Company Description: Instinct® is a rapidly growing, family-owned marketer and manufacturer of science based 100% natural pet food for dogs and cats. Instinct® is the Raw Brand, with a mission to get more raw nutrition into every bowl of dogs and cats, for proven healthier and happier long lives. Our company mission is to Empower people to transform the lives of pets. Instinct is committed to generating a positive impact to pets and society, while reducing our impact to the environment. Our ambition is to reduce emissions by one half before 2030 and become net-zero by 2050. We are committed to hiring and developing a team of passionate, performance-oriented professionals who live by our 4 values of championing raw, empowered to make a difference, collaborating as one team, and striving for excellence through continuous learning and improvement. Our home office is located in St. Louis, Missouri with our Center of Excellence Raw Food kitchens in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Instinct® is part of the family-owned group, Agrolimen, who owns leading petfood and human food businesses in the US, China, Europe, and Africa.
Position Summary: Reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer, this role will have two main duties: a) lead Instinct sustainability strategy and b) support business strategic reflection. This role will be pivotal for the development and implementation of Instinct sustainability strategy and 2026 Value Creation Plan, which will require significant company transformation to achieve our growth and environmental targets. This position will have relevant exposure to most senior positions at Instinct and the Agrolimen Group.
Primary Job Responsibilities
1)Sustainability Leadership
- Develop and implement the company’s sustainability strategy, aligning with global sustainability standards and frameworks (e.g., SDGs, GRI, SBTI and GHG, TCFD)
- Lead Environmental Impact measurement and reduction: carbon footprint measurement, abatement levers identification, climate scenarios definition, identify opportunities to reduce impact
- Lead cross-functional teams to drive sustainability initiatives, including reducing carbon footprint, waste management, and resource optimization
- Establish KPIs for sustainability goals and track performance against targets. Support IT to establish systems for tracking and reporting sustainability progress; lead sustainability reporting
- Develop training programs to educate employees on sustainability best practices. Foster a culture of sustainability awareness and responsibility within the organization
- Collaborate with external stakeholders (e.g., PSC, NGOs, regulators, other Group companies) to promote and communicate sustainability initiatives
2) Strategic Planning & Execution
- Support executive leadership in strategic planning cycles, presenting insights and recommendations through rigorous and well-structured analysis
- Drive transformational initiatives to accomplish the Value Creation Plan, ensuring the outcome is delivered on-time and of highest quality
- Analyze industry trends, market dynamics, and competitive landscapes to inform decision-making
- Prepare presentation materials and solidly present and defend them within senior forums
- Proactively participate in identifying business opportunities
Personal Attributes
- Highly structured and strategic thinker
- Strong problem solving and analytical skills
- Deep understanding of sustainability frameworks and best practices, particularly of GHG accounting
- Passionate about sustainability and committed to driving positive environmental and social impact
- Strong communication and influencing skills
- Outstanding teamwork and collaboration skills including the ability to work with multiple stakeholders
- Strong project leadership skills to include charting new courses, generating enthusiastic followership, and ensuring follow-up
- Self-starter with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with a high degree of independence
- Demonstrable history of delivering superior results in a performance-based company
- Continually pushes self and team to excellence while comfortable working at a rapid pace
Required Experience
- Bachelor’s degree (in engineering, business administration, economics or similar is preferable). MBA highly valued
- 5+ years’ experience in top tier strategy / management / sustainability consulting
Preferred Experience
- Demonstrable experience in corporate sustainability, GHG accounting and ESG Reporting
- Cross-functional team experience
Travel Requirements:
- Ability to travel up to 25% of time
Compensation and Benefits
Highly competitive compensation package includes health and dental insurance, life and AD&D insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, short and long-term disability, paid time off, Purpose Days off for company partner volunteer opportunities, and 401k with company match.
Our Instinct is to CHAMPION Diversity
At Instinct, we are as passionate about our people as we are about the pets we call family. We are committed to inclusion, empowerment, and respect. We believe that just like our pets, what sets us apart unleashes our greatest strengths. We thrive on the ability to not only empower people to transform the lives of pets through raw nutrition, but also to empower each other to inspire a culture that celebrates our differences. Our unique approach to pet food is what makes us who we are as a company, and our individual identities are what makes us a successful, innovative, authentic team.
