Manager-Circular Economy and Sustainability-CAIF (Circular Apparel Innovation Factory)

About Intellecap

Founded in 2002, Intellecap Advisory Services Private Limited (Intellecap) is the entrepreneurial ecosystem building arm of the Aavishkaar Group, a pioneer in providing innovative business solutions that help build and scale impact enterprises dedicated to building a more equitable, sustainable and inclusive society. Intellecap & Aavishkaar Group take an ecosystem-approach which combines knowledge, capital, technology and networks, to provide impact entrepreneurs with a continuum of support throughout their life-cycle and to address systemic barriers. We do this by operating at two levels. At the first-level we directly support organizations that invent or create novel solutions with capital, acceleration, fund-raising, technical assistance, innovation transfer, and market linkages. At the second-level, we focus on building enabling ecosystems for innovations to scale by engaging with a range of actors such as value chain players, investors, philanthropies, corporations, governments and intermediaries. We leverage our convening and amplification platform Sankalp to augment our effort to search, seed, support, and scale impact enterprises across sectors. We have worked with more than 300 clients on over 500 consulting and research engagements across multiple geographies. We are a group of 7000 + professionals in offices across India, Kenya and Indonesia.

About Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF)

Circular Apparel Innovation Factory (CAIF) is an industry-led initiative (seeded by and within Intellecap) and a common action platform with a purpose of accelerating the transition of textiles and fashion industry across the global south to become resource efficient (through decarbonizing the supply chain) and responsible (through creating green livelihoods) through adoption of a circular economy as a pathway. CAIF works with the leading textiles companies specifically their CXOs, to help them develop and action their agenda on net zero. We connect these companies with impact enterprises working in areas such as water efficiency, energy efficiency, alternatives single use plastics, textiles to textiles recycling etc. CAIF has an Advisory Committee which includes global and regional leaders from organizations like Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd., H&M, Marks and Spencer, Arvind Ltd., UN Environment Program (UNEP), UNIDO etc.

Purpose of the Role:

The CAIF team is driven by the mission to accelerate the transition of textiles and fashion industry across the global south to become net zero in carbon emissions, planet positive and people positive through adoption of a circular economy as a pathway. To shape the global industry's response to 2030 SDGs, CAIF's efforts focus on - a. decarbonizing the off-shore manufacturing across global south, b. ensuring zero leakage of textiles waste into the environment, c. eliminating single-use plastics from fashion economy and d. creation of circular and green jobs across the global offshore manufacturing hubs. To achieve this mission, the CAIF team engages with the CXOs of leading textiles businesses, helping them define and action their greening agenda.

Working with the CAIF team, this critical role will require you to lead the conceptualization, development and execution of multi-year ecosystem level programs which are aligned to UN's 2030 SDGs, CAIF's strategic priorities and areas that can deliver tangible outcomes and impact for brands, manufacturers, SMEs, Innovators / Entrepreneurs, and formal / informal workers employed across the textiles and apparel value chain.

Core responsibilities as Manager, CAIF

Strategy formulation and implementation

- Develop relationships with Industry CXOs

- Develop an up-to date knowledge and insights into their needs, gaps, and challenges to address at an industry level

- Engage with the Impact entrepreneurs and unearth innovations which could address the challenges of the industry

- Program manage execution of improvement initiatives across various companies

- Actively work to build and nurture CAIF's partner network.

Business Development

- Develop relationships at the CXO levels with mid-sized textiles and apparel companies

- Support senior team in managing relationships with CXOs in global organizations

- Conceptualize multi-year company and ecosystem level programs in areas of CAIF's focus - at the intersection of climate action, waste management, circular economy, gender, green or circular jobs in the context of the textile & apparel industry in the global south

- Identify and lead response to relevant tenders and RFPs (Request For Proposals) - defined and structured response to opportunities from DFIs and / or Philanthropic Foundations.

- Meet agreed and assigned business development targets and KPIs.

Execution & Delivery

- Lead the planning and management of end-to-end execution of projects

- Lead secondary and primary research (quantitative and qualitative) and analysis as a part of project delivery for insight generation

- Apply appropriate research, consulting and design thinking tools and methodologies for project execution and insight generation

- Lead and manage project / program's stakeholders and partners.

- Lead monitoring and evaluation of projects and impact delivered

- Lead preparation and submission of high quality project deliverables in a timely manner

- Serve as the point of contact (PoC) for project clients and lead all project presentations and interactions with them

Sector Knowledge & CAIF Profile Building

- Collaborate with colleagues and partners across multiple geographies to develop understanding and expertise on the various aspects of the textile & apparel industry in the global south

- Lead insightful research and analysis on themes including (but not limited to) textile waste management, plastics free economy, alternative materials associated with textiles sector, climate change, de-carbonization strategies and pathways, low carbon solutions, financing mechanisms, green and circular job creation etc.

- Create, publish and disseminate knowledge and thought leadership pieces like articles and whitepapers widely to enhance CAIF's brand profile

- Represent CAIF at Sankalp, Intellecap's flagship event, as well external platforms, events and conferences to strengthen CAIF's brand profile

Team Building

- Actively contribute to setting performance goals and KPIs for junior team members

- Mentor and guide junior team members in achieving performance goals

- Mentor and support junior team members and enhance their capabilities and productivity

- Support and mentor junior team members in their career progression

Qualifications & Experience (the functional skills that are par for the course)

- Postgraduate / Master's degree or equivalent from reputed institutions

- Minimum of 8-10 years of past experience in circular economy, design thinking, business consulting, development sector research and consulting, inclusive business models, program management, or related/equivalent domains

- Past experience in working on programs and engagements for clients like DFIs like IFC/World Bank, USAID, JICA etc. and/or large foundations like BMGF, Laudes Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation etc. is highly desirable

- Past experience in engaging with corporates as a part of public-private-partnership programs will be an asset

- Prior experience on projects associated with the Fashion/Textile & Apparel sector is desirable but not mandatory

- 3-5 years of experience in managing teams

Skills & Persona Archetype (the attitudes and values we strive to have in our team - that will set you apart)

- Entrepreneurial mindset

- Passionate to make an impact on people, planet, profits

- Demonstrates and operates with high emotional intelligence

- Is a critical thinker and problem solver (ability to look at complex problems and break it down for easy communication)? Loves to think in systems and not silos; strives to understand and unlock the interdependencies in complex problems

- Has an informed and considered point of view that can keep an audience engaged and to be able to carry a conversation with confidence.

- Has the ability to think in the long term and deliver/do in the short term.

- Brings cognitive diversity to conversations and raises the bar on thinking and doing.

- Is hungry to learn and actively contributes to CAIF's learning curve.

- Strong business acumen and understanding of business models

- Diligent and detail-orientated

- Have and demonstrate a healthy appetite for risk backed by reasoning.

The specific KPIs or KRAs will be shared with candidates during the interview process.

Intellecap is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all qualified individuals from diverse professional, academic, and cultural backgrounds, regardless of gender, religion, race, ethnicity, and nationality, and are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

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