Policy & Public Affairs Officer

The SAC is a global, multi-stakeholder non-profit alliance for the fashion industry. It is made up of over 250 leading apparel, footwear, and textile brands, retailers, suppliers, service providers, trade associations, non-profits, NGOs, and academic institutions working to reduce environmental impact and promote social justice throughout the global value chain.

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The Sustainable Apparel Coalition's vision is of a global consumer goods industry that gives more than it takes - to the planet and its people. Now in a phase of growth and tackling crucial topics, the SAC is seeking a Policy and Public Affairs Officer to join them to help deliver their latest strategy.

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This is a very important and newly created role within the SAC, covering responsibilities including:

• Providing relevant insights into EU and member states' legislative trends through actively keeping up with the market and mapping stakeholders and engagement opportunities with policymakers.

• Acting as a key central member in coordinating SAC members' policy and public affairs teams and keeping an open stream of communication with members with updates on the latest initiatives, challenges, and everything in between. Members benefit from meaningful outreach involving links between the SAC programmes, Higg Index tools, and relative legislation identifying impacts for the members but also the wider industry.

• Strategically engaging externally with key policy partners, acting on this, and updating the messaging via social platforms and the SAC website, keeping everything up to speed and relevant.

• Internally engaging the SAC on policy and public affairs strategy to ensure one shared vision across the business across multiple geographies.

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In this role, you will be reporting to Senior Director, Public Affairs and delivering widespread and effective government engagement and education, with the ultimate end goal of improving the global consumer goods industry.

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You already have:

• Relevant work experience in EU Policy and Public Affairs, with knowledge of institutions, decision-making processes, and cycles in this space.

• An interest or knowledge in the textile and footwear sector from any angle, such as NGO, retailer, brand, manufacturer, or research. To complement this, you will be a keen sustainability advocate, confident in the importance of addressing issues in the fashion industry.

• A commitment to excellence and a driven-mission attitude. You will collaborate with stakeholders internationally and thrive in a fast-paced team environment.

• Ideally, a strong and relevant network existing in Brussels already, with linguistics skills, to engage and communicate across multiple audiences.

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This role is full-time and permanent, based in Brussels. If you are confident that you can add value to this team but not confident you 'tick every box', we encourage you to apply. The SAC values diversity and is committed to fostering a diversity, equity, and inclusion culture.

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For any questions about this opportunity, please contact Ruth Smith at ruth.smith@acre.com.