Senior Director, Assurance and Traceability

Textile Exchange•New York, NY

20d•$160,000 - $200,000•Remote

About The Position

The Assurance and Traceability, Senior Director will have accountability for two pillars of the Textile Exchange standards system: our assurance system and digital tools. The Sr Director will shape the future of these pillars of the standards system through their knowledge and leadership. They will lead teams responsible for certification body oversight, monitoring, data collection and management, and digital tool/platform development. This leadership role will offer an opportunity to continue improving one of the industry’s largest sustainability standards systems during a pivotal transition to a new standard: the Materials Matter Standard. The role demands a forward-thinker with the right knowledge and experience to navigate multiple outcomes amidst changes being implemented across a range of contexts. Successful candidates have robust knowledge of certification systems, especially those that include third-party certification, traceability, and advanced digital platforms. They will have robust knowledge of assurance models with a knack for communicating to various audiences with confidence.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in sustainability related standards and certification schemes
Deep knowledge of a range of assurance models, with experience navigating implementation across diverse contexts
Deep knowledge of traceability and information management systems
Experience in strategy development and ownership of system-level outcomes
Commitment to contributing to a positive organizational culture
Strong communication skills, including comfort navigating between technical and high-level audiences
Experience engaging in cross-initiative alignment efforts, including across regulatory and voluntary contexts
Experience leading complex systems through significant growth and dynamic contexts
Experience in risk and performance management within the context of certification
Experience with chain of custody and traceability models
Experience with data modeling and data management systems

Nice To Haves

Experience with an ISEAL member initiative
Experience managing remote, international teams
Experience within the apparel, textile, or agriculture sectors

Responsibilities

Accountable for robust assurance and traceability as part of an integrated standards system that is credible, scalable, and future-ready.
Accountable for digital tools and systems that effectively advance the standards system by supporting transparency, regulatory alignment, market confidence, and measurable impact across complex global supply chains.
Own the ongoing evolution of assurance and traceability within the standards system, ensuring that policies, processes, data, and governance function together in an integrated way.
Oversee the Assurance team, responsible for certification body management, monitoring and assessment, and all other certification activities.
Oversee the Traceability and Supply Chain Data teams, responsible for development and management of digital tools supporting Textile Exchange standards.
Proactively evolve the relevant models and systems to strengthen the integrity of the standards system, balancing credibility, usability, cost, and innovation amid regulatory change, technological advancement, and shifting market expectations, ensuring long-term strategic success.
Develop strategies to strengthen proactive monitoring and response to complaints or inquiries related to certification body performance or user conformity across the system
In partnership with the standards leadership team, define and advance Textile Exchange’s strategic approach to traceability, including interoperability, scalability, and alignment with emerging regulatory and market expectations.
Ensure appropriate risk management within certification activities, including appropriate organizational transparency, responsiveness, and confidence.
Guide prioritization decisions where trade-offs exist between rigor, scalability, cost, and adoption.
Represent Textile Exchange externally as a thought leader on assurance and traceability, with certification bodies, the ISEAL community, peer standards bodies, users, and strategic partners.