Director, Sustainable Supply Chains

Position: Director, Sustainable Supply Chains   

Supervisor: Senior VP, Customer Affairs

Location: Washington, DC or Ottawa, Ontario (hybrid), or flexible in continental U.S. or Canada (remote)

Status: Regular, Full-Time, Exempt from Overtime

ABOUT US:

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is a non-profit leader dedicated to advancing sustainability through forest-focused collaborations. A key driver of SFI’s success is its ability to engage diverse communities to deliver across its 4 pillars: Standards, Conservation, Community, Education.

SFI standards have become a highly trusted solution that can support a growing need for products from sustainably managed forests. Organizations certified to the SFI standards conserve wildlife and water, practice climate-smart forestry, and support relationship building with Indigenous Peoples.

We are proud to provide our employees with a collaborative, dynamic, and rewarding professional experience, with a competitive compensation and benefits package and growth opportunities. Our benefits include (but are not limited to):

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Retirement plan with generous employer contribution and additional matching contribution up to 11% of your salary, provided you also contribute 4%.
• Paid Time Off – generous vacation policy ranging from 2 weeks to 5 weeks, increasing with experience, all federal holidays, plus 4 floating holidays annually that may be used to observe additional religious, cultural, or traditional occasions that are meaningful to you, and 12 sick days annually.
• Educational assistance and investment in professional development.

ABOUT YOU:

The Director, Sustainable Supply Chains, Home and Business Furnishings will support SFI’s marketing, communications, customer outreach, and branding efforts. The Director’s primary objectives are to elevate SFI in the home and business furnishing sector, support efforts to integrate the brand repositioning project throughout the forest products supply chain, and further SFI’s market recognition. This position will work closely with the Senior VP, Customer Affairs, the VP of Communications, and branding consultants, and will regularly interface with customers, certified organizations, and other external stakeholders.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Engage with customers to promote sustainable supply in the U.S., Canada, and globally to build awareness on the value of SFI forest certification.
• Support engagement on frameworks and raters to ensure connections with SFI standards requirements.
• Support the development of projects that connect a brand owner to the impact of SFI certification and products certified to the SFI standard.
• Ensure SFI is equally recognized alongside other forest certifications by customers and investors.
• Develop messages and other outreach material for key customer meetings aligned with brand repositioning work to demonstrate the value of SFI
• Support the SFI Market Positioning Task Force, helping the group think about connections and relevancy between the work of SFI and key sector targets.
• Represent SFI at sustainability events, professional associations, conferences, and tradeshows. Will include public speaking and participation in task groups and committees.
• Participate, engage, and educate within the home and business furnishing community network to increase knowledge, support, and use of SFI certified fiber within the supply chain, and the use of the label.
• Provide support on other SFI activities as directed.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position will not initially have direct employee supervisory responsibilities but will manage various consultant relationships to fulfill essential job functions.  

PHYSICAL DEMANDS / TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

Physical requirements include ability to work from a desk at a computer for prolonged periods of time. 

This position requires regular travel within North America and at times globally up to 35% of the time.

WORK LOCATION:

SFI has offices in Washington, DC and Ottawa, Ontario. Individuals that work elsewhere in Canada and the continental U.S. will be considered, provided they are in close proximity to major commuting hubs. Employees located withing commuting distance of Washington, DC or Ottawa are required to work from the office 2-3 days per week, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays as designated in-office days.  

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in natural resources, sustainability, communications, supply chain management, or related field.
• Certificates or other credentials in ESG or sustainability preferred.
• Minimum of five years working in communications, marketing, or sustainability field.
• Experience with global supply chains, especially in the home and business furnishing sectors.
• Familiarity with forest sustainability issues in the U.S. or Canada is required; Direct experience with forest certification or in the forest sector is an asset.

QUALIFICATIONS/PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

The ideal candidate will bring:

• Knowledge of forest certification standards and the forest products supply chain.
• Respect for the role of sustainable forest management in sustaining community, our environment, and our economy.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence—a good listener and relationship builder.
• Superior written and verbal communications skills – a compelling communicator.
• Experience building positive and collaborative relationships with partners and stakeholders.
• Proven ability to manage projects and people and ability to execute tactical activities such as news releases, press conferences, media appearances, briefings, and related events.
• Experience with a variety of a traditional and social media and communications.
• Positive attitude and high energy, enjoyment working cooperatively in a team environment, and will prioritize the mission over individual agendas.
• Track record for managing multiple complex projects in a fast-paced environment, handling tasks with diplomacy, tenacity, patience, and a drive for results.
• Excellent organizational skills with attention to detail and the ability to effectively plan, analyze, and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to be a problem solver and a utility player.
• Proficiency with PCs and Microsoft 365
• Secondary language skills a plus

APPLY:

Applications DUE April 26, 2024 Early applications encouraged.

We strive to be a diverse and inclusive organization that strongly supports the growth and development of its people.  As such, we realize that not every candidate will perfectly meet all the requirements outlined in this (or any) posting.  If you believe you bring the “must have” experiences, skills, and qualifications, and are confident that you can learn the rest, we encourage you to go ahead and apply for a position with us.

The salary range for this position is $100,000 to $130,000; the successful candidate’s actual salary will be dependent upon a number of factors, including geography, education/training, experience, time-in-role, management qualifications (as applicable) and skillset.

SFI is proud to provide our employees with a collaborative, dynamic, and rewarding professional experience, with a competitive compensation and benefits package and growth opportunities. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and being an equal opportunity employer. Our team represents a broad range of cultures, education, disciplines, and work and life experiences, and we strive to leverage these differences in our daily work. We will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We believe in creating an empowered and supportive team that is committed to advancing sustainability through forest-focused collaborations.

Learn more about SFI Staff Culture, read our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy, and review our Indigenous Relations Commitment.