JD: Manager - Verification Projects (Fixed Term Contract)

Bangalore, India
Contract position

ABOUT CASCALE

Cascale is a global, non-profit alliance of 300 leading apparel, footwear, and textile brands, retailers, manufacturers, sourcing agents, service providers, trade associations, NGOs and academic institutions.

Formerly known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, we are stepping into a new era of impact with a new name, new look, and same enduring vision. The SAC was incorporated as a 501(c) 6 nonprofit organization and launched the groundbreaking Higg Index suite of tools in 2011. In May 2019, the SAC spun-off the Higg Index technology platform to Higg, now Worldly, which delivers tools and services that help consumer goods businesses accelerate transformation for a more sustainable future. As of 26 February 2024, we are now officially known as Cascale. For more information, visit www.cascale.org.

Together, we are working toward a shared vision of an industry that gives back more than it takes — to the planet and its people. Through multi-stakeholder engagement, our mission is to transform business for exponential impact through groundbreaking tools, collaborative partnerships and trusted leadership for industry sustainability.

To reach this shared vision, we have developed the Higg Index in collaboration with our members, to create a global approach for effectively measuring and evaluating the social and environmental impacts of value chains and products. Our groundbreaking tools enable organizations to identify hotspots, improve sustainability performance, save time and money, and engage with value chain partners to scale systemic change across the industry.

POSITION DESCRIPTION 

Cascale is seeking applications from a highly organized and technically adept Project Manager to lead the delivery of projects supporting Higg Index verification services. This role will report to the Director of Verification, Training & Insights at Cascale. The goal of the verification program is to ensure that the Higg Index and its related tools are trusted and credible measures for sustainability performance and benchmarking. In this role, you will be responsible for managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects, ensuring timely and successful completion of verification projects while maintaining the highest standards of quality and accuracy. You will be the central point of contact, coordinating between service providers, verification teams, technical experts, and other stakeholders.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Planning and Execution:

• Develop comprehensive project plans, including timelines, budgets, resource allocation, and risk assessments.
• Manage project execution, ensuring adherence to established milestones and deliverables.
• Proactively identify and address potential roadblocks and delays.
• Utilize project management tools and methodologies to track progress and maintain transparency.
• Successfully handover the project, where applicable, to the verification services team to scale it in the supply chain.

Stakeholder Management:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients, providing regular updates and addressing their inquiries.
• Coordinate with internal verification teams, technical experts, and external partners.
• Facilitate effective communication and collaboration among all stakeholders.
• Manage client expectations and ensure high levels of satisfaction.

Technical Understanding:

• Develop a strong understanding of the Higg Index suite of tools and verification processes.
• Collaborate with technical experts to resolve complex technical issues.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of industry standards and best practices related to sustainability and verification.
• Understand and communicate the technical requirements of the Higg index to all stakeholders.

Quality Assurance:

• Ensure the accuracy and consistency of verification projects.
• Implement quality control measures to maintain high standards of service.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Maintain accurate and detailed project documentation.
• Prepare regular progress reports and presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage data and keep records organized.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENT

Travel Requirement: This position requires up to 5% travel, which may include domestic and international travel based on business needs.

CONTRACT DURATION

This is a fixed-term contract, expected to last approximately between 6- 9 months. The expected start date is June 1, 2025 and there may be potential for extension.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate should possess the following qualifications and experience:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., engineering, environmental science, business administration, project management).
• Proven experience in project management, preferably in a multi-stakeholder environment.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall).
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize effectively.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Technical aptitude and ability to learn complex technical concepts.
• Familiarity with sustainability principles and practices (preferred).
• Experience with the Higg Index (highly desirable).
• Experience with verification or auditing processes.
• Adept at working with remote collaborative platforms such as Asana, slack, etc.
• Enjoys a fast-paced, dynamic, global work environment.
• Customer oriented and motivated to ‘go the extra mile’ to support the organization and its stakeholders.
• Confident, self-starter with the ability to take initiative and get things done.
• Ability to communicate effectively and work with Cascale stakeholders.
• Fully proficient in the English language, capable of communicating complex subjects in a lucid manner.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel & PowerPoint in particular).
• Flexible nature; willing to support team-mates and to prioritize wider needs of the team.
• 8+ years of relevant working experience
• Ability to work with courage and humility.

CASCALE SEEKS A CANDIDATE WHO IS: 

• Mission Driven: Is motivated by the mission of the organization and knows that success comes through teamwork.
• Commitment to excellence: Performs duties at the highest level possible on a consistent basis.
• Trustworthy: Demonstrates an ability and temperament to work with sensitive and confidential information.
• Collaborative: Has team-oriented experience and approach.
• Service focused: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations of their role.
• Resourceful: Is quickly adaptable and able to think creatively.
• Tech savvy: Has the ability to understand and fully leverage a variety of technology platforms to ensure effective and efficient communications and work processes.
• Growth minded: Is willing to learn and grow within the role and in the organization.

REPORTING STRUCTURE

This is a contract role, directly reporting to the Director of Verification, Training, & Insights with a desired start date from June 1, 2025.

COMPENSATION AND LOCATION

Cascale offers competitive salary commensurate with experience. Salary bands are based on the country of location and aim to be competitive in each market. Actual compensation will also vary depending on factors including (but not limited to) relevant experience and performance. Salary is just one component of Cascales’s Total Rewards package for employees. The Cascale’s members and partners are global organizations, and as such, our staff sometimes work early or late hours. This role is preferably hybrid with 2-4 days of working in person at a co-working space with a preferred location of Bangalore, India. 

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Cascale is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our human capital is the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and organization’s achievement as well. We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

APPLY

Maybe you don’t tick all the boxes above— but still think you’d be great for the job? Go ahead, apply anyway. Please. We know that experience comes in all shapes and sizes—and PASSION can’t be learned. To be considered for this position please apply here.