Associate Manager, Social Consciousness + Innovation

Who we are:

Born in Brooklyn. At home in the world. west elm has been helping customers express their personal style at home since the launch of our first catalog in 2002. Our home base is nestled down under the Manhattan Bridge in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY, right above our flagship store. We are a dynamic, fast-paced brand with an exciting growth strategy. We value imagination, diversity and giving people the opportunity to explore, grow and shape our future. We look for innovative, smart and hard-working individuals who enjoy creative thinking and ingenuity. Help us carry out our mission of being a source of inspiration to our customers, creating a global community and tirelessly seeking ways to evolve our brand.

The Associate Manager, Social Consciousness will support the department’s work to further West Elm’s Consciousness commitments to handcraft, supply chain transparency, circular economy and sustainability. The Consciousness team members are the strategists, analysts, advocates, and communicators of the social impact the brand seeks to make and work with a wide range of external and internal partners. Through the Consciousness initiatives, west elm is committed to making our values come alive in the work that we do and the products we create, having a positive impact for everyone in our community–from associates, to customers, to our vendors, to the people making our products.

The Associate Manager reports to the Vice President, working closely to implement the Consciousness strategy, facilitate communication about our work, and measure and report on our impact. The team sits within the sourcing department, but the role is extremely cross functional, working with diverse stakeholders throughout the business to achieve the brand commitments that are embedded into the goals of every department within West Elm. The cross-functionality of this role is both a strength and challenge of the position, and the ideal candidate will need to build strong relationships, be an advocate for the initiatives inside and outside of west elm, be comfortable with a wide range of duties, remain undeterred in the face of obstacles, problem-solve, and be a resource for the business at large.

The team is small, but evolving and our work and potential impact grows and expands with the brand. Given the small team size, the candidate will have significant opportunity for engagement and visibility with internal and external partners and the potential to dig in and make meaningful contributions to the organization.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential Functions:

• Support the Vice President in all departmental duties.
• Track, monitor and report on all Consciousness initiatives including, but not limited to, handcrafted commitments, fair trade purchases and premiums disbursed, sustainable purchases and sales, and education and empowerment.
• Work closely with design and sourcing to ensure a steady development stream of product supporting the consciousness departmental strategy.
• Project manage several Consciousness initiatives, facilitating the flow of information to ensure transparency and smooth working relations and track milestones to ensure meeting key timelines and deliverables.
• Conduct in-depth research on key topics related to new and existing initiatives.
• Ensure that our Consciousness messages are authentic, original, impactful, and accurate and serve as the interface between marketing, merchants, sourcing, and vendors to bring to life consumer-facing content that elevates the brand.
• Coordinate events and trainings from concept, content creation, and execution related to all Consciousness projects.
• Address any internal questions about designation of products, facilitating internal communication about how items are tagged and classified.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Qualifications:

• Highly organized, great attention to detail, follow through, and communication skills.
• Strong cross-cultural and cross-functional communication skills and a track record of successful collaboration with a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Are a true business owner; comfortable with decision making and calculated risk taking for the benefit of your business
• Strong Excel, quantitative, writing, and analytical skills.
• 3-5 years business or nonprofit experience, with direct experience in economic or workforce development, supply chain, merchandising, and/or environmental strategy a plus.
• Interest in social enterprise and using business as a force for social good.
• Out-of-the box thinking, patience, and aptitude for creative problem solving.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Williams-Sonoma Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To Apply:

Please visit the West Elm careers website.