Director, Sustainability - Military Veterans
at Medline Industries LP.
Job Summary
Medline is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Director of Sustainability to lead Medline's environmental sustainability programs, with a focus on carbon management, climate risk analysis and target-setting and emissions reduction. As a key member of the ESG team, the Director will play a critical role in shaping the company's long-term sustainability goals, guiding cross-functional initiatives, and ensuring effective integration of sustainability practices across all business functions. This role requires frequent interaction with executive leadership (C-suite, Board level) and external stakeholders, as well as representing Medline at high-profile sustainability forums and industry events. The right candidate will have a successful track record of both high-level strategic leadership and operational execution.
Job Description
MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Leadership & Vision
- Lead the development and execution of Medline's global decarbonization strategy, aligning with corporate objectives to address climate change, enhance environmental stewardship, and promote long-term value creation.
- Set and drive sustainability targets (e.g., carbon neutrality, Scope 3 GHG reduction), ensuring measurable progress and accountability across business units.
- Champion the integration of ESG considerations into Medline's business strategy, including governance, risk management, and corporate decision-making processes.
Carbon & Climate Risk Management
- Oversee the company's greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory and carbon reduction strategy, including Scope 1, 2, and Scope 3 emissions. Lead the development of a comprehensive carbon management framework, aligned with global climate goals and industry best practices.
- Drive climate risk assessments, including both physical and transition risks, ensuring that Medline is well-prepared for future environmental challenges. Lead the preparation of climate scenario analyses and ensure that risk mitigation plans are actionable and integrated into business operations.
- Provide oversight and guidance on sustainability-related data analytics and reporting, including carbon emissions forecasting, measurement, and reporting to stakeholders (e.g., investors, regulatory bodies).
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Operational Integration
- Collaborate with product divisions, R&D, supply chain, and procurement teams to implement and optimize sustainability initiatives across Medline's global operations.
- Lead the development of sustainability performance metrics and KPIs, ensuring integration into departmental goals and corporate reporting frameworks.
- Partner with sales and marketing to develop materials, tools, and resources that communicate Medline's sustainability efforts to clients, customers, and stakeholders.
Executive & Board-Level Engagement
- Engage with executive leadership and the Board of Directors on sustainability and ESG matters, providing strategic recommendations, updates on progress, and data-driven insights into the company's sustainability performance.
- Present to and influence senior management on key ESG issues, ensuring alignment with long-term corporate growth and shareholder value.
- Advise senior leaders on the evolving landscape of ESG regulations, industry standards, and investor expectations, keeping Medline ahead of emerging trends.
External Representation & Industry Leadership
- Serve as a thought leader and external representative for Medline on sustainability and ESG issues. Represent the company at high-level industry forums, councils, and sustainability conferences, advocating for the company's sustainability initiatives and shaping public perception.
- Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including customers, industry partners, regulators, and advocacy groups, to advance Medline's sustainability mission.
Sustainability Reporting & Compliance
- Oversee the preparation and submission of Medline's sustainability disclosures, including CDP, GRI, SASB, and other relevant frameworks. Ensure that all reporting is accurate, transparent, and aligned with industry standards.
- Ensure compliance with sustainability-related regulatory requirements at the federal, state, and global levels, as well as with investor-driven ESG initiatives.
Team Leadership & Development
- Drive professional development initiatives within the team to ensure that the organization builds the internal capabilities necessary to deliver on its ESG commitments.
- Oversee the allocation of resources and management of key sustainability projects, ensuring that initiatives are delivered on time, within budget, and with measurable impact.
MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS
Education
Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Sustainability, or a related field
Certification / Licensure
None required.
Work Experience
At least 12 years of experience in environmental sustainability, ESG strategy, or related fields, with a proven track record of leadership in managing large-scale emissions reduction initiatives within a public company environment.
Knowledge / Skills / Abilities
Expertise in sustainability frameworks, carbon accounting (including Scope 3 emissions), climate risk, and ESG disclosure standards (CDP, GRI, SASB, TCFD).
Demonstrated experience working at the intersection of ESG, strategy, and operations, with a clear understanding of the business implications of sustainability and environmental regulations.
Strong track record of presenting complex sustainability concepts to non-technical audiences, including senior leadership and Board members.
Ability to travel up to 35% for business needs, including industry conferences, customer meetings, and site visits.
PREFERRED JOB REQUIREMENTS
Education
An advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MPA, or M.S.)
Benefits - Medline is committed to offering competitive benefits and a variety of choices to best meet the needs of you and your family. For employees scheduled to work at least 30 hours per week, this includes health and well-being, financial fitness, career development, paid time off and more. Employees scheduled to work less than 30 hours per week can participate in the 401(k) plan, access the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Employee Resource Groups (ERG) and Medline Service Corps. For a more comprehensive list of our benefits, please click here .
Every day, we're focused on building a more diverse and inclusive company, one that recognizes, values and respects the differences we all bring to the workplace. From doing what's right to delivering business results, together, we're better. Explore our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion page here .
Medline Industries, LP is an equal opportunity employer. Medline evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.
Northfield, IL
In 2002, Medline began delivering products in the Chicagoland area with a single truck. Today, Medline’s MedTrans transportation fleet has grown to more than 1,500 vehicles, delivering nearly 80% of Medline U.S. product sales and providing consistent, exceptional end-to-end supply chain service.
Medline has the largest owned transportation fleet of any healthcare product distributor in the U.S. And MedTrans has grown along with Medline over the past two decades, doubling the size of its fleet every five years, and continuing to diversify its vehicles and strategies to meet the company’s evolving portfolio of more than 300,000 products.
The current MedTrans fleet is comprised of semi trucks, box trucks and cargo vans to accommodate large and small deliveries. MedTrans delivers supplies to major hospital and healthcare systems, as well as ambulatory surgery centers, long-term care facilities, clinics, physician offices and more recently, residential homes.
MedTrans also seeks to minimize the impact of its deliveries on the environment. This includes implementing across-the-board fuel and emissions-reduction standards and practices: utilizing Dynamic Route Planning to reduce miles and improve trailer utilization; purchasing the most efficient diesel-fueled trucks; and incentivizing all drivers to avoid hard stops, heavy acceleration, high speeds and long periods of idling. Medline also has served as an Environmental Protection Agency SmartWay® Transport partner for the past 10 years, tracking and sharing information on the company’s fuel use and freight emissions.