Director of Sector Standards

Acre is supporting GRI in the recruitment of a Director of Sector Standards to work either hybrid from Amsterdam or remotely (+/-2 hours CET) with the team based in Amsterdam.

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GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) is an independent, international organization that helps organizations with transparency. They do this through the creation of a global common language for organizations to report their sustainability impacts. This enables informed dialogue and decision-making around those impacts.

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GRI is the global standard setter for impact reporting, which through an independent, multi-stakeholder process, maintains the world's most comprehensive set of sustainability reporting standards. Available as a free public good in 11 languages, the GRI Standards are, globally, the most widely used for sustainability reporting.

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GRI plays a unique role in the global drive to create a sustainable future for all. Sustainability reporting enables transparency and helps markets function more efficiently, supporting better decisions that create sustainable benefits for everyone.

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Today some 10,000 organizations, including 75% of the largest 250 companies in the world, disclose sustainability information through the GRI Standards - something unimaginable only 15 years ago. In addition, GRI's Standards are referenced explicitly in 160 policies of governments, regulators, and stock exchanges in 60 countries. They are now searching for a Director of Sector Standards to grow and manage the team as they rapidly expand their operation.

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The Role

In this leadership role, the Director of Sector Standards will head the international team within the Standards Division that is tasked with projects to develop new and revise existing Sector Standards. The primary focus of the team is content creation and revision, including the management of international multi-stakeholder project working groups and technical committees.

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Reporting to the Chief of Standards, the Director of Sector Standards will be responsible for ensuring excellence and consistency in project management for all ongoing sector team projects and play a key role in coordinating the overall activities of the Standards Division together with their peers. In addition, the Director of Sector Standards, together with fellow Directors in the Standards Division, will be tasked to develop and manage strategies to ensure the positioning, alignment and interoperability of the GRI Standards within the wider corporate reporting landscape.

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Alongside technical excellence, exposure to and engagement with the public domain will form an integral part of this role.

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Job Responsibilities:

• Manage the Sector team and develop a strategy and environment to ensure the team can execute the planning and implementation of projects to develop new and revise existing GRI Sector Standards and associated materials, including the recruitment and supervision of expert Project Working Groups and Technical Committees.

• Lead and oversee the Sector team (up to 15 FTE).

• Grow and develop the Sector team competencies and skills individually and collectively.

• Safeguarding trust in the GRI Standards worldwide, by ensuring technical excellence and guaranteeing that new and revised GRI Sector Standards are developed in accordance with the GSSB Due Process Protocol.

• Driving strategy development to ensure positioning, alignment and interoperability of the GRI Standards in the wider corporate reporting landscape.

• Jointly developing and continuously improving project communication across the Standards Division.

• Developing and continuously improving a project methodology for the development of new Sector Standards and revision of existing Standards, in accordance with the GSSB Due Process Protocol.

• Representing the projects under management to the GSSB and Due Process Oversight Committee (DPOC).

• Representing GRI and the Standards Division in external fora, meetings and events as needed.

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Key Competencies/Requirements:

• Proven experience in line management of larger teams, including remote line management.

• Senior-level expertise in the technical development of standards at an international level, and, ideally, expertise in developing reporting, accounting, and/or audit standards.

• Extensive experience in facilitating consensus-seeking processes in a multi-stakeholder setting; ideally, proven experience with facilitating (virtual) consensus-seeking content creation processes.

• Extensive experience in project planning and implementation; substantial experience with project planning methodologies and software is a plus.

• In-depth knowledge of environmental, social, and economic sustainability issues.

• Knowledge of sustainability-related instruments, standards and norms.

• High proficiency in English (written and verbal, both at near-native level), including experience in writing technical standards.

• Ability to travel internationally on a regular basis (up to 15%).

• Ability to work in an international and multicultural setting.

• Affinity with the mission and vision of GRI.

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Acre is supporting GRI in the hiring for this role. To apply, please note that only applications directly through Acre's website/link will be considered. If you have any questions, please contact Declan Murphy at declan.murphy@acre.com.