The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) is an industry-wide group of more than 250 leading apparel, footwear and textile, brands, retailers, suppliers, service providers, trade associations, nonprofits, NGOs and academic institutions working to reduce environmental impact and promote social justice throughout the global value chain. Leveraging the Higg Index suite of tools for the standardized measurement of value chain sustainability, the SAC is working to transform business for exponential impact.
The SAC is a fast-paced organization that has an ambitious mission that seeks to reward those who challenge themselves to provide membership and the organization with very high-quality deliverables and engagement in line with our mission. The SAC values trust and strong relationships where team members collaborate effectively and support each other and the work across the organization.
Because SAC has been growing rapidly with an extremely ambitious vision, the organization seeks to manage the dynamic nature of its mission with efficient planning and effective execution. As SAC grows, the organization is implementing systems and processes at all levels of engagement to ensure strong governance and accountability.
Position Description
The Director, Brand & Retail Sustainability Program will be responsible for leading the pre-competitive collaboration of brands and retailers to enable collective action of the industry on shared sustainability goals. This includes maintaining the Higg Index Brand Retail Module (BRM) up to date and relevant for industry stakeholders, but extends beyond the tool to impart guidance, roadmap, and insights to SAC members, as well as convene and facilitate a platform for collaboration and collective action on key issues, notably Responsible Purchasing Practices and Human Rights Due Diligence.
This role requires an expert in project management who is experienced and confident with facilitation of diverse stakeholder perspectives. This role also will require deep expertise and experience working with corporate environmental and/or social/labor program implementation.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
- Maintain the Higg Index BRM tool functional and up to date through SAC’s member consultation process:
- Manage the BRM cadence
- Liaise with SAC’s technology partner team to support the implementation of online tools and materials for the programs
- Oversee the development of user resources like guidance, training, insights webinars, related to the tool
- Manage annual updates to ensure continued relevance and value of the tool
- Foster tool adoption and use across the industry
- Develop a tool vision and development roadmap to ensure industry alignment
- Be the lead expert and representative on Higg Brand and Retail Module for SAC staff, members, and external stakeholders
- Be an industry thought leader for corporate sustainability, and coordinate the dissemination of best practices and insights across the SAC membership:
- Identify new, emerging trends and topics to surface to the SAC membership and invite leading experts to share their insights
- Develop original thought leadership content to share through SAC’s channels
- Develop capability building products such as guidance, roadmaps, to improve sustainability practices of members, in particular on Responsible Purchasing Practices and Human Rights Due Diligence
- Partner with relevant third party organizations and experts
- Organize ad hoc collaborative mechanisms and forums to enable industry-level collective action that will accelerate and scale better sustainability practices by brands and retailers
- Identify systemic challenges and issues with the adoption of Responsible Purchasing Practices and Human Rights Due Diligence practices
- Convene industry stakeholders to pre-competitively collaborate on joint solutions
- Identify relevant existing initiatives to ensure alignment and synergy
- Facilitate the development of collective action mechanisms that drive real change in the industry
- Liaise with the Public Affairs (PA) team to ensure SAC’s PA efforts are aligned with industry needs and relevant, and regulators work towards effective policies.
- Coach and mentor the Brand & Retail Sustainability team (currently one direct report at Sr manager level).
Qualifications
Ideal candidate has:
- CSR & Sustainability expert with 10+ years of experience within a Brand or Retailer in the apparel, footwear, or home textiles industries and in sustainability programs;
- Strong project management, analytic and leadership skills;
- Experience in developing and implementing environmental and social sustainability programs, in particular Responsible Purchasing Practice and Human Rights Due Diligence;
- Experience with multi-layered, complex projects with multiple stakeholders and a solution-oriented approach;
- Experience in consensus building;
- Public speaking experience;
- Technology and / or large-scale survey development and/or implementation experience;
- Excellent written and verbal communications skills;
- Strong familiarity with SAC and the Higg suite of tools;
- Experience working with people from a variety of cultures and backgrounds;
- Passion for sustainability.
- BA required, MA preferred.
SAC seeks a candidate who is / has:
- Mission Driven: Is motivated by the mission of the organization and knows that success comes through teamwork.
- Commitment to excellence: Performs duties at the highest level possible on a consistent basis.
- Trustworthy: Demonstrates an ability and temperament to work with sensitive and confidential information.
- Collaborative: Has team-oriented experience and approach.
- Service focused: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations of their role.
- Resourceful: Is quickly adaptable and able to think creatively.
- Tech savvy: Has the ability to understand and fully leverage a variety of technology platforms to ensure effective and efficient communications and work processes.
- Growth minded: Is willing to learn and grow within the role and in the organization.
Reporting Structure, Timeline, and Compensation
This is a full-time role, directly reporting to the VP, Higg Index with a desired start date of May 1, 2023.
SAC utilizes salary bands based on country location and aims to be competitive in each market. Actual compensation will also vary depending on factors including (but not limited to) relevant experience and performance. Salary is just one component of Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Total Rewards package for employees.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Sustainable Apparel Coalition “SAC” is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Our human capital is the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and organization’s achievement as well.
We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.
Interested? Please submit your resume and a brief motivation letter here.