Senior Director, People

Salary: if hired in London – 106,725 GBP, if in Geneva - 143,729 CHF, commensurate with relevant experience and skills

Location: Preferred: London, Geneva, would consider for exceptional candidate: Lahore, Delhi, Sweden, Netherlands

About the Job

Are you purpose-led and ready to embark on a journey to shape the future of sustainable cotton? Join us at Better Cotton as Senior Director, People and Culture, leading a global team responsible for delivering an ambitious people agenda for the world's largest cotton sustainability initiative – we support the adoption of sustainable farming practices and farm livelihoods for more than 2 million farmers in the Better Cotton network in 17 countries around the world. Better Cotton people (275 and counting) is a diverse and passionate group of people, working from 21 different countries, both in official offices and fully remote.

We are now looking for a dynamic, people-focused and highly communicative individual with strong strategic acumen, to direct the People & Culture agenda in a fast-paced and dispersed environment. This role offers plenty of opportunity to shape what the people agenda should look like in a growing mission-led organisation. We are at midterm in our 2030 strategy, and we need to continuously develop as an organisation to create the best possible pathway to success. People are our asset, and how we nurture, challenge and empower our staff will be critical for delivering our strategy.

The Challenge

Looking ahead to 2030, our aim is to be recognised as an Employer of Choice in all geographies. We recently re-positioned the team from HR to People and Culture, and the Senior Director will be accountable for ensuring we continue our transition towards a stronger emphasis on culture and values.

The position holder will define and shape our working culture to keep alignment with our mission, our values and our employees' potential. We look to this role to be accountable for a positive employee lifecycle, with clear and efficient policies and processes to ensure engagement, consistency and fairness across all Better Cotton locations. A particular focus should be on creating and maintaining an effective performance management approach, with clear progression and growth paths as well as ensuring attractive compensation packages.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrable experience in building and maintaining strong HR infrastructure, based on organisational goals and values. A strong track record of managing change will be necessary to succeed. S/he will bring knowledge of current People trends and a commitment to leading a modern People and Culture service.

This position reports into the COO and is a member of the Executive Group.

Your Role and Responsibilities

Strategy & delivery

1. Be accountable for a global People and Culture strategy and workplan, linking it to Better Cotton's 2030 strategic goals and our aim to be recognised as an employer of choice.
2. Lead on reviewing and embedding organisational values and the implementation of measures to mainstream Better Cotton culture in the context of rapid growth, global teams and hybrid working.
3. Develop and lead on appropriate change management activities to adequately support senior staff and their teams through challenges from organisational growth.
4. In close collaboration with the rest of the Executive Group, ensure Better Cotton's global structure is fit-for-purpose and supports effective collaboration between functions and country teams.
5. Provide professional leadership, support and development to People & Culture team to increase knowledge, share best practice and ensure professional standards are met.
6. Be accountable for ensuring that all People and Culture systems and processes align with strategic objectives and deliver measurable results in employee engagement, retention, and culture-building efforts.
7. Provide leadership in fostering a high-performance culture that enhances organisational effectiveness and drives strategic outcomes through talent management, leadership development, and effective employee relations.

Employee lifecycle & relations

1. Oversee effective and efficient strategies, policies and procedures for the entire employee lifecycle that result in creating a positive and empowering experience throughout.
2. Maintain an effective employee engagement programme, ensuring staff feedback is heard and duly considered.
3. Review and develop performance management approach, processes and practices to ensure consistent application, supported by clear progression and growth paths and remediation paths for poor performance.
4. Oversee development, review and updating of people and business ethics policies and ensure consistent monitoring practices.
5. Provide guidance to People & Culture team in addressing employee relations issues and casework including dispute resolutions, disciplinaries, grievances, absence, retirement and redundancy. Be available to step in at later stages in process, as needed.
6. Lead on providing effective People and Culture communications within the organisation.

Compensation and Benefits, Budget Preparation & Monitoring

1. Provide leadership in ensuring compensation packages are attractive across all locations, whilst remaining affordable for Better Cotton, guiding Country Directors and People and Culture teams on research, design and implementation of benefits and compensation schemes per location ensuring staff have access to equivalent pay and benefits.
2. Be accountable for development and management of the People and Culture annual budget and three-year forecasts.
3. Define People and Culture KPIs and ensure regular reporting to the Executive Group and the Council, as needed.

Labour Laws, Legal Compliance and HR Policies

1. Be accountable for compliance of global HR administration in relation to Better Cotton internal policies and local regulations as applicable.
2. Ensure Better Cotton HR policies, procedures and tools are appropriate and comply with internal standards and data protection and deliver legal compliance across all locations.
3. Ensure employment in remote locations is compliant with relevant regulations.

We are looking for someone who has

1. Proven experience in a senior-level HR leadership role, ideally in a global setting and with matrix reporting structures.
2. Demonstrated success in developing and delivering high impact and measurable People and Culture strategies.
3. Strong leadership and team management skills, with experience leading geographically dispersed teams.
4. Proven ability to influence at the executive level and contribute to organisational strategy.
5. Track record in building positive, high performing organisational culture.
6. Experience in building effective performance management structures and practices.
7. Strong experience in overseeing strategies for employee relations and developing culture of addressing ER issues effectively.
8. Experience leading policy revisions and ensure they are fit for purpose.
9. Strong project management skills and ability to deliver and prioritise multiple concurrent projects.
10. Proven skills in developing and delivering change management strategy.
11. Strong public speaking and presentation skills, with the ability to inspire others and bring them along a journey.
12. Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft 365 package (Outlook, Word, Excel, Sharepoint) or evidence of picking up IT programmes and systems quickly.
13. Proficient in English with well-structured oral and written communications skills.
14. Interest in and commitment to sustainability.
15. CIPD Level 7 qualification or higher (or Brevet Federal in Switzerland) or equivalent work experience.
16. Proficiency in languages other than English (Better Cotton languages include French, Hindi, Urdu, Portuguese, Turkish, Mandarin amongst others).

What we offer

1. The opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to one month per year.
2. Flexible working, with core hours from 10 am to 4 pm local time.
3. Continuous learning and development.
4. 25 days paid annual leave, plus 8-9 Bank Holidays and a further 3 days off over Christmas.
5. Enhanced parental benefits.
6. A warm, positive working environment where everyone is valued.
7. The opportunity to make your mark and make a difference.

Working arrangements

The position is full-time (40 hours per week) and will be based either in London or Geneva. Other Better Cotton locations may be considered for exceptional candidates. Better Cotton offers flexible working, with core hours being 10 am – 4 pm. The position will require some travel to the different Better Cotton offices.

Apply now

Send us your CV (2 pages maximum) and a brief cover letter (1-page maximum) by or before 21.04.2025 via this link. In your cover letter, please include an explanation of why your experience is specifically relevant to this role at Better Cotton. We want to see your personal style – what makes you tick and why you think your next opportunity is here with us.

Our hiring process

Initial Screening:

Applicant screening is a crucial step in our recruitment process. This stage may involve a brief phone interview or video call to evaluate your suitability for the position. During this screening, we review resumes and cover letters, and may conduct initial background checks to narrow down the pool of applicants. Internal candidates are encouraged to inform their line manager about their application to promote transparency and help facilitate a smooth transition if selected.

Interviews:

If you successfully pass the initial screening, you will be invited for interviews. The interview process at Better Cotton may include one or more rounds of interviews with various stakeholders, such as the hiring manager, team members, and potentially senior management. As an internal candidate, you may have discussions regarding your current responsibilities and how they will transition to the new position.

Assessment and Testing:

Depending on the role, you might be required to complete assessments, technical tests, or skills evaluations to gauge your competency and suitability for the position. Internal candidates may have the option to demonstrate their existing skills through current job performance or past project outcomes.

Reference Checks:

Once you progress further in the process, reference checks are conducted to validate your work history, skills, and qualifications, and for some roles, your education and criminal history. Internal candidates may be asked for references from current or previous supervisors within Better Cotton to provide insights into their performance and capabilities.

After completing interviews, assessments, and reference checks, the hiring team evaluates your performance and fit for the role. If you are selected and your references are relevant and satisfactory, you will receive a formal job offer letter outlining the terms of employment, compensation, benefits, and any other relevant details. For internal candidates, the offer process may include a discussion about how your transition to the new role will be managed and any support needed for a smooth handover.

About Better Cotton

Better Cotton is a global not-for-profit organisation supporting the production of more equitable and sustainable cotton at farm level. We exist to catalyse the cotton farming community with partners, governments and others to continuously drive positive impact by setting standards and facilitating the supply and demand of more sustainable cotton from farm to brand. In just 15 years we have aligned more than a fifth of the world's cotton with our standard and helped farmers and farming communities thrive. Join us in building a better, more sustainable future for cotton worldwide.

About our Values

The post holder will be expected to operate in line with our workplace values which are:

• Trustworthy (including honest, transparent, credible)
• As having Integrity (including responsible, authentic)
• Positive (including problem-solving, pragmatic)
• Engaging (including adaptable, inclusive, holistic)
• Daring (including courageous, innovative, game-changing)

Better Cotton is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer with a strong commitment to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human, and financial resources.

We have 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.