‘I Love My Job’: I’m Helping to Make the World a Better Home as a Sustainability Manager

Welcome to I Love My Job, the series where we hear from women who really love their jobs. In this edition, we sat down with Rochelle Samuel, the Sustainability Manager for CertainTeed Roofing, a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain North America — one of the world's largest building materials companies and manufacturer of high-performance solutions.

In her role, Samuel creates and implements the sustainability strategy for CertainTeed Roofing, which includes determining how to reach their goals for reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions, water consumption, and waste. “Our company's purpose is to make the world a better home, and I do that in the roofing shingle space,” she says. As a result of her collaborative and important work, Samuel can end every day knowing that she’s making an impact at a company that cares globally.

And through this all, Samuel knows that she has her company’s support. “Our company is very vocal about the impact the construction industry has on carbon emissions and climate change, as well as what levers we can pull to reduce them,” she explains. “The fact that I have this job and that there are counterparts of my role in the different businesses shows how we’re continuously investing in bringing the right people and resources in to make a difference.” Saint-Gobain is committed to using their large footprint to make a change. As Samuel says, “sustainability is at the forefront of our values, and, working here, I really feel that.”

In the video below, Samuel tells us more about why she loves working at Saint-Gobain. We also provide lightly edited highlights from the video discussion in the following article.

In case you have trouble watching this video, please click here to watch it on YouTube.

Can you talk to us about a project you're working on that you find really exciting?

One project is creating a plan to reduce our CO₂ emissions. Our company is very ambitious when it comes to our goals. We have absolute, science-based targets to reach net zero by 2050. But how do we get there? What do we do each year? What are the interim intermediary milestones to reach this goal? 

It's an amazing opportunity to be able to work on something that huge. It’s also a highly collaborative process. I have a vision for what I want to see us do, but I need the expertise from the other functions… Sustainability touches everyone, and it's a common goal that we are working together to try to solve. I find that to be really rewarding work. 

How would you describe the culture at Saint-Gobain?

Collaborative. Working toward a common goal like sustainability with others has been a great experience for me. I've had so many opportunities to grow here just from acknowledging and celebrating the diversity of our employee base and working with different types of people in all walks of life.

I'm highly active in our employee resource groups and even started a multicultural one while I was here. It's a company that rewards self-starters and rewards passion. Saint-Gobain will notice you when you raise your hand for something. We have a phrase here that I think perfectly describes our culture: trust, empowerment, and collaboration. This is actually one of the priorities in our business strategy, which shows how much our company really embraces this and wants employees to join together on this common goal. 

How does Saint-Gobain support you?

I've been exposed to many different benefits and opportunities at Saint-Gobain. One benefit that I really appreciate is the flexibility. When I took on this role, I was already in California, and even though the headquarters was in Philadelphia, I'm able to work remotely and efficiently with my team and collaborate with others. I also get to travel quite a bit to see our manufacturing sites [and go to conferences], which is cool.

They also offer a lot of professional development opportunities. One example is, when I was hired, I was in an early career development program called Essentials of Leadership. And, when I moved into the roofing business, they had a roofing university to teach us about the product, process, and raw materials, as well as to network with others and talk about career advancement [...]. There’s even a program for incoming engineers called the Essentials of Manufacturing Program… They really wanna see you succeed and will give you the tools, opportunities, training, and development to advance your career. 

What advice do you have for other women looking to work at Saint-Gobain?

My advice for women looking to work for Saint-Gobain is to come work for Saint-Gobain.

We have a huge community here. Our oldest and largest employee resource group is the Women's Network, but we also have representation for veterans, early career employees, multicultural employees, and LGBTQ+ employees. 

The people I've met and the community that I've built are so important. I really value and cherish the relationships outside of my day-to-day job that I've been able to foster.

Fairygodboss is proud to work with Saint-Gobain. Find a job there today!

Check out other posts in the ‘I Love My Job’ series:

• ‘I Love My Job’: This Innovator’s Decisions ‘Help to Influence the Entire Financial Industry'

• ‘I Love My Job’: At My Company, ‘You Can Carry Your Career Wherever You Go'

• ‘I Love My Job’: Work-Life Balance, Inclusivity, and a ‘Physically and Psychologically Safe’ Culture

• ‘I Love My Job’: I’m Empowered to Build My ‘Own Career Path’ and Experience ‘Tremendous Growth'

• ‘I Love My Job’: From Giving 66% of Every Dollar to Charitable Causes to a Supportive Team