Sustainability Manager Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Sustainability Manager roles qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship as a specialty occupation, requiring a bachelor's degree in environmental science, sustainability, business, or a related field. Employers in corporate ESG, energy, and consulting sectors actively file LCAs for this title. No lottery-exempt path exists, but demand is growing.
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Get Access To All JobsLocation & Work Arrangement
Candidates located in the Houston, Texas area will work in a hybrid work arrangement, with an on-site presence required based on business needs.
Candidates located outside the Houston, Texas area may work remotely.
INTRODUCTION
Sysco is advancing efforts to integrate sustainability into our business strategy and day-to-day operations. The Manager, Sustainability Program and Stakeholder Engagement plays a critical role in advancing this transformation by managing cross-functional programs, enabling delivery through structured project planning, and coordinating stakeholder engagement across the enterprise. This role sits at the heart of Sysco’s sustainability team, working across business units, functions, and external stakeholders to translate strategy into action. The ideal candidate is an expert in making complex initiatives move; they can connect the dots, drive clarity, track progress, and deliver high-quality materials for internal and external audiences — from the boardroom to the business unit.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Program Management & Delivery:
- Build and maintain relationships across key stakeholder groups, ensuring alignment, communication, and coordinated action on sustainability priorities.
- Drive delivery through structured weekly check-ins with workstream leads, surfacing risks, removing barriers, and escalating where needed.
- Maintain clear visibility of program progress and ensure all stakeholders are aligned on objectives and priorities.
Cross-Functional Stakeholder Engagement:
- Represent Sysco's sustainability efforts externally, fostering partnerships and aligning stakeholders to advance sustainability priorities across the food system.
- Advance sustainability initiatives by aligning stakeholders around shared priorities and driving collaboration across the value chain.
- Represent Sysco in external forums and relationships, communicating sustainability strategy and identifying opportunities for impact and business value.
- Help the team operate as a transformation function by fostering collaboration, navigating interdependencies, and shaping joint ownership of sustainability outcomes.
Meeting & Material Leadership:
- Own and manage key Sustainability meetings and engagement touchpoints, including:
- Board and ELT sustainability updates
- CEO and senior leader communications
- Monthly Sustainability team meetings
- Strategic working sessions with cross-functional partners
- Develop compelling, cross-cutting presentations that synthesize complex content into executive-ready materials — must be a rockstar in PowerPoint.
Communications, Greenwashing Risk & Collateral:
- Own the sustainability communications and collateral calendar — aligning timing, audiences, and narratives across key internal and external moments.
- Work closely with Marketing and Corporate Communications to ensure consistency and rigor in sustainability messaging.
- Serve as the team’s expert on greenwashing — understanding where risk arises and how to communicate with confidence and integrity.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
Education Required:
- Bachelor’s Degree
Education Preferred:
- Degree in Sustainability
Experience Required:
- 4–6 years of experience in project management, transformation, strategy, communications, or sustainability. Doesn’t need to come from a sustainability background but must have strong interest and belief in the mission.
- Proven track record of managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders and workstreams.
- Comfortable working with senior executives and translating strategic direction into action plans and deliverables.
- Strong writer and slide-builder — able to create clear, sharp, and visually effective materials.
- Tech-savvy and highly organized: excellent with Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, and project tracking tools (Smartsheet, Planner, Asana, etc).
- A team player with a bias for action.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Technical Skills and Abilities:
- Strategic Program Management
- Cross-Functional Influence
- Executive Communication & Storytelling
- Change Management & Transformation
- Project Tracking & Prioritization
- PowerPoint Mastery
- Systems Thinking & Interdependency Mapping
- Judgment & Rigor on Sustainability Claims
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
There may be occasional travel.
Location & Work Arrangement
Candidates located in the Houston, Texas area will work in a hybrid work arrangement, with an on-site presence required based on business needs.
Candidates located outside the Houston, Texas area may work remotely.
INTRODUCTION
Sysco is advancing efforts to integrate sustainability into our business strategy and day-to-day operations. The Manager, Sustainability Program and Stakeholder Engagement plays a critical role in advancing this transformation by managing cross-functional programs, enabling delivery through structured project planning, and coordinating stakeholder engagement across the enterprise. This role sits at the heart of Sysco’s sustainability team, working across business units, functions, and external stakeholders to translate strategy into action. The ideal candidate is an expert in making complex initiatives move; they can connect the dots, drive clarity, track progress, and deliver high-quality materials for internal and external audiences — from the boardroom to the business unit.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Program Management & Delivery:
- Build and maintain relationships across key stakeholder groups, ensuring alignment, communication, and coordinated action on sustainability priorities.
- Drive delivery through structured weekly check-ins with workstream leads, surfacing risks, removing barriers, and escalating where needed.
- Maintain clear visibility of program progress and ensure all stakeholders are aligned on objectives and priorities.
Cross-Functional Stakeholder Engagement:
- Represent Sysco's sustainability efforts externally, fostering partnerships and aligning stakeholders to advance sustainability priorities across the food system.
- Advance sustainability initiatives by aligning stakeholders around shared priorities and driving collaboration across the value chain.
- Represent Sysco in external forums and relationships, communicating sustainability strategy and identifying opportunities for impact and business value.
- Help the team operate as a transformation function by fostering collaboration, navigating interdependencies, and shaping joint ownership of sustainability outcomes.
Meeting & Material Leadership:
- Own and manage key Sustainability meetings and engagement touchpoints, including:
- Board and ELT sustainability updates
- CEO and senior leader communications
- Monthly Sustainability team meetings
- Strategic working sessions with cross-functional partners
- Develop compelling, cross-cutting presentations that synthesize complex content into executive-ready materials — must be a rockstar in PowerPoint.
Communications, Greenwashing Risk & Collateral:
- Own the sustainability communications and collateral calendar — aligning timing, audiences, and narratives across key internal and external moments.
- Work closely with Marketing and Corporate Communications to ensure consistency and rigor in sustainability messaging.
- Serve as the team’s expert on greenwashing — understanding where risk arises and how to communicate with confidence and integrity.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
Education Required:
- Bachelor’s Degree
Education Preferred:
- Degree in Sustainability
Experience Required:
- 4–6 years of experience in project management, transformation, strategy, communications, or sustainability. Doesn’t need to come from a sustainability background but must have strong interest and belief in the mission.
- Proven track record of managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders and workstreams.
- Comfortable working with senior executives and translating strategic direction into action plans and deliverables.
- Strong writer and slide-builder — able to create clear, sharp, and visually effective materials.
- Tech-savvy and highly organized: excellent with Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, and project tracking tools (Smartsheet, Planner, Asana, etc).
- A team player with a bias for action.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
Technical Skills and Abilities:
- Strategic Program Management
- Cross-Functional Influence
- Executive Communication & Storytelling
- Change Management & Transformation
- Project Tracking & Prioritization
- PowerPoint Mastery
- Systems Thinking & Interdependency Mapping
- Judgment & Rigor on Sustainability Claims
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable.
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
There may be occasional travel.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Sustainability Manager
Align your degree to the role
USCIS requires your degree field to directly relate to sustainability management. Environmental science, environmental engineering, business with a sustainability focus, or public policy all qualify. A general management degree without a sustainability component can trigger a Request for Evidence.
Target ESG-reporting employers specifically
Companies with SEC-mandated ESG disclosures or public sustainability commitments have established budget lines for this role. Corporate sustainability teams at publicly traded companies and large consulting firms file LCAs for Sustainability Manager positions far more consistently than small nonprofits.
Use Migrate Mate to find verified sponsors
Search Migrate Mate's job board to browse employers with verified LCA filing history for sustainability roles, filtered by city and industry. This saves you from applying to employers who list sustainability duties but have never sponsored a visa for this title.
Check prevailing wage before negotiating
Your employer's LCA must certify your offered wage meets the DOL prevailing wage for your location and job title. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up the Level I through Level IV wage for Sustainability Manager in your metro area before you negotiate an offer.
Anticipate the specialty occupation challenge
Sustainability Manager is a newer title and some USCIS adjudicators have issued RFEs questioning whether it meets specialty occupation standards. Ask your employer to document that the role requires a specific degree field, not just any bachelor's degree, in the LCA job description.
Time your application around PERM if possible
If your employer plans to sponsor your green card via PERM labor certification, the job description used in the PERM must closely match your H-1B duties. Aligning both filings from the start avoids a lengthy PERM redetermination if DOL flags inconsistencies in your sustainability role scope.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Sustainability Manager role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, but the employer must demonstrate the position normally requires at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field, not just any degree. Roles that could be filled by a graduate from any discipline are vulnerable to USCIS scrutiny. Framing the job description around environmental science, sustainability, or engineering requirements strengthens the petition significantly.
Which visa types are realistic for a Sustainability Manager seeking sponsorship?
H-1B is the primary path for most nationalities. Australian citizens can apply for the E-3 visa, which has a 10,500 annual cap that has never been exhausted and requires no lottery. Chilean and Singaporean nationals may qualify for the H-1B1 visa. All three require a specialty occupation showing and an employer-filed LCA certified by DOL before the visa application.
How do I find employers who actively sponsor Sustainability Manager roles?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified LCA filing history for sustainability roles, so you can focus your search on companies that have already navigated the sponsorship process for this job title. This is more reliable than inferring sponsorship willingness from a job posting alone.
Does my sustainability degree from outside the United States count toward H-1B eligibility?
Foreign degrees are accepted, but USCIS evaluates equivalency. A three-year Australian bachelor's in environmental science or sustainability is generally accepted as equivalent to a U.S. four-year degree for H-1B purposes. USCIS may request a credential evaluation from a recognized evaluation service if the degree program length or field is not straightforward.
Can a Sustainability Manager role be sponsored for a green card, and how does that process work?
Yes. Most Sustainability Manager positions qualify under the EB-2 or EB-3 employment-based categories. The employer must complete PERM labor certification through DOL, advertising the role to demonstrate no qualified U.S. workers are available. Because the role requires a defined degree field, the PERM job description needs to reflect actual day-to-day duties rather than a generic sustainability title.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Sustainability Manager jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.