Role Summary
ISEAL Alliance is seeking to fill the new role of Manager, Innovations. ISEAL is the global membership association for sustainability standards that includes many of the leading eco-labelling and certification schemes in the world as its members. Please find out more about us on our website www.iseal.org.
This is a new position within ISEAL that recognises the growing importance of our work in supporting sustainability standards systems to test and integrate innovative solutions. The Innovation Manager will be responsible for working with and inspiring our members and other stakeholders, both in a facilitation and technical capacity. The Manager will provide support to a number of working groups which bring members together in different constellations to research, test and integrate innovations into their standards systems. The scope of work focuses primarily on assurance systems but includes innovations in standards, capacity building and monitoring & evaluation.
The role will also be responsible for researching and mapping what is happening with other sustainability tools and platforms, to identify synergies and opportunities for standards systems to build partnerships and to learn from other initiatives. The Manager will have a public role representing ISEAL in meetings and conferences to build relationships with key platforms and partners. This role will be supported by and responsible to the Director, Innovations.
This is a challenging and exciting position that requires a distinctive skill set. The successful candidate will be familiar with the technical operations of sustainability standards systems, most likely having experience working with one or more standards. They will have strong communications skills, being able to take complex technical issues and convey these clearly and in multiple formats to various audiences. The individual is also an accomplished facilitator, with experience bringing together organisations with diverse interests, managing their interests and idiosyncrasies, and encouraging them along a path to collective learning and action.
The ideal candidate will bring a thirst for knowledge and a good sense of the broader landscape in which sustainability standards operate. They will make connections between disparate ideas and be able to identify and distil critical ideas. They are big picture thinkers and will have a passion for exploring innovative solutions and new models, such as in data management or information transparency. And of course, they are conscientious and committed and have a deep desire to have a positive influence on the world.
Responsibilities
Innovation Task Forces facilitation & technical support
- Facilitate multiple member working groups, stimulating innovative ideas and the testing of new approaches
- Capture and synthesize learning from groups for presentation to broader membership
- Conceive and carry out research on innovative technical solutions of interest to the working groups
- Prepare and deliver webinars, articles, learning tools, etc. on technical topics
Landscape coordination and engagement
- Research external sustainability tools and platforms and analyse their potential impacts, overlaps and influence on the landscape
- Manage relationships with key sustainability initiatives through face to face meetings and engagement
- Prepare written reports on relevant developments in the sustainability tools landscape
Support to External Collaborations
- As the need arises, provide facilitation or technical support to collaborations between ISEAL members and other sustainability tools
Other
- Project management and reporting as needed
- Participate actively in the Innovation team through team meetings, providing input to strategy and plan development, contributing to building the learning community, and contributing to team activities as additional needs arise.
- Contribute to staff meetings, and other internal meetings with appropriate content, views and suggestions
- Fulfil requirements of internal staff management processes including performance reviews, supervisory meetings, etc.
- Additional responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.
- Commit to continuously increase knowledge of ISEAL work and the wider context of sustainability standards and sustainability issues.
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Essential Knowledge/Skills/Attributes
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- Postgraduate degree in any relevant subject or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education and training
- Substantial proven work experience in an international sustainable development setting, with at least some experience working with sustainability standards or related organisations
- Strong, demonstrable levels of knowledge and experience of sustainability standards
- Familiarity with data management solutions and issues of information transparency
- Strong facilitation, consultation and convening skills and experience including engaging in or facilitating cross-sector partnerships
- Innovative and flexible thinking to find new models for cooperation and action
- Proven experience in public speaking and presentations
- Excellent levels of spoken and written English and comfortable preparing reports and presenting to all types of audiences
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build trust and productive relationships
- Well-organised, with strong process management skills, an ability to establish priorities and work to deadlines
- Self-motivated and able to work independently as well as part of a team
- Perceptive and versatile; able to read and adapt to evolving situations
- Flexibility to allow variable working hours and to adapt to new responsibilities as team needs evolve
- Committed to contributing to positive social and environmental change
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Other Relevant Information
Term: This is intended as a long term position with an initial contract of one year
Salary: Compensation will be commensurate with experience and qualifications and based upon the work carried out.
Working Hours: Based on a full time equivalent of 37.5 hours per week. The ISEAL Alliance operates a Flexible Working Policy and is happy to consider applications for flexible working after the relevant qualification period has passed.
Status: Candidates must be able to work the UK/EEA area. For exceptional candidates ISEAL may be able to support a Visa application with a Certificate of Sponsorship (COS).
Location: This position will be based in ISEAL’s London head office.
International Travel: The post holder will be required to undertake regular international travel including overnight stays. (approx. 4 days/month)
Annual Leave: 25 days / year (including office closure between Christmas and New Year)
Equal Opportunities: The ISEAL Alliance strives to be an equal opportunities employer and commitment to this process is expected.
Ideal Start Date: ASAP
