Human Rights & Ethical Trade Manager

Human Rights and Ethical Trade Manager
£46,000 to £54,000 plus benefits (Work Level 6A)
Manchester city centre, hybrid working with some travel to visit both national and international suppliers (find out more about our hybrid working policy at jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).

As part of your application for this role, please submit a cover letter outlining why you're suitable and what makes you passionate about working for the Co-op.

We’re looking for a passionate Human Rights and Ethical Trade Manager to join us at Co-op and help us with the delivery of our human rights strategy and policies. As the UK’s largest convenience retailer and fair-trade pioneer, we're committed to providing high-quality products at great prices to our millions of customers and member-owners, while making sure they’re sourced and produced in an ethical and sustainable way.

If you can bring the experience and passion for food we’re looking for, we can offer you the opportunity to make a real difference in a business that puts people at the heart of its strategy.

Why this job matters

In this role, you’ll work closely with suppliers across your category areas to help make sure people in our global supply chain are treated fairly. You’ll provide practical guidance and support to drive sustainable improvements in working conditions, while promoting an ethical mindset across Co-op and maintaining a strong commercial focus.

What you’ll do

- Work across defined product categories to identify and mitigate human rights risks, working with a wide range of partners to manage sensitive issues and drive effective remediation.
- Build strong relationships with key suppliers and category teams, and facilitate cross-functional strategic reviews to assess supplier human rights performance
- Provide practical guidance and training for suppliers and colleagues on driving sustainable improvements to working conditions throughout our global supply chains
- Support the development of a long-term human rights strategy and positions on key salient risk areas
- Lead on the delivery of defined projects and supply chain programmes, driving measurable improvements across our supply base.
- Keep up to date with emerging issues, industry activity and competitor analysis, sharing insights on issues and trends to inform decision making
- Manage and strengthen relationships with key partners, representing Co-op in industry forums and collaborative initiatives to address systemic human rights challenge

What you’ll bring

We're committed to making our opportunities as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you'll need to bring:

- Significant experience in an ethical trade, human rights, or responsible sourcing role
- A strong knowledge of ethical trade standards, human rights due diligence and worker welfare issues, with the ability to apply this knowledge in a practical business environment.
- A commercial approach, with experience of working with category teams and suppliers to improve working conditions and drive responsible sourcing practices
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends and translate insight into clear actions and recommendations.
- Great communication and presentation skills, with the ability to inspire others with your passion for sustainability and human rights
- Strong relationship-building skills, with experience working with suppliers and external partners to drive positive change.

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

- An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
- 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
- A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
- Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
- 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
- Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
- Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
- Grocery Aid - 24/7 colleague support service
- Training and support for your development and career progression
- Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion.

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.