Senior Manager, Public Affairs, APAC

Full-time position, preferred locations - Hong Kong or India

About Cascale

Cascale is a global, non-profit alliance of 300 leading apparel, footwear, and textile brands, retailers, manufacturers, sourcing agents, service providers, trade associations, NGOs and academic institutions.

Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, we are stepping into a new era of impact with a new name, new look, and same enduring vision. The SAC was incorporated as a 501(c) 6 nonprofit organization and launched the groundbreaking Higg Index suite of tools in 2011. In May 2019, the SAC spun-off the Higg Index technology platform to Higg, now Worldly, which delivers tools and services that help consumer goods businesses accelerate transformation for a more sustainable future. As of 26 February 2024, we are now officially known as Cascale. For more information, visit www.cascale.org.

Together, we are working toward a shared vision of an industry that gives back more than it takes — to the planet and its people. Through multi-stakeholder engagement, our mission is to transform business for exponential impact through groundbreaking tools, collaborative partnerships,and trusted leadership for industry sustainability.

To reach this shared vision, we have developed the Higg Index in collaboration with our members, to create a global approach for effectively measuring and evaluating the social and environmental impacts of value chains and products. Our groundbreaking tools enable organizations to identify hotspots, improve sustainability performance, save time and money, and engage with value chain partners to scale systemic change across the industry.

Opportunity

A radical change of the industry can only happen if all actors, private and public, work together to make the consumer goods industry truly sustainable. This is an exciting opportunity to ensure policymakers, civil society and other stakeholders identify and recognise the work of the Cascale and standardized tools, such as the Cascale’s Higg Index as robust, credible and trusted solutions to enable transformational change. The Senior Manager will be responsible for supporting the Senior Director in

• Managing and undertaking identified work streams of the Cascale Public Affairs Strategy,
• Delivering widespread and effective member, and identified stakeholder and government engagement and education resulting in the work of the Cascale and standardized tools, such as the Cascale’s Higg Index, relevance and suitability in policy, and legislative strategies,
• Ensuring that the coalition and the global consumer goods industry gives more than it takes—to the planet and its people.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement the Cascale PA Strategy and Strategic Plan

• Support the implementation in the APAC region of the comprehensive, dynamic, and global Cascale Public Affairs Strategy, framed by, and focused on, integration with the strategic plan, delivering against impact pillars namely Combat Climate Change, Decent work for all, and a Nature-Positive Future, and Cascale political priorities in the areas of circular product design, responsible brand purchasing practices, supply-chain decarbonization.
• Develop and implement an engagement strategy for key regional stakeholders, beginning with Cascale members, while also including relevant partner organizations and policy makers
• Increase APAC member representation, engagement and activities
  • Identify potential impacts and opportunities of relevant current and upcoming legislation/initiatives that could or will, materially impact Cascale members, in particular manufacturers, in the APAC region
  • Supporting the industry-aligned positions of the Policy Hub, and going forward, as appropriate, other identified, relevant policy influencing channels (e.g. GFA, AAFA) through media, events, meetings, etc.
  • In cooperation with partners, ensure that the interests and voice of Cascale business partners in APAC, notably Cascale manufacturer members, are brought onto the political agendas of key decision-makers as and where appropriate (EU , US and in the APAC region)
• Promote and support alignment of Cascale tools and programmes
  • Ensure Cascale Higg Index Tools and Programs are developed and evolve to support members’ performance and compliance against current and upcoming legislation on climate, social and labor and environmental issues , aligned with the Cascale’s Strategy
  • Ensure the Cascale’s Higg Index Tools and Programs are recognised by members, stakeholders and decision makers as addressing relevant current and upcoming legislation on climate, social and labor and environmental issues , aligned with the Cascale’s Strategy
  • Showcase the value and use of the Higg Index tools data in the APAC region to promote harmonization of policy and standards across jurisdictions in the APAC region and around the globe.
• Strategic Policy Stakeholder Engagement
  • Foster existing and new partnerships
  • Ensuring active engagement with and input to the work of relevant policy influencing channels and partners.
  • Providing valuable, whole value-chain insights and technical knowledge for the work of partners
  • Supporting the industry-aligned positions of the relevant policy influencing channels/ partners
  • Be aware of and build coalitions with existing and new strategic partners in the region.
• Position Cascale as trusted interlocutor vis-a-vis decision-makers
  • Position Cascale as supporter of smart, harmonized regulation and accelerator for change in the APAC region, voicing value-chain concerns and bringing technical expertise at the service of policy-makers- in synergies with Cascale partners.
  • Communicating and promoting from a policy perspective core aspects of the Cascale vision, and strategy and initiatives towards relevant decision-makers policy-makers, regulators, and stakeholders in the APAC region

Ideal candidate has:

Qualifications & Experience

• 5-8 years of relevant proven work-experience in Policy and Public Affairs
• A relevant and applicable Bachelor's Degree, or Postgraduate Qualification would be an advantage
• Good Knowledge of policy-making processes in at least one key APAC country, i.e. Bangladesh, China, India, Hong Kong, or Vietnam.
• Proven experience in effectively managing, and implementing advocacy and public affairs strategies in at least one key APAC country
• Proven network among relevant stakeholders of the apparel and footwear sector advocating for sustainability issues.
• Excellent skills (speaking and writing) of English and Mandarin essential – additional skills of other Asian languages are a plus
• Expert knowledge of sustainability policy issues in the fashion industry or other related industries and the ability to facilitate this knowledge into well-articulated arguments
• Previous experience in the Textile and Footwear Sector (e.g. NGO, retailer, brand, manufacturer, research perspective) would be an advantage.

• Track record for working in a team-based, fast-paced, deadline-driven environment multi-tasking and handling changing priorities

• Excellent organizational skills with a strong methodical process driven approach and ideally a good knowledge of Google suite, notably Docs, Sheets, and Slides

• Good communication, influencing and interpersonal skills with a positive and supportive attitude. Ability to interact and engage with various stakeholders in an international context
• Ability to work with colleagues in a multicultural, multinational context to collaboratively achieve organizational goals always treating others with respect and care
• An open, global, growth and learning driven mindset
• Ability to multi-task and comfortable with ambiguity and handling complex issues

Cascale seeks a candidate who is / has:

• Mission Driven: Is motivated by the mission of the organization and knows that success comes through teamwork.
• Commitment to excellence: Performs duties at the highest level possible on a consistent basis.
• Trustworthy: Demonstrates an ability and temperament to work with sensitive and confidential information.
• Collaborative: Has team-oriented experience and approach.
• Service focused: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations of their role.
• Resourceful: Is quickly adaptable and able to think creatively.
• Tech savvy: Has the ability to understand and fully leverage a variety of technology platforms to ensure effective and efficient communications and work processes.
• Growth minded: Is willing to learn and grow within the role and in the organization.

Reporting Structure & Timeline

This is a full-time role, directly reporting to Senior Director, Policy & Public affairs with a desired start date of as soon as possible.

Compensation and Location

Cascale offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience. Salary bands are based on the country of location. Cascale’s members and partners are global organizations, and as such, Cascale staff sometimes work early or late hours. This position is a full-time position based in APAC (Hong Kong or India).

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Cascale is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our human capital is the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and organization’s achievement as well. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

To Apply

Maybe you don’t tick all the boxes above— but still think you’d be great for the job? Go ahead, apply anyway. Please. We know that experience comes in all shapes and sizes—and PASSION can’t be learned. To be considered for this position, please apply here.

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