Sustainability Assistant

Margaret Howell is a contemporary British clothing designer who has worked successfully in men’s and women’s clothing for over five decades. Today, Margaret Howell clothes are sold worldwide with 12 own shops in Europe, over 70 outlets in Japan and an established online business.

We are looking for a Sustainability Assistant to join our team! The role will support the development of the Company’s sustainability strategy across environmental, ethical, product and circularity. Responsibilities include raw material certification management, carbon footprint data collection, supplier engagement including for traceability and ethical trade, Sedex administration, and general support for sustainability projects.

MAIN DUTIES

- Support with the collection of data for scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emission calculations, and learn and support use of CarbonFact platform to assist with data analysis and decarbonisation strategy to meet SBTi targets on net zero emissions.

- Collate and support the analysis of data for annual raw material reporting, including traceability data for contribution to carbon footprint, biodiversity strategy, social compliance and product development strategy.

- Liaising with product and design teams, and with suppliers, assist with product sustainability compliance, including the management of product certifications and initiatives such as GOTS, GRS, RWS and for textiles EPR.

- Liaise with Margaret Howell’s supply chain to ensure compliance with the standards above, and to request data for our ethical trade and environment pillars.

- Process supply chain and social compliance data such as audits, supply chain mapping and subcontractors, using Sedex to monitor supplier performance.

- Support work on ethical trade projects, and in line with identified salient issues, such as Living Wage, freedom of association, and grievance mechanisms.

- Produce B2C and B2B packaging baselines, in support of packaging EPR and PPWR submissions.

- Attend industry events and webinars as required, communicating key takeaways back to rest of team.

- Support in meetings, taking and circulating concise minutes.

- Support in the production of internal and external communications, including options papers, presentations, and published annual reports.

- Assist with circular economy initiatives, capturing relevant data and monitoring project timelines.

- Support on evolving sustainability legislation research and administration.

- Work to ensure sustainability is embedded as a core value throughout the Company, including coordinating between departments to ensure follow-through of initiatives and best practice.

- Work on other sustainability initiatives as required by Sustainability Manager.

Requirements and skills

- Strong verbal and written communication in English

- Sustainability/environmental management degree or relevant experience.

- Strong proficiency using different systems including Microsoft Office, Excel and Power Point with excellent data management skills

- Excellent attention to detail, ensuring data accuracy, and ability to handle and distil large amounts of information

- Ability to work to deadlines, ensuring timely completion of workload

- Highly organised and efficient, can manage multiple priorities and work in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities

- Interest in fashion, and sustainability, and ethical compliance, and driven to meet targets

REWARDS

- 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays, increasing to 6 weeks with service

- generous clothing allowance

- significant staff discount

- life insurance

- contributory pension and salary exchange scheme

- personal development grant

- cycle to work scheme

- birthday day off

- volunteering day off

- IVF support for parents

- paid maternity and paternity leave

- opportunity to request flexible working (27% of Head Office employees work part-time hours)

- menopause friendly

We actively implement blind recruitment practices to eliminate bias and ensure a fair evaluation of candidates based on their skills, experience, and qualifications. We believe in creating a level playing field for all applicants, and our initiatives reflect our dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Applications will be considered as they are received. Candidates will be shortlisted based on how their skills and experience match our requirements as set out above.