Role: Ethical Trade Executive – Monitoring (China)
Ethical Trade & Environmental Sustainability (ET/ES) Operations: We aim to deliver amazing fashion at amazing prices to Primark customers, whilst maintaining the highest levels of rigour, protecting the people who make our products, ensuring social, environmental and structural compliance. We operate as ‘one team’ with the rest of the business.
Purpose of role: Assesses and seeks ways to improve the performance of Primark’s supply chains and supply chain relationships in China with reference to the Primark Ethical Trade Code of Conduct for Suppliers.
Reports to: Ethical Trade Manager - Monitoring
Responsibilities:
Key Tasks:
Contributes to the implementation of Primark’s Ethical Strategy for its suppliers and factories in China
Conducts social compliance audits in Primark supplier factories according to Primark standards. Produces audit reports in a timely manner.
Provides insight, advice and solutions direct from the supply base
Helps to communicate the company’s ethical trading requirements throughout the supply base
Raises awareness about the importance of ethical trading and how to approach it.
Monitors working conditions in new and existing factories as required
Uses appropriate processes as required (e.g. Audit, spot-check)
Contributes to new factory approval process in China as required
Remediation of Code non-compliances with factories and suppliers as required
Produces reports and communicates results in a timely fashion
Understands the legal frameworks that apply to Ethical Trade
Manages and analyses data relating to the role
Updates Primark systems and databases as required by role
Encourages cross-team and cross functional interaction
Provides support to suppliers, factories and workers to support them through the approval process and thereafter
Builds relationships that enable sharing best practices and improvements.
Manages stakeholder relationships as required.
Proactively reports on risks to the business.
Represents the business in meetings and forums as required.
Contributes as instructed by ETM to projects aimed at improving worker welfare as required
Provides the business with information regarding ethical trading in the region, including case studies and information relating to NGO, media campaigns and other ad-hoc requests
Engages in Primark ET Projects as required
Knowledge and Experience:
Experience in CR and ET and the factory environment
Factory audit and remediation processes (e.g. SMETA, SA8000, APSCA)
Excellent organisation/communication skills
A self-starter who is results driven in a fast-paced environment
The ability to build excellent relationships with key stakeholders & across the business IT literate (database, spreadsheets)
Complexity and Creativity:
Able to cope with the complexity of Primark’s suppliers, factories.
Able to cope with the diversity of cultures across the Primark ET Field Team
Appreciates the bigger picture of the audit programme and its link into Primark as a business
Seeks opportunities for improvement / change
Finds ways to drive worker welfare while maintaining operational continuity
Judgements and Decisions:
Appreciates the trade-offs involved in the ethical trade programme of a global retailer
Acts as the interface between supplier, factory, worker, buyer and other stakeholders to support the business.
Acts with integrity and honesty, and aligned with ABF’s ABC policy and Red Book requirements
Able to make decisions where situations are not black-and-white, deals with ambiguity.
Operational Responsibility:
Ensures integrity of audit management system and database as relevant to countries in scope
Ensures availability of ethically approved factories to Primark as relevant to countries in scope
Strives for continuous improvement
Researches new ideas and issues
Works effectively and manages
Contacts and Communications:
Ethical Trade Teams in SEA, India, Bangladesh, Turkey and the UK
As required, buying and sourcing departments in UK and Ireland
Database team in Peterborough
ET Controllers (Projects, Comms, Environment etc)
Proficient in English, written and spoken
Other:
Ambassador for the Primark Brand
Conducts training sessions for suppliers, workers and factories as required
Empathetic style that connects with vulnerable workers
Negotiates strongly
Comfortable to maintain point of view in potentially contentious discussions with supply chain actors