Claims Manager (Membership Sustainability Communications)
Job Description
Better Cotton Initiative
Description
- Start Date: As soon as possible
- Contract Type: Permanent, full-time
- Salary: £50,500 / CHF 92,000 (depending on experience) / Netherlands & Sweden TBC
- Location: London,Geneva, Sweden (remote) or Netherlands (Remote)
- Application Closing Date: Midnight 11th December 2022 GMT (applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis - early application is advised)
About Better Cotton
Better Cotton — a global, member-based not-for-profit organisation – is the largest cotton sustainability programme in the world. The Better Cotton Standard System is Better Cotton's holistic approach to sustainable cotton production, covering all three pillars of sustainability: social, environmental and economic. In the 2020-21 cotton season, together with our partners, Better Cotton licensed 2.2 million farmers from 24 countries. Better Cotton is truly a joint effort, encompassing organisations all the way from farms to fashion and textile brands to civil society organisations driving the cotton sector towards sustainability. Thanks to Better Cotton partners and members' support, Better Cotton now accounts for 20% of global cotton production
About the Role
Better Cotton field investments are funded, in part, by its Retailer & Brand Members through their sourcing of Better Cotton. As consumer demand for sustainability in the retail sector grows, so does our members’ need to communicate their efforts to their customers and key stakeholders through marketing and other claims.
The Member Claims Manager has the important role of working with Better Cotton Members to ensure they comply with the Better Cotton Claims Framework (communications guidance) to drive credible claims, support transparency and encourage the sourcing of more sustainable cotton, whilst cultivating relationships with members and ensuring high service levels are delivered. The overall impact of the Member Claims Manager will be clear processes for approvals and monitoring of claims, improved compliance with Claims Framework over time, good relationships to deal with issues relating to claims, a savvy membership with regard to Better Cotton Claims.
The role will be based in Geneva, London, Sweden (remote) or Netherlands (remote) with two direct reports based in London and Florida, USA.
Overall Accountability
The Member Claims Manager is accountable for a strategic implementation of the Claims Framework to enhance member understanding of key principles for making Better Cotton claims, building relationships within members that allow for prompt attention to all issues related to claims, and fostering long term commitment and support for Better Cotton’s mission.
The manager will stay abreast of legislative developments in key jurisdictions so that any legal requirements can be met by members adopting the Claims Framework.
The manager will improve transparency in how claims are approved, monitored and reported with a view to establish the overall performance of Better Cotton in the claims arena.
In addition to these high-level accountabilities, the following responsibilities are part of the day-to-day operations of the Member Claims Manager and their team.
Responsibilities
Member Servicing:
- Acting as a primary point of contact for the communications and marketing enquiries of Better Cotton’s largest and most influential Retailer and Brand Members, providing high service levels.
- Training and educating members on the Better Cotton Claims Framework, highlighting opportunities to communicate in a credible yet accessible way. (Both remote and in-person training required – some travel may be necessary).
- Reviewing, offering feedback on and approving member communications and marketing content for various channels including product packaging, websites, in-store promotions, social media and direct marketing, working to ensure outputs deliver value for members and maintain credibility for Better Cotton.
- Working with the Better Cotton Monitoring and Evaluation Team to ensure credible use of data, understanding members’ corporate sustainability reporting needs.
- Working with the member engagement team to implement Better Cotton’s stakeholder engagement strategy, ensuring members are both receiving high service levels, and able to feedback into Better Cotton’s strategic approach to claims management.
- Reviewing the Better Cotton Claims Framework, critically and identifying opportunities to evolve the guidance to ensure member claims remain consistent and credible whilst supporting the wider membership strategic deliverables.
Claims Compliance/Credibility:
- Implementing a new formal claims monitoring process and disciplinary procedure with members, ensuring Better Cotton limits reputational risks and Better Cotton Claims remain of value.
- Ensuring best practice for management of misleading claims is adhered to so that Better Cotton remains ISEAL code compliant.
Process Efficiencies:
- Identifying and recommending process improvements.
- Working as part of the project team overseeing the development of a Member Portal, leading on recommendations for claims; a project which will deliver an improved member experience.
- Identifying and delivering process improvements, ensuring that the Member Claims team are able to adapt to efficiently manage a growing number of enquiries.
- Innovating to streamline the way Better Cotton collects and uses member-led communications data, supporting the Better Cotton Annual Operating Plan.
- Identifying reporting needs and developing solutions for transparency, resulting in more informed decision-making.
- Identifying training needs of members and working with team to develop new, improved training materials, resulting in fewer rejected member submissions.
Brand Equity:
- Contributing to member meetings for internal and external webinars/publications (Annual Report and blogs) to ensure member-claims opportunities and best practice are promoted with brands and the industry more broadly.
- Workshop/public speaking contributions – contributing to existing events in collaboration with the wider Membership & Supply Chain Team, helping to raise the profile and visibility of Better Cotton.
Team Management
- Managing and developing the capacities of direct reports, remotely, with a focus on team engagement and morale.
- Change management for new and improved procedures and processes for immediate team as required, and overall performance reporting related to team activities.
- Contributing to the development and delivery of the annual operating plan for the team, including strategic and project planning, ensuring budget and financial reporting requirements are met.
- Supporting team lead in identifying strategic interventions to enable a more efficient programme implementation.
Beyond these specific responsibilities, the Member Claims Manager is expected to manage direct reports, fostering a team environment, and supporting career development opportunities. The Member Claims Manager will work closely with the Member Claims lead, deputising as required and carry out any other agreed work.
Profile
To be successful, candidates for the role will have the following attributes:
| Experience |
| Essential |
| Substantial track record as communications/marketing/claims professional |
| Experience in managing a team, remotely. |
| Experience, knowledge or a proven interest in issues of sustainability or development, or corporate social responsibility |
| Demonstrable project management skills |
| Experience in managing information and data |
| Firm understanding of the sustainability claims agenda, including an understanding of what constitutes greenwashing and the legislative landscape for claims enforcement. |
| Strong manager of external relationships or stakeholder engagement |
| Desirable |
| Communications/marketing experience (ideally in a retail setting) |
| Communications/marketing experience in a sustainability setting |
| Experience in data-supported claims |
| Experience in sustainability in retail |
| Experience in CRM systems use (Salesforce). |
| Skills & Knowledge |
| Essential |
| University degree, or equivalent higher education qualification, in a relevant field |
| Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to finding and proposing solutions to challenges |
| Strong written English skills (native speaker or equivalent). |
| Excellent organisational skills and capacity to manage a high volume of moving priorities |
| Strong communication skills (both written & spoken) and attentive listening abilities. |
| Strong attention to detail |
| Proven ability to multi-task and monitor several projects running in parallel. |
| Desirable |
| Academic background communications/marketing |
| Additional languages a bonus (particularly Swedish, French, Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish) |
Working arrangements
The Member Claims Manager will report to the Member Claims lead.
The position is full-time (40 hours per week).
The role is based in the London or Geneva office with a flexible working policy allowing a balance between office and home working. We are also opening to Sweden and Netherlands (remote). For candidates applying for remote roles, please note your contract will be with our Service Provider in that area.
Travel may be required maximum of 10% per year.
Apply now
Interested applicants with the required attributes are asked to send a detailed CV in English and a brief cover letter (2 pages maximum) by applying via this link.
Application Deadline: Midnight 11th December 2022 GMT
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Better Cotton is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human, and financial resources.
Better Cotton is currently unable to provide sponsorship for work permits, and candidates need to have a pre-existing right to work in the location where they will be based. Better Cotton is an equal opportunities employer, and is committed to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human and financial resources.
Better Cotton has a zero-tolerance approach to any attitudes or behaviours that put children or adults at risk of harm. Safeguarding incidents are acts of serious misconduct and are grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including, dismissal and referral to relevant authorities for criminal prosecution. Therefore, all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks.