Standards Manager

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Starting Date: ASAP/Mid-Month April 2025

Contract type: Fixed term, 12-month contract

Salary: 58,594 GBP, commensurate with relevant experience and skills

Location: London, UK

Application closing date: 21.03.2025

About the Job

Are you purpose-driven and ready to shape the future of sustainable cotton?

Join Better Cotton as a Standards Manager, where you'll oversee our standard-setting and revision processes. In this role, you will lead the update of our farm-level standard, the Principles and Criteria, which outline the requirements for our Producers to sell their cotton as "Better Cotton." Additionally, you will collaborate with the team to ensure a smooth roll-out and a potential update of our Chain of Custody standard 1.1, and supporting the team with all standard-related inquiries.

We are seeking an engaging, consultative, and pragmatic project manager who values standards and enjoys balancing sustainability ambitions with practical implementation challenges. If you have experience in stakeholder management, complex project management, standard setting and revisions, and a passion for promoting sustainability impact at the field level, we would love to hear from you.

This role is part of a maternity cover for one year, with the possibility of extension into a permanent position if both organizational and candidate needs align after the initial year.

The Challenge

After the first year of implementing Better Cotton's P&C v.3.0 in the 2024 season, we are now focused on enhancing our standard to uphold our values, address learnings from this first year, respond to shifting market needs, and ensure it is fit for purpose as Better Cotton transitions to a certification scheme. While a v.3.1 with minor changes will be published in the coming weeks, we aim to seize this calendar year to update the standard to v.3.2, effective as of February 2026.

As part of the shift to certification, we have also launched an updated Chain of Custody standard, which requires close monitoring during its roll-out and implementation.

As a Standards Manager, you will collaborate with the respective teams to lead and oversee both processes, ensuring alignment with ISEAL requirements. Your efforts will help build a strong foundation for Better Cotton operations worldwide.

Areas that play to your strengths

As a Standards Manager, you will be responsible for the following:

• Lead the update process of our current farm-level standard: Refine the existing indicators based on recommendations from country teams, Certification Bodies, and technical topic experts, ensuring changes are effective and credible while minimising field-level disruption. This includes:
• Leading overall project management and governance of the update process, adhering to ISEAL requirements for standard-setting and revisions.
• Regularly communicate with key governance and decision-making bodies, including the Better Cotton Council
• Leading internal consultations and ensuring regular internal communication.
• Leading member consultations, including coordinating potential field-level consultations with our Country Teams and engaging the supply chain, retailers, and brand actors with our membership teams.
• Leading and managing external public consultations.
• Engaging and working with technical experts, CSOs, other standards, and stakeholders as needed.
• Coordinate consensus finding amongst multiple stakeholders
• Work closely with the Claims and Assurance teams: Monitor the roll-out of the updated Chain of Custody Standard and collaborate with the teams to monitor and update the standard as needed.
• Support in answering overall standard queries: Help respond to internal and external demands and requests about the standards, including supporting external strategic communication.
• Collaborate with the Assurance and Capacity Strengthening team: Monitor feedback from Certification Bodies and Programme Partners on standard requirements and potential areas for improvement.
• Ensure appropriate delivery of additional global guidance: Work with internal topic experts, assurance, chain of custody, and/or capacity strengthening teams to ensure the standards are accompanied by appropriate global supporting documents.
• Support the Standards team with any other standard-related requests

We are looking for someone who has

the following skills, knowledge, and experience:

Essential

• In-depth understanding of Voluntary Standard Systems: Preferably in agricultural commodities.
• Proven experience and/or knowledge in standard setting or revision procedures: Including ISEAL processes and requirements.
• Effective multi-stakeholder management and coordination: Demonstrated ability to facilitate alignment and consensus among diverse opinions and stakeholders.#
• Strong project management skills: Capable of leading complex projects with multiple governance teams, experiences in managing deadlines and competing priorities effectively.
• Analytical skills combined with holistic thinking: Ability to design pragmatic solutions while considering the big picture.
• Excellent verbal and written communication abilities: Proficient in both internal and external messaging in English. Capable to draft documents and communication pieces targeted at different audiences.
• Experience in working in multi-cultural and international settings.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

Desirable

• Knowledge and experience in cotton field-level production and/or the cotton value chain.
• Sound understanding of environmental and/or social sustainability issues in agriculture.
• Insights into regenerative agriculture: Experience in addressing related challenges through sustainability standards.
• Higher university degree in a relevant field: Such as agronomy, geography, sustainable development, or similar.
• Proficiency in additional languages relevant to Better Cotton's work: For example, French, Portuguese, Turkish, Russian, Mandarin, Hindi, Urdu.

What we offer

• Competitive salary
• Hybrid working - Two to three days/week in the offices central London, Delhi or Lahore
• The opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to one month per year
• Flexible working, with core hours from 10 am to 4 pm local time
• Continuous learning and development
• Pension scheme
• 25 days paid annual leave, plus 8-9 Bank Holidays and a further 3 days off over Christmas
• Enhanced parental benefits
• A warm, positive working environment where everyone is valued
• The opportunity to make your mark and make a difference.

Working arrangements

The position is full-time (40 hours per week) and will be based in London. Better Cotton offers flexible working, with core hours being 10 am - 4 pm.

Apply now

Send us your CV (2 pages maximum) and a brief cover letter (1-page maximum) by or before 21.03.2025 via this link.

In your cover letter, please include an explanation of why your experience is specifically relevant to this role at Better Cotton. We want to see your personal style - what makes you tick and why you think your next opportunity is here with us.

Our hiring process

Initial Screening:

Applicant screening is a crucial step in our recruitment process. This stage may involve a brief phone interview or video call to evaluate your suitability for the position. During this screening, we review resumes and cover letters, and may conduct initial background checks to narrow down the pool of applicant. Internal candidates are encouraged to inform their line manager about their application to promote transparency and help facilitate a smooth transition if selected.

Interviews:

If you successfully pass the initial screening, you will be invited for interviews. The interview process at Better Cotton may include one or more rounds of interviews with various stakeholders, such as the hiring manager, team members, and potentially senior management. As an internal candidate, you may have discussions regarding your current responsibilities and how they will transition to the new position.

Assessment and Testing:

Depending on the role, you might be required to complete assessments, technical tests, or skills evaluations to gauge your competency and suitability for the position. Internal candidates may have the option to demonstrate their existing skills through current job performance or past project outcomes.

Reference Checks:

Once you progress further in the process, reference checks are conducted to validate your work history, skills, and qualifications, and for some roles, your education and criminal history. Internal candidates may be asked for references from current or previous supervisors within Better Cotton to provide insights into their performance and capabilities.

Offer stage:

After completing interviews, assessments, and reference checks, the hiring team evaluates your performance and fit for the role. If you are selected and your references are relevant and satisfactory, you will receive a formal job offer letter outlining the terms of employment, compensation, benefits, and any other relevant details. For internal candidates, the offer process may include a discussion about how your transition to the new role will be managed and any support needed for a smooth handover.

About Better Cotton

Better Cotton is a global not-for-profit organisation supporting the production of more equitable and sustainable cotton at farm level. We exist to catalyse the cotton farming community with partners, governments and others to continuously drive positive impact by setting standards and facilitating the supply and demand of more sustainable cotton from farm to brand. In just 15 years we have aligned more than a fifth of the world's cotton with our standard and helped farmers and farming communities thrive. Join us in building a better, more sustainable future for cotton worldwide.

About our Values

The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our workplace values which are:

• Trustworthy (including honest, transparent, credible)
• As having Integrity (including responsible, authentic)
• Positive (including problem-solving, pragmatic)
• Engaging (including adaptable, inclusive, holistic)
• Daring (including courageous, innovative, game-changing)

Being you @ Better Cotton

Better Cotton is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human, and financial resources.

We have a zero-tolerance approach to any attitudes or behaviours that put children or adults at risk of harm. Safeguarding incidents are acts of serious misconduct and are grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including, dismissal and referral to relevant authorities for criminal prosecution. Therefore, all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.