This is an exciting new role at ISEAL for a sustainability professional with strong working knowledge in a range of traceability related topics, looking to support innovation, guide understanding of good practice, and help sustainability systems respond to emerging due diligence legislation.

The Manager, Traceability and System Innovation will play a key role initially in a project focused on deforestation and conversion-free supply chains and will support ISEAL members to align with emerging due diligence legisation and EU Deforestation Regulation in particular.  

This position will facilitate a community of members to innovate and develop shared solutions to traceability challenges, such as tracking sustainability information through mass balance traceability systems, managing for the sustainability attributes of non-certified production in mixed supply chains, data standardisation, capturing farmgate or first mile traceability information, and the integration of new technologies to improve effectiveness of data gathering and transmission.

The manager will ensure that best practices in traceability are applied across ISEAL´s work, drawing on the experience of sustainability systems and external experts to develop guidance for members. This person will also be the technical lead on ISEAL’s policy positions on traceability and will contribute to the emerging understanding of good practice for sustainability claims. The preferred candidate will have strong convening and facilitation skills, experience with project delivery and management, and an ability to convey very complex technical information to a range of audiences, in both written form and verbally.

While a broad and deep understanding of the full range of traceability topics would be preferable, working technical knowledge of chain of custody models / approaches and related claims, and an understanding of the challenges relating to first mile traceability, volume reconciliation and leakage for commodity standards are essential for any candidate to succeed. Strong familiarity with sustainability systems and how traceability supports and interacts with other system components (claims, assurance, M&E, etc.) is a must.

An ideal candidate would also have experience with digital traceability, including blockchain, and supply chain data standardisation initiatives.  Familiarity with the dynamics of nature-related sustainability challenges (deforestation, climate, biodiversity) would be helpful in this role.

The key responsibilities we will entrust you with:

Technical expertise & innovation 

• Contribute thought leadership and expertise on traceability and due diligence to ISEAL’s projects, Innovation Fund, good practice guidance, and policy positions
• Represent ISEAL on traceability and due diligence in policy dialogues and public events
• Foster innovation, alignment on solutions to technical challenges, and peer-to-peer learning by sustainability systems on traceability
• Facilitate a Community of Practice on traceability and distil and apply emerging learnings

Project delivery and management

• Lead delivery of projects and project components, providing oversight of activities, delivery timelines, and project expenditure; managing the contributions of staff and contracted experts; and ensuring delivery of high quality outputs
• Contribute to narrative and financial reports to donors 

Technical communication & outreach

• Communicate technical content in accessible language for different audiences, from sustainability systems to companies and policy makers
• Produce written products for external audiences that distil learnings, including policy positions
• Engage with leading technical initiatives and build relationships with technical experts
• Organise and facilitate virtual and in-person workshops

Other

• Manage performance of direct reports and provide constructive and supportive feedback to aid in professional development of staff
• Work closely with other staff and teams to ensure alignment and coordination of efforts and activities

Essential experience, knowledge and attributes

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject and/or equivalent professional experience in related field (sustainability, responsible sourcing, compliance, etc.)
• Strong track record in stakeholder convening and facilitation in an international environment
• Familiarity with how sustainability standards systems operate
• Strong working knowledge of chain of custody models, traceability, and related claims
• Understanding implications of key policies and regulations driving need for upstream traceability and due diligence in commodity supply chains
• Ability to research, analyse and evaluate information and understand complex processes/information in order to propose user friendly solutions
• Track record in project management, with proven ability to establish and manage priorities
• Excellent written and spoken English, with proven ability to clearly community technical content both in verbal and written format
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with cross-functional teams in a fully remote, international environment, including regular international time-zone calls
• Proficient IT skills, familiarity with virtual meeting tools (e.g. Teams, Zoom, etc.)
• Experience supervising and managing others in projects and as line reports

Additionally desirable

• Strong understanding of the dynamics of nature-based sustainability challenges (deforestation, biodiversity, and climate) and the role of supply chains and sustainability systems in contributing to and addressing these challenges
• Awareness of dynamics and constraints in different supply chains that prevent transparency and traceability
• Understanding of how key frameworks for responsible business conduct and due diligence (OECD MNE Guidelines, UN Guiding Principles, etc.) are applied in soft commodity supply chains
• Experience with digital traceability, blockchain and/or supply chain data standardisation
• Understanding challenges relating to first mile traceability, volume reconciliation and leakage
• Awareness of emergent physical verification technologies, such as isotope testing and additive markers
• Exposure to risk based approaches in assurance and traceability

ISEAL´s culture and how we will help you thrive

Our values are Connection, Empowerment, Inspiration, Wellbeing, Effective Working and Creativity.

These are traits we value in each other and in the organisation overall and we instil these in all our processes and interactions.

The issues we work on are of a global nature and our team reflects this, with individuals from many different backgrounds and nationalities. We know this diversity adds to the high quality of work we deliver as an organisation and through our commitment to diversity and inclusion we want to add strengths and perspectives in our team with each recruitment. Diversity for us includes race and gender identity, age, disability status, sexual orientation, religion and many other areas forming part of someone´s identity. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer.

As an organisation, we also support our people in their personal and professional development, with specific budgets and processes enabling individuals to take advantage of growth and development opportunities.

We offer 25 days of annual leave, to which we will add a day a year after 2 years (to a maximum of 30 days), as well as an extra five days as a one off once you have been with us for a full five years.

We recognise individuals’ preferences when it comes to where and when to work through a hybrid working model with a minimum of 4 days per month in the London office as well as the opportunity to apply for flexible working arrangements to suit individual´s needs.

Other relevant information

Term: This is an initial contract of one year with the possibility of extension

Salary:   £52,000-58,000 p.a. depending on experience (full time, 37.5 hours per week)

Location: London is the preferred location. Applicants will need to provide evidence that they are entitled to work in the UK. For exceptional candidate, we may consider alternate location. An ability and willingness to work in a hybrid work environment is required.

International travel: The post holder may be required to undertake occasional international travel

Click to apply here

Specific enquiries about this role and the application process can be sent to the recruitment@isealalliance.org.

We will be assessing incoming applications on a rolling basis, with interviews starting in mid-October, so early submission is recommended. Deadline for applications is 26 October 2023, 5pm GMT.

Please note that we will only contact shortlisted applicants.