Sustainability Manager (Materials & Ethical Trade)

Job Introduction

Are you looking for a new challenge that gives you the chance to get creative and use your knowledge of materials and ethical trade to take Customer Experience at Selfridges to the next level?  Looking for a company that wants to help further your career as well as provide you with an exciting, inspiring and fun place to work?   

If the answer to all of these questions is ‘yes’ then you’re just the kind of person we’re looking for!  

Role Responsibility

Project Earth, our sustainability strategy, is built on three themes – transitioning to more sustainable materials, exploring new business models and challenging mindsets.  By focusing on our destinations, products, people and our customer experience, and by working with our team members, brand partners and customers, together we can imagine and create a sustainable future for retail. We can create a profitable business that respects our world, builds trust and embodies creativity and innovation.

This role will be a recognised and respected companywide authority on sustainability issues that support our Materials agenda, including those related to our product sourcing strategy, ethical trade and modern slavery. You will champion sustainability issues across key functions in the business, and support senior management and teams to embed change through effective governance, deliver on their goals, measure impact and report progress against their targets. You will utilise external partnerships to help develop and implement the product sourcing strategy and approach to Ethical Trade and modern slavery and will promote the business at industry events.  You will also play a key role in supporting the development and implementation of activities that drive customer awareness and understanding of Selfridges’ approach to sustainability.

Key responsibilities

Materials strategy - responsible sourcing and ethical trade

Supported by the Head of Sustainability:

• In close collaboration with B&M projects, Change and other relevant stakeholders, develop and deliver the long term responsible materials sourcing strategy and roadmap for Selfridges. Develop commitment statements, supporting criteria and evidence requirements on high impact sensitive materials using knowledge gained from working in partnership with external experts. Make connections to the other Project Earth pillars (Models and Mindsets) where relevant.
• Manage strategic partnerships or engagements that support our Materials strategy and targets. Support cross-functional initiatives which help deliver the first and ensuing phases of the public Materials Commitments.
• Co-ordinate the Ethical Trade/Modern Slavery programme for Selfridges; working closely with the Sustainability Manager, B&M Projects and members of the Ethical Trade/Modern Slavery Working Group.
• Leading the agenda for the working group; managing strategic partnerships including Stronger Together, preparing the Selfridges’ Modern Slavery Statement and managing our obligations under the Modern Slavery Act; designing and overseeing effective implementation of the supplier due-diligence framework; ensuring Ethical Trade Requirements are kept up to date in line with best practice and business developments;  

Supporting delivery, engagement and training:

Support and connect team members across functions to the Materials strategic priorities, enabling them to understand their role in delivering change, and to support delivery teams with developing & implementing their roadmaps.

This focuses on providing technical expertise, horizon scanning insights and strategic support; integrating the sustainability strategy (with a focus on ethical trade and materials) into relevant business processes; and ensuring alignment across property, procurement and product. Priority focus areas include:

• Work with Procurement to embed the supplier due diligence framework in Goods not for Resale (ethical trade and broader sustainability requirements such as materials sourcing)
• Support B&M Projects in their delivery of product sourcing and ethical trade commitments across B&M and Food, ensuring the supplier due diligence framework and product sourcing policies are consistently applied across the business.
• Advise and support sustainable packaging strategy development, working groups and leads as needed to incorporate materials sustainability into packaging considerations
• Support teams to interpret and incorporate the materials commitments and policies into their approach, such as the property design team’s implementation of the Sustainable Build Guidelines

• Produce and deliver training in relation to materials and ethical trade where relevant across different areas of the business.Work with operational leads in the business to develop tools and embed awareness and engagement.

Reporting and governance

• Advise and support stakeholders responsible for internal reporting, overseeing progress made by delivery teams for roadmaps, performance, reporting and compliance for Materials.
• Coordinate data collection with relevant stakeholders to support performance assessment/strategy, and compliance for priority topics within remit e.g. packaging and scope 3 for GNFR
• Work with the the  Sustainanability Project Manager to ensure that the sustainability master tracker is updated and period reporting is reflective of progress in relation to Materials (ethical trade and product sourcing).
• Prepare papers and provide updates to the Sustainability Steering Committee and Group sustainability meetings where relevant.

Communications

• Support creative schemes and broader comms channels to sign off on product policy technical detail.
• Input into relevant benchmark submissions and awards and coordinate the delivery of the annual Modern Slavery statement.
• Support the Communications Working Group to enable them to achieve their initiatives on customer and Team Member facing sustainability messaging.

Research and insights

• Proactively address hotspots by horizon scanning for relevant sustainable innovation, bringing new solutions to Working Groups.
• Keep up-to-date with the sustainability agenda, new legislation and best practice guidelines and understanding of how they may affect the business

Team

• Support the development and implementation of team tools, processes and systems
• Provide timely and robust ad hoc support to Head of Sustainability and Executive Director, Communications & Sustainability as needed
• Provide input to broader Project Earth strategy development and future revisions, as appropriate

The Ideal Candidate

Technical Skills

• Essential knowledge of MS Excel and other MS Office applications (i.e. Word, PowerPoint)

Personal Attributes/ Behavioural Skills

• Highly motivated with a personal passion for sustainability
• Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with diverse stakeholder needs
• Ability to build strong working relationships with multiple stakeholders internally and externally
• Confident negotiator and influencer
• Able to zoom out to see and articulate ‘the bigger picture’ in terms of sustainable business and zoom in to the detail
• Highly organised, methodical and with attention to detail
• Analytical thinker
• Action orientated
• Numerate
• Team player

About the Company

Our Creative Spirit 

We are more than a shop. We are a social space where culture and commerce collide to release an energy that we call the Selfridges spirit. We are here to make our world brighter, and everyone is welcome. 

Our Awards Cabinet 

We’re not ones to brag, but since you asked...Selfridges has won the award for The World’s Best Department Store an unprecedented four times at the IGDS awards, with an additional award for the Best Sustainability Campaign. We were also recognised as a ‘Best 25 Big Company to Work For 2020’ as awarded by The Sunday Times.

Our Future 

Since 1909 we have been at the forefront of retail and today our stores in London, Manchester and Birmingham – alongside selfridges.com and the Selfridges App – continue to redefine the way we shop and socialise. As a Selfridges team member, you will learn what it takes to consistently drive innovation, success and amazing customer experiences. 

Everyone is welcome

We are committed to a diverse and inclusive working culture, and we see this as key to our success and our working culture. Here at Selfridges, everyone is welcome - irrespective of race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, age or disability, we stand by equal opportunities for all. We are diverse, we are inclusive, we are Selfridges.

The Fun Stuff  

There are lots of reasons to be excited about joining Team Selfridges – from our fantastic team member communities to volunteer days and behind-the-scenes Selfridges experiences throughout the year. 

Other benefits and rewards include:

• Generous bonus and/or commission scheme 
• Discounted gym memberships 
• Pension contributions  
• Annual travel pass and cycle to work schemes 
• Up to five paid volunteering days
• Access to a wide range of training programmes to help your career development

Selfridges