Sustainability and HSEQ manager

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I’m responsible for SRV Group’s sustainability development and its management system. Sustainability in a construction company means matters related to environmental sustainability, social sustainability and good governance. Often, sustainability is also referred to with the term ESG (Environment, Social, Good Governance).

Recently, I’ve focused on developing our sustainability strategy and climate goals. I’m responsible for an ESG-based sustainability programme, I monitor the progress of the goals and I report to stakeholders. My tasks also include monitoring and interpreting regulatory developments and ensuring that the measures required by our practices are implemented in them. I also serve as the supervisor of the group’s sustainability team.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

I started my career as a management system developer, and over time I focused on sustainable practices because I felt that they were important for the company’s competitiveness. I want to develop the culture of sustainable action, and I believe that processes will help companies to operate more efficiently. After graduating, I ended up in the construction industry by chance when the construction company Lemminkäinen was looking for a quality management developer. Now, I work for the third construction company.

Describe your typical working day or week.

My work rhythm is determined by the annual action plan, and my workweeks vary greatly. Lifecycle wisdom is at the core of SRV’s strategy, and it guides our sustainability work. We develop our themes according to it annually. Our priorities for next year include reducing emissions from construction materials and supporting biodiversity. In addition, different standard themes are emphasised in different seasons—for example, annual sustainability reporting is carried out in winter.

As a supervisor, I regularly go through the week’s tasks with my team and compare the progress with the annual plan. We prioritise work together, and I also offer support and help in solving challenging situations. We also agree together on who we involve in the work at any given time. I work extensively with the business function and other support functions within the company. For example, we develop the sustainability of our partner network together with the procurement function.

My workweek may also include stakeholder events, in which I’m happy to participate so that I can offer the perspective of a construction company. I also monitor regulatory developments, right now especially at the EU level.

A normal week for me also includes promoting various development projects. I try to break long-term goals down to short-term tasks so that we stay on schedule. I also go through the practical measures with people working in construction projects, and at the same time I get feedback on daily operations from them, which can be used in development work.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

I work in a hybrid model: I work remotely for a part of the week, and I’m at the office for the rest of the time. This varies a little from week to week—sometimes I’m at the office for the whole week. I work normal office hours. I also visit construction sites, which brings pleasant variation to office work.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

The duties of a sustainability manager or specialist can always be adapted to the person’s competencies and experience. Recent graduates can also start in the task by, for example, participating in reporting work and development projects. The position is an excellent fit for people with extensive management experience as well, as you can have overall responsibility for the development of a certain theme.

I have almost 20 years of experience in the field. The sustainability manager position in which I work requires extensive competence in the strategic and operative management of a company. In addition, I’m expected to have the ability to take a practical approach to the development of a theme in order to achieve the best possible business practices. I’m also required to have competence in different ESG sustainability themes, that is, combating climate change, social sustainability and good governance.

Other requirements for the position include the ability to manage projects and change and to form an overall analysis of the bigger picture. The position of a sustainability manager or specialist also requires good communication skills.

What is the best thing about your profession?

The best thing about my profession is the opportunity to have a positive impact on the development of the construction industry and sustainability. I particularly like the fact that the cooperation network is extensive both within and outside the company, which makes it possible to take the development of a theme into account from several different perspectives.

I want to do work that matters. Companies are responsible for their impact on society, whether we are talking about employment, diversity or equity. The construction industry, on the other hand, has a significant impact on the environment, which means that sustainability measures can reduce negative impacts and increase positive impacts. Matters related to good governance affect partner companies, employees and society as a whole. Transparency and openness, on the other hand, is emphasised in reporting.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

The range of actors in the construction industry is very extensive, which means that adopting new practices takes a lot of time. Regulation is also developing at a tremendous rate, which is why I’m concerned whether small, low-resource companies have enough time do everything they need.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a sustainability manager?

I can only recommend this profession, as it provides you with a great deal of experience of the various functions of a company, and you get to develop ESG matters that are relevant to companies’ decision-making. Young people can start with the position of a sustainability specialist and later become a sustainability manager or director when they have more experience.

How do you see the future of your profession?

I see my profession as important for the success of companies in the future, and I feel that sustainability is as much a competitive advantage for companies as it’s a requirement for their existence. In the future, funding will increasingly be directed to companies that are able to demonstrate sustainability in their values and promote ESG goals, for instance.

Developing sustainability should be part of everyone’s daily life. That’s why it’s important that we sustainability specialists are able to help companies’ personnel to identify what kinds of choices and practical actions they can make in their daily lives.