Director, Sustainability Strategy & Governance

This is where your work makes a difference.

At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results.

Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride.

Position Summary

The Director of Sustainability Strategy & Governance provides enterprise-wide leadership to advance Baxter’s sustainability strategy through robust governance, policy development, and program execution. This role manages the governance structure , ensuring seamless coordination between Sustainability Councils and real-time scorecards to track progress against KPIs and milestones. The Director drives the creation and updates of cross-cutting sustainability policies —including Climate, Plastics, and Circular Economy—while leading the EcoDesign program across commercial, operational, and customer-facing areas to embed sustainability into product and process innovation.

Additionally, the Director of Sustainability Strategy & Governance curates customer and internal case studies for external release, elevating Baxter’s brand identity and demonstrating value creation through sustainability initiatives. This position also oversees the annual update to the sustainability materiality assessment , working across the enterprise and scanning industry trends and segment opportunities to expand Baxter’s sustainability program and maintain a leadership position. Success in this role requires strategic vision, strong governance expertise, and the ability to translate sustainability performance into actionable programs.

The person in this role will cultivate relationships across the enterprise, including procurement, segment business teams, EHS, operations, communications, finance, legal, and marketing. Essential to this role is to work well in a collaborative, matrix environment which is nimble with a bias for action.

What you'll be doing:

Governance & Performance Management

• Manage the enterprise sustainability governance structure, ensuring alignment across Sustainability Councils and facilitating cross-functional coordination for accountability and timely execution.

• Oversee real-time scorecards and KPIs, including communication and monthly reviews with Sustainability Leadership Teams to ensure proper follow-up and mitigation plans.

• Monitor progress against milestones and drive continuous improvement in sustainability performance across the organization.

Policy Development & Strategic Frameworks

• Drive creation of cross-cutting sustainability policies (e.g., Plastics Policy, Circular Economy, Climate Policy).

• Ensure policies align with global standards and support Baxter’s long-term sustainability commitments.

EcoDesign Program Leadership

• Develop and manage the EcoDesign program across product development, operations, customer-facing and end-of-life.

• Embed sustainability principles into product design and lifecycle management.

Strategic Program Expansion

• Lead enterprise projects including the annual update to the sustainability materiality assessment, identifying opportunities to strengthen Baxter’s sustainability program.

• Benchmark against industry trends and competitor practices to maintain leadership positioning.

What you'll bring:

• 10+ years of professional experience with 5+ years of leadership experience; preference of this experience within a sustainability function

• Strong relationship building acumen; ability to understand, articulate and engage on multiple priorities at all levels across a large global/regional organization, and ability to build and maintain relationships with a diversity of external stakeholders

• Excellent leadership, management, organizational, time and project management skills; strong analytical and problem-solving skills and demonstrated ability to drive change and achieve results

• S trong business acumen; possess a working knowledge of related disciplines/other functions including R&D, legal, compliance, finance, manufacturing and supply chain

• Ability to influence and interface effectively with site/regional/corporate leadership teams as well as organizations outside Baxter including a variety of external trade associations and membership groups

Education

• BS or BA degree required

• Master’s degree in business administration, environmental science, sustainability and/or professional certifications that demonstrate relevant subject matter expertise highly preferred

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. At Baxter, we are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices. The estimated base salary for this position is $184,000 - $230,000 annually. The estimated range is meant to reflect an anticipated salary range for the position. We may pay more or less than of the anticipated range based upon market data and other factors, all of which are subject to change. Individual pay is based on upon location, skills and expertise, experience, and other relevant factors. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, commission, and/or long-term incentive. For questions about this, our pay philosophy, and available benefits, please speak to the recruiter if you decide to apply and are selected for an interview.

Baxter is committed to supporting the needs for flexibility in the workplace. We do so through our flexible workplace policy which includes a required minimum number of days a week onsite. This policy provides the benefits of connecting and collaborating in-person in support of our Mission. The flexible workplace policy is subject to local laws and legal requirements. At its discretion, Baxter may decide to adjust, suspend, or discontinue as business needs change.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

US Benefits at Baxter (except for Puerto Rico)

This is where your well-being matters. Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles. Our health and well-being benefits include medical and dental coverage that start on day one, as well as insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance. Financial and retirement benefits include the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount, and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching. We also offer Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave. Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits. Join us and enjoy the competitive compensation and benefits we offer to our employees. For additional information regarding Baxter US Benefits, please speak with your recruiter or visit our Benefits site: Benefits | Baxter

Equal Employment Opportunity

Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter 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.

Reasonable Accommodations

Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information.

Recruitment Fraud Notice

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