking pin between the member dairy farmers, the company, and the market. With a team of around 120 colleagues, we provide 24/7 support. Within this department, the Sustainability team is responsible for achieving FrieslandCampina’s sustainability goals on the farm.
Within this department, the Sustainability team plays a key role in achieving FrieslandCampina’s farm-level sustainability goals. The team works at the intersection of strategy and practice, turning ambitions into real, on-the-ground impact together with our members and their networks.
You will lead and coach a team of six experienced project managers and subject matter experts who together manage the full portfolio of farm-level sustainability projects and initiatives. As a team, you ensure mutual understanding of interdependencies, both within the team and in collaboration with other departments.
In this role, you report directly to the Director of Cooperative Affairs and work closely with colleagues from Corporate Sustainability, Corporate Communications, the Farmer Engagement team, Digital, and Data & Analytics, as well as with various cooperative bodies.
