Interim Human Rights Strategist 12 Months- Maternity Cover Contract

About Us

Textile Exchange is a global non-profit driving positive impact on climate change across the fashion and textile industry. It guides a growing community of brands, manufacturers, and farmers towards more purposeful production from the very start of the supply chain.

By 2030, its goal is to guide the industry to achieve a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within fiber and raw material production. Its focus is holistic and interconnected, accelerating the adoption of practices that improve the state of our water, soil health, and biodiversity too.

For real change to happen, everyone needs a clear path to positive impact. That’s why Textile Exchange believes that approachable, step-by-step instruction paired with collective action can change the system to make preferred materials and fibers an accessible default, mobilizing leaders through attainable strategies, proven solutions, and a driven community.

At Textile Exchange, materials matter. To learn more, visit TextileExchange.org.

Working at Textile Exchange

We work remotely with a team located in 20+ countries. We are a diverse group committed to harnessing the strengths of the global textile industry to accelerate change toward climate and other key environmental goals. We work collaboratively on important environmental issues around the world by working and interacting with farming groups, processors, brands, retailers, and environmental experts in the textile and fashion industries around the world. We offer an opportunity to join a cutting-edge global environmental nonprofit and to help strengthen the impact of our organization. Each Textile Exchange employee is offered a competitive compensation package with paid time off, yearly bonus, opportunities for continuing education, and more.

Job Summary

Textile Exchange is seeking cover for our existing Human Rights Strategist for 12 months, reporting directly to the Chief Strategy Officer. The role is responsible for leading the integration of human rights and livelihoods’ considerations across our platforms and workstreams, recognizing the intrinsic connections between our Climate+ strategy and the people and communities within and surrounding textile and apparel supply chains.

While Textile Exchange is not a human rights-focused organization, over the past several years, we have recognized the importance of integrating a social lens across our standards, tools, and guidance to the industry.

For the past several years, Textile Exchange’s engagement on human rights and livelihoods has been led by the Human Rights Strategist role. Looking forward, we are now seeking someone to support this Strategist role via a dotted reporting line, in the position of Standards Specialist to focus fully on the integration of human rights and livelihoods within the unified standard.

Reports to: Chief Strategy Officer

Like all roles at Textile Exchange, the role will be primarily home-based. Textile Exchange is a United States-based, remote-working organization with a global team; your key colleagues will be in Europe/UK and the United States.

Core Responsibilities

· Serve as the organization’s main point of contact and technical internal expert on human rights and livelihoods topics.

· Collaborate with and support internal departments to integrate human rights and livelihoods within their strategies, tools, and guidance to the industry.

· Develop and lead internal strategy on integration of labor rights, social justice, secure livelihoods and rightsholder engagement.

· Establish and own relationships with external stakeholder expert groups in human rights at global level, supporting regional colleagues to develop relationships at local level.

· Develop existing human rights risk landscape analysis in line with global developments over time, to provide organization with a comprehensive understanding of risks to the industry.

· Collaborate with the Standards and Assurance teams to set strategy for inclusion of human rights and livelihoods criteria within the shift to a unified standard system. Work alongside the Standards, Human Rights Specialist to develop and execute implementation of this strategy.

· Develop updates and proposals with Executive team to provide to the Board to manage human rights risks to the organization and industry.

· Collaborate with the Climate+ team to ensure that human rights and livelihoods outcomes and considerations are integrated within impact data projects, impact tools and impact guidance to the industry.

· Work with regional strategies task team to build regional rights holder engagement approach and integration of human rights risk in strategy development.

· Collaborate with Fiber & Materials team to deliver holistic guidance to the industry, building knowledge and understanding of human rights risks and livelihood implications of preferred fiber and material definitions and acceleration strategies.

· Collaborate with Impact Acceleration team to develop the integration of human rights and grievance mechanism requirements within the Deforestation-Free Call to Action for Leather, supporting the development of protocols, guidance, reporting requirements and verification methodologies.

· Collaborate with Communications and Events team to develop proactive and reactive messaging on human rights and livelihoods, including through the Textile Exchange annual conference.

Experience and Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree and minimum 7 years of experience in human rights / ethical trade / corporate responsibility. Prior experience working with complex supply chain environments.

· Deep understanding of evolving due diligence legislative frameworks and global human rights risk landscape.

· Critical thinking / problem solving; ability to quickly and efficiently synthesize information into specific actions and make decisions with speed and accuracy based on best available information.

· Project management & budget management experience.

Other Required Skills

· Collaborative mindset.

· Strong ability to influence.

· Able to work independently in a virtual workplace. Self-motivated and strong work ethic.

· Well-organized and able to manage multiple priorities and varying pressures to meet strict deadlines as needed.

· Excellent communication, written, and grammatical skills in English; ability to synthesize complex topics to non-human rights experts.

· Proficient computer skills, including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams, and the ability to quickly learn new systems.

· Willing to travel domestically and internationally for meetings and events when required.

· Ability to work across different time zones (within reason, it is not expected that you will work additional hours).

Employment Package

· Position is part-time, 32 hours/week

· Compensation for this role: $55,000-$65,000

· Work from home, virtual/remote (flexible working hours may be required due to differences in international time zones)

· Textile Exchange is currently unable to provide sponsorship for work permits. Candidates need to have existing right to work in nominated working location.

· Start date in October.

How to Apply

Please submit here:

1. Resume

2. Cover Letter

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis as they are submitted. Early application submission is strongly encouraged.

Textile Exchange is committed to creating a diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.