Project Associate

ELEVATE is a global professional services firm that specializes in supply chain social, environmental and business performance. A recognized industry thought leader, ELEVATE believes that sustained, impactful improvement in social and environmental performance requires sincerity of intent and a responsible balance between maximizing financial return and meeting supplier responsibility requirements. ELEVATE calls this Business Driven Sustainability. ELEVATE’s mission is to help brands and retailers design and implement customized programs that identify risk and improve supply chain performance.

The Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety was founded by a group of North American apparel companies and retailers and brands who have joined together to develop and launch the Bangladesh Worker Safety Initiative, a binding, five-year undertaking that will be transparent, results-oriented, measurable and verifiable with the intent of improving safety in Bangladeshi ready-made garment (RMG) factories. Collectively, these Alliance members represent the overwhelming majority of North American imports of RMG from Bangladesh.

To date, the Alliance has inspected the 650+ factories producing for its member companies, developed corrective action plans for factories to make necessary safety improvements, trained 1.2 million workers on basic fire safety, launched training for security guards, and implemented a 3rd party worker helpline that workers can use to anonymously report safety concerns.

The Alliance has hired ELEVATE to manage the implementation of all programmatic activities in Bangladesh and to oversee an office in Dhaka. Currently, the Alliance has 50 staff in its Dhaka office and 3 staff in its San Francisco office.

Position Description:

A dynamic and instinctive individual to support communication with Alliance Members and their constituents, and the overall achievement of Alliance goals. The ideal candidate will be able to take on increasing levels of responsibility over time. The primary responsibilities include the following:

• Communicate with Alliance member companies and relevant multi-stakeholder bodies & NGO’s as needed;
• Support implementation of fire safety training and worker empowerment initiatives including the Helpline and OSH Committees;
• Maintain factory documentation for website and contribute to new content as programs evolve;
• Provide administrative support for coordination of factory database (Fair Factories Clearinghouse), invoicing, and factory status tracking;
• Participate in and take notes during regular in-person meetings and conference calls; and
• Work with Alliance staff (US and Dhaka-based) to improve operational processes and performance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A 4 year college degree;
• 1 – 2 years of experience in the Ethical Sourcing/Labor Compliance or CSR arena either for a brand/retailer or service provider – experience in worker empowerment programs a plus;
• High level of integrity, honesty, and professional conduct;
• Excellent organizational and administrative skills;
• Ability to network and undertake business development duties as needed;
• Ability to work independently;
• Excellent written and verbal (English) communication skills, particularly for a business audience;
• Interest in the garment sector and facilitating company collaboration;
• Ability / willingness to travel (~10-20%) and work outside of typical hours given differences in time zones; and
• Global experience and/or experience working in a global operating environment (especially in South Asia) a plus.

Location:

San Francisco, USA

Compensation:

Compensation will include health benefits, annual bonus based on performance, and a salary based on candidate experience and background.

Tagged as: Project Management