Social Accountability Manager

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in more than 190 countries. Working to create a better future every day, we help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. In the United States and Canada, the portfolio includes brand icons such as: Axe, Becel, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Caress, Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy, Consort For Men, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Fruttare, Good Humor, Hellmann’s, I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!, Just for Me!, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Magnum, Motions, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond’s, Popsicle, Promise, Q-tips, Simple, St. Ives, Suave, TIGI, TONI&GUY Hair Meet Wardrobe, TRESemmé and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies.

Our ambition is to double the size of our business, while reducing our overall environmental footprint (including sourcing, consumer use and disposal) and increasing our positive social impact. We are committed to helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being, sourcing all our agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020, and decoupling our growth from our environmental impact. Supporting our three big goals, we have defined seven pillars, underpinned by targets encompassing social, environmental and economic areas. See more on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan at http://www.unileverusa.com/sustainable-living/.

Unilever employs approximately 11,500 people across North America – generating more than $10 billion in sales in 2013. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com or www.unilever.ca.

Unilever is committed to ensure that its products are compliant with legislation and that clear information is provided on their use and any risks that are associated with their use.

Unilever products are used by 2 billion people every day to feel good, look good and get more out of life. The extended supply chain of the materials and services that go into Unilever’s products from our suppliers as well as the operation of its factories, offices and total supply chain is covered by the Responsible Sourcing Policy (RSP) (covering human rights, including labour and land rights), and the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP).

The USLP is our blueprint for sustainable and responsible business. Our vision is to grow our business, whilst reducing our environmental footprint and increasing our positive social impact. Business can only flourish in societies where human rights are respected, upheld and advanced and therefore we will continue to build on our work and actively engage on these issues.

The Integrated Social Sustainability (iSoSu) Team is responsible for ensuring the RSP is in place in our own facilities and Unilever’s extended supply chain (80,000+ suppliers), and determines the scope and scale of how we assess the implementation of the RSP. The team is responsible for Human Rights, including Labour and Land Rights, and the policies that Unilever commits to in this regard, acting as subject matter experts. The iSoSu Team is also geographically co-located with key Supply Chain and Procurement operations to provide support on both RSP and Social Sustainability business practices.

The Social Accountability Manager in the iSoSu Team must have a passion for social impact and will work to facilitate embedding the RSP principles into our operations globally and hold ourselves and our extended supply chain accountable. In this regard, the Manager would run the social compliance programme and systems, and work to build capacity through both internal and external communication and training. This field is evolving with innovation in technology, tools and techniques. The Social Accountability Manager will work with the team to develop new and innovative means of effectively evaluating performance and most importantly promote real change within our supply chains.

We have endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and these are integral to our Human Rights Policy statement and Responsible Sourcing Policy. The Social Accountability Manager will need to be at the forefront of current research, develop and facilitate collaborative multi-stakeholder initiatives to address systemic issues. Experience on addressing root-causes, engaging on effective remediation, driving best practice, and embedding these in our supply chain is critical.

Key Accountabilities:

• Content expert for the overall Responsible Sourcing Policy agenda, this role will be responsible for:
  • Working with the Director to develop and deploy the strategy for Responsible Sourcing Policy program both internally and externally
  • Social Accountability compliance – assessments, remediation, capacity building and collaborative efforts, delivering KPIs such as closure rates of non-conformances
  • The quality of Social Accountability assessments and service providers
  • Unilever Supplier Qualification System (USQS) platform
• Training and support
  • Develop and deliver an internal and external capability building plan for Responsible Sourcing - including global and regional events
  • Develop of supplier manuals, procedures, and training
• Business and external connection
  • Engage internally and externally to understand business needs and opportunities to support the implementation of the Responsible Sourcing Policy
  • Attend and participate in external forums and bring in subject matter to support the innovation and development of the work on Responsible Sourcing and related areas
• Act as lead for deployment of the overall Integrated Social Sustainability agenda in North America region, working with our Human Rights Stewardship team.

Professional Skills:

• Excellent project management, analytical and organizational skills. Able to manage different projects concurrently; deliver effective and consistent implementation
• Strong inter-personal skills and a good team player with a mature outlook who is also able to work independently. Able to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to create effective and new ways of working e.g. use of technology.
• Excellent communication and writing skills enabling a clear presentation of issues and solutions
• International outlook with a pro-active and solutions-driven attitude.

Experience Required:

ESSENTIAL

• At least 8 years of experience in Social Sustainability or Responsible Sourcing Compliance programs and Corporate Social Responsibility, preferably for large organizations
• Experience of working in business with an appreciation of the role that responsible business can play in creating positive social impact.
• Good knowledge and understanding of human rights issues including labour and land rights, including UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and International ILO conventions
• Good understanding of both traditional audit processes and innovative practices in social accountability with field experience working with suppliers on ethical/social compliance
• Proven ability to deliver projects from inception to evaluation, measuring and reporting

PREFERRED

• University degree – preferably in a related field
• Multi language capabilities a plus
• Experience working in a global and connected team, flexibility on working hours is crucial, as we serve all time zones

Travel:

• Some travel within region, as required for effective delivery of targets. Occasional international travel.

Please note: as part of the job application, you will be asked to complete pre-screening questions. Completion of the pre-screening questions are mandatory in order to be considered. Please allow yourself plenty of time to complete both the application and pre-screening questions. If the pre-screening questions are partially answered or not at all, it will adversely affect the progress of your application. Please be aware that you will have to complete the pre-screening questions at once as you will be unable to return to it later.

Unilever offers a competitive compensation package that includes: Medical & Dental Plans, Life Insurance, including eligible spouses, domestic partners & children; Health Care Flexible Spending, Dependent Care, 401k Savings Plans, Tuition Reimbursement, Paid Vacation and Holidays.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or other protected class in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Unilever takes affirmative action in support of its policy to and advance in employment individuals who are minorities, women, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities.

Employment is subject to verification of pre-employment drug-screening results and background investigation.

To Apply

Please visit the Unilever careers website and use Job Number “16000I1L” to find the posting.