Job Title: Senior Livelihoods Manager

ABOUT UNILEVER
With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world.

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

Background & Purpose of the Job

Be a part of Unilever’s journey to become global leader in sustainability and landing a future-fit business model that drives superior performance. The Unilever Business Operations Sustainability team is an integral part of achieving these goals through stepping up our impact.

However, we are only half of the picture.  Our suppliers are at the heart of everything we do. We need to work more closely than ever with suppliers to ensure socially sustainable practices and improved working and living conditions for workers.

Our Business Operations Social Sustainability team is embarking on an exciting journey as it implements its new OneSocial strategy and program. Working with our suppliers, various expert implementation partners and international human rights experts, we will be delivering a number of interventions through suppliers, industry and communities to have a positive impact on people in our extended supply chain.

This role requires someone with a passion for social impact with previous experience, excellent stakeholder management communication skills, project delivery, attention to detail and the ability to work collaboratively in a global team. If this sounds like you, then we would love to hear from you!

What can you expect from the role?

In this role, you will work closely with the whole Social Sustainability team to run the management of the OneSocial program. This contains various interventions into the supply chain, decided through a data-driven approach, addressing our key identified salient issues, high risk commodities and suppliers. You will be responsible for the delivery of various projects. You will be business partnering with Business Groups, leadership and colleagues in different geographies, cross functions (e.g. Procurement, Global Sustainability Function, Responsible Business) and at the same time act as subject matter expert in Land Rights both internal and externally. This will be rewarding work, as you will support the impact measurement and tracking of our projects, with the opportunity to travel to the ground when required.

A successful Social Sustainability professional is expected to:

Strategy

Implement, drive and own OneSocial multi-year strategy

Work closely with colleagues based in different geographies: assess needs of the markets, tailor to each commodities strategies, acquire deep value chain understanding, industry insight and trends to create the maximum impact

Focus on Impact, ability to design programs with clear end impact and ways to measure and track in mind. Performance and result oriented.

Embrace the Digital Agenda – utilize and leverage digital insights to take a risk based approach and priorities for increased impact

Be an active member in the wider Sustainability teams to meet goals and objectives in support of the overall strategy

External Relationship Management: Suppliers, Implementation Partners and Industry Groups

Ensure Suppliers are understanding Unilever’s social sustainability expectations and support them on the journey.

Be the relationship owner with implementing partners in assigned geography(s) – manage their work and ensure they are always delivering to Unilever’s expectations

Network externally to always ensure our programs are locally relevant and driving impact in changing global contexts and continual learning about the salient issues on the ground – driving innovative solutions

Travel to the ground to evaluate execution of our programs

Be the representative on a number of industry working groups, collaborating with industry peers pre-competitively on common goals and risk areas

Internal business partnering

Be a strategic influencer - strong at selling ideas to his/her business partners, internally and externally, translating these into positive business outcomes and impact to people

Manage business relationships (incl. with procurement and local sustainability leads) on behalf of OneSocial team in India

Share relevant insights that support the business to understand our approach

Behave as a champion of change and ensure Unilever’s social license to operate

Be an advocate and story teller of the OneSocial work to expand our reach

Technical & Behavior Skills

Understanding of socially responsible sourcing challenges and human rights issues for workers in complex supply chains

Deep passion in creating a better world for people in our extended supply chains

Can do attitude: being a self-starter and outstanding in execution – has an eagle-eye for detail

Use the Innovator’s DNA – act as an entrepreneur, finds creative solutions to roadblocks, adjusts plans based on data, sets trends and is willing to lead, follow or get out of the way

Be a natural leader, the ability to take lead on driving cross functional initiatives from conceptualization to implementation.

Strong communication skills and ability to engage and influence cross functional stakeholders.

Ability to interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds.

Fluent communication and verbal skills in English

Appetite for change and eagerness to collaborating with stakeholders to drive through impact

Team Leadership

Collaborative, team player who focuses on team success above self

Clear vision and direction and ability to guide everyone in the team, including one direct report

Passion for people: be the Talent Catalyst, develop team members, and focus on wellbeing.

Experience Required

Experienced program manager in sustainability, human rights, social impact or responsible sourcing

Expertise in land rights prioritized

Previous team management roles

Long-term strategy planning & execution

Experience on large-scale, complex projects

Experience in working in a virtual team and regional/global scope

Willingness for business travel (20% of time)