Director, Stewardship Standards, Measurement & Reporting

Description

Rosemont, Illinois, United States (in‑office Tuesday through Thursday; visa sponsorship and relocation are not available for this position)

People. Planet. Community.

Dairy’s journey starts on the farm, and the road we travel demonstrates our unwavering commitment to sustainable nutrition, as our farmers provide lasting and meaningful nourishment to people, the planet and our communities, both urban and rural.

We are a nonprofit organization located in the greater Chicagoland area and we’re always looking for talented people to join our team who share the passion and motivation to promote the goodness of dairy.

The Director of Stewardship Standards, Measurement & Reporting plays a key role in supporting the development, refinement and alignment of voluntary sustainability standards and metrics relevant to dairy cooperatives and processors in support of the industry’s collective 2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals, the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment and U.S. dairy’s sustainability reports.

A primary focus of this role is to work with dairy community representatives to help ensure that the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment continues to serve as a credible and practical platform for industry‑wide measurement and reporting. The Director will shape and manage the methodologies and reporting system underpinning the Stewardship Commitment to ensure scientific credibility and operational feasibility for dairy cooperatives and processors and to enable industry‑level reporting.

The Director will monitor emerging market expectations and requirements to help the industry anticipate and adapt to new sustainability reporting requirements. The role will support in efforts to engage with external organizations and partners to ensure U.S. dairy farmers, cooperatives and processors are represented. By strengthening alignment and monitoring external developments, this position will support industry efforts to safeguard credibility, manage risk, and support the promotion of economically sustainable pathways.

1. Stewardship Commitment Terms, Metrics & Reporting (50%)

• Manages and guides the review, refinement, and maintenance of the Stewardship Commitment Terms and metrics.
• Ensures metrics are consistent to the extent appropriate with recognized global standards and frameworks such as the GHG Protocol, GRI, and SASB, while maintaining their practicality for implementation across the U.S. dairy supply chain.
• Supports the annual Stewardship Commitment affirmation and reporting process, ensuring data quality, consistency, and integrity.
• Guided by the Stewardship Commitment Committee, coordinates updates, facilitates reviews, and develops supporting materials.
• Provides technical guidance and support to ensure that all sustainability reporting, including the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Report, accurately reflects industry progress as measured through the Stewardship Commitment.
• Collaborates with external partners to improve data accuracy, comparability, and efficiency and promote the adoption of consistent methodologies and tools that reduce duplication, improve data reliability and strengthen industry reputation.
• Contributes to the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Report by ensuring accurate data interpretation and alignment with Stewardship Commitment metrics.

2. GHG Accounting and Reporting (20%)

• Serves as the internal subject matter lead on GHG accounting, with expertise in Scope 1, 2, and 3 methodologies, FLAG, and LSRS.
• Manages integration of GHG‑related data into Stewardship Commitment reporting tools and systems and, as applicable, industry reporting on progress toward GHG neutrality goal.
• In collaboration with industry partners, coordinates industry positions and perspectives among the GHG Accounting Working Group to ensure methodological consistency between U.S. dairy’s internal reporting and global frameworks.
• Supports the GHG Team of the Processor Stewardship Exchange to facilitate collaboration and shared learning among processors and cooperatives.
• Supports leadership in representing U.S. dairy in global and national discussions on GHG accounting, methodologies, and value chain…