Participating Supplier Program Manager, South East Asia

About the FLA

The Fair Labor Association (FLA) combines the efforts of industry, civil society organizations, and colleges and universities to protect workers' rights and improve working conditions worldwide by promoting adherence to international labor standards. The FLA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has offices in Geneva, Switzerland; Istanbul, Turkey; and Shanghai, China. For more information see www.fairlabor.org.

SUMMARY: The Participating Supplier Program Manager is responsible for helping companies understand their FLA obligations. The perfect candidate comes from a business background with knowledge about the challenges and opportunities suppliers face, with solutions for how to overcome those challenges.

MAJOR DUTIES:

• Assist companies in understanding their obligations to the FLA and how best they can go about fulfilling them.
  • S/he is familiar with challenges and opportunities faced by suppliers and brands and supports them in their efforts to develop their internal management systems and build capacity to:
    • implement the FLA code,
    • its benchmarks,
    • the Principles of Fair Labor and Responsible Sourcing/Production.
• Contribute to developing an innovative initiative and methodology that can have a greater impact in improving workers' lives.
• Collects and shares best practices with suppliers and brands
• Identifies opportunities for continuous improvement at both the supplier and brand level
• Forms new partnerships and identifies new opportunities for the FLA with new suppliers
• Works closely with the training department to develop material relevant to affiliates
• Represents the FLA at regional events

SUPERVISION EXERCISED:

None

QUALIFICATIONS:

• 4 year degree in human resource management, labor studies, employment relations, sociology, business administration, supply chain management, organizational leadership, industrial relations, or other relevant field; advanced degree a plus
• Understanding of supply chains
• Ten to fifteen years experience working with companies and factories, and knowledge of manufacturing/sourcing, preferably with compliance/auditing experience.
• Experience communicating and working with both brands and factories is essential to this position
• Experience working with agents a plus
• Excellent command of the English language (both written and verbal) is a necessity
• The successful candidate for this position will possess fluent Chinese skills
• Proficiency in other regional languages is a plus
• Excellent knowledge of the following topics is critical to this position:
  • International labor standards and regulations and other relevant laws and regulations.
  • Regional labor laws
  • Supply chains and issues related to working conditions in factories
  • Multi stakeholders initiatives

KEY SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Strong presentation, listening, and communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Strong reporting and analytical skills
• Requires consistent and timely responses to phone and email inquiries
• Ability to multi-task and work with global FLA staff
• Ability to take initiatives and work with minimal guidance in a fast-paced and growing organization
• Ability to exercise careful judgment
• Ability to maintain patience under pressure
• Creative and diplomatic problem solving skills are essential to the success of the individual in this role

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Strong work ethic
• Diplomatic
• Respectful
• Tenacious
• Trustworthy (reliable, sincere, discreet, competent, takes into account impact on others)
• Professional demeanor
• Good interpersonal skills
• Autonomous (takes initiative)
• Ability to work well both independently and as part of a team
• Forward looking
• Creative
• A positive attitude is a plus
• Sensitive to cultural differences
• A good sense of humor

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work in an office environment; heavy computer usage; requires bending, reaching and lifting up to 20 lbs.
• This position is based in China
• Local and international travel required