Sustainability Officer

💼 The position

As a Corporate Compliance and Corporate Responsibility Officer based in Belgium (Walloon Brabant), you will oversee the implementation and management of compliance and sustainability initiatives for a leading retailer in the European textile industry. 

Your role is essential to align the Sustainability strategy and plan, the company's operations with best practices in traceability, carbon emission measures and ethical sourcing. 🌱

You will be part of a team of 5 people dedicated to sustainable development. You will report to The Cotton Group's Sustainability Manager and work with all departments of the Falk&Ross Group in a cross-functional manner.

👉 Key Responsibilities:

📝 Regulatory Compliance

• Monitor and ensure compliance with European and national regulations affecting the textile industry.

• Keep abreast of changes in legislation and standards, and update internal policies and procedures accordingly.

• Follow up on regular compliance audits to identify gaps and recommend improvements.

👌 Certification Management

• Oversee the acquisition, renewal and maintenance of key certifications such as Oeko-Tex, amfori,...

• Liaise with certification bodies and manage external audits.

• Ensure compliance with certification requirements by suppliers and internal stakeholders.

📊 Supply Chain Traceability

• Develop and maintain systems to ensure optimal supply chain traceability for all products distributed.

• Conduct supplier assessments and collect the necessary data to ensure that they comply with ethical and environmental standards and legislation.

• Collaborate with suppliers to implement corrective action plans in the event of non-compliance.

🌱 Carbon Emissions Management and Sustainability Initiatives

• Develop and implement carbon management strategies, including tracking the company's carbon footprint and identifying opportunities for reduction.

• Support the adoption of sustainable business practices, such as circular economy principles and eco-design.

• Prepare sustainability reports in accordance with European and international sustainability legislation.

✨ Corporate Responsibility and Ethical Sourcing

• Lead initiatives to strengthen the company's corporate social responsibility efforts, including fair labor practices, community engagement, and responsible sourcing.

• Develop training programs for employees and suppliers on compliance and sustainability topics.

• Establish key performance indicators and metrics to assess the effectiveness of corporate responsibility initiatives.

🎓 Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in law, management, environmental sciences, sustainable development or a related field.

• 2 to 5 years of experience in the field of compliance, sustainability or corporate responsibility, preferably in the textile industry or the retail trade. 🌿

• Good understanding of the European legislation applicable to the textile industry, including sustainability and traceability standards.

• Familiarity with international certification standards. 🌍

• Mastery of the elements important for a carbon calculation and environmental management systems.

• Excellent project management, analytical and communication skills.

• Fluency in English and ideally German - French is a plus.

🧐 Key Competencies

• Attention to detail and compliance and certification requirements. 🔎

• Efficient problem solving.

• Work closely with cross-functional teams, suppliers and external auditors. 🤝

• Adaptability and proactivity in the face of changes in legislation and industry standards.

• Ethical leadership and ability to promote integrity and sustainability as core values of the company.

1. Screening of applications

2. First round of interviews with the Sustainability Manager

3. Second round of interviews with the Head of Sustainability

4. Third round of HR interviews

5. Offer of employment and signing of the contract 🚀