Director Of Standards

*IRMA operates fully remotely, with team members located globally. This role can be flexibly-based in a wide range of locations around the world, with requirements for occasional travel. There will be opportunities to meet with the team through the year.

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The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) envisions a world in which the mining industry respects human rights and the aspirations of affected communities; provides safe, healthy and respectful workplaces; avoids or minimises harm to the environment; and leaves positive legacies.

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Mining is a complex and intensive process that causes environmental and social change no matter where it occurs. Founded in 2006 by a coalition of non-governmental organizations, affected communities, mining companies, trade unions, and businesses using minerals and metals in their products, IRMA has developed a set of standards and a third-party independent verification system to measure social and environmental performance at mine sites globally.

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As interest and engagement in IRMA continues to grow, it is now seeking an individual to join its team to serve as IRMA’s Standards Director. The successful candidate will work closely with IRMA’s Executive Director, IRMA’s Assurance Director, and IRMA’s Senior Policy Advisor to focus on and oversee the development of IRMA’s standards, including managing public consultation processes on new standards and revisions of existing standards, overseeing expert working groups, and developing and updating standard guidance.

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The Standards Director is responsible for ensuring that best practices are reflected in IRMA’s standards, and that these practices reflect IRMA’s awareness of the needs of diverse stakeholder sectors represented in IRMA’s work.

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In this role, you will be:

• Leading the launch and public comment process for a major revision process of the IRMA’s Standard for Responsible Mining, version 1.0 (the “Mining Standard”), in 2023-2024

• Leading the launch and public comment process for the new Chain of Custody Standard in 2023 - 2024

• Facilitating multistakeholder working groups on topics of particular interest in the IRMA standard, for the purpose of seeking shared definitions of best practices

• Ensuring that IRMA’s standards governance reflect its commitment to best practices and accountability to both civil society and the private sector

• Working with IRMA’s Assurance Director to develop training and testing materials for assurance providers on the updated standards

• Collaborating with other standards systems to explore areas of alignment, and consider potential to avoid duplication of assessment efforts

• Managing the standards development budget with the Executive Director and Operations Director and IRMA’s team of expert consultants

• Representing IRMA at networking and educational events globally
  

You will bring:

• Experience in mining and extractive industries gained from within the standards sector, voluntary initiatives, mining industry, NGO, labour advocate or affected communities

• Knowledge of mining-related laws, regulations, and familiarity with the evolving global policy relevant to the mining sector

• Broad range of experience with environmental protection, social justice, Indigenous rights, health and safety, community risks and more

• Experience with operational and sustainability management systems and ESG performance data

• Experience in standards development and/or work with globally-recognised standards and certification systems within mineral/mining

• Understanding of the unique interests, concerns, and value of IRMA’s stakeholder sectors, and respect for IRMA’s model of equal service, accountability, respect, and value delivered to all stakeholder sectors affected by mining
  

If you have strong knowledge of mining and minerals standards, and are excited by the prospect of joining IRMA and its passionate team on facilitating transparency and driving more responsible mining, then look no further. Please reach out to canace.wong@acre.com for more information on the role.