Senior Manager, Global EPR Compliance

Kontoor Brands • Greensboro, NC

4d

About The Position

Kontoor Brands is seeking a Senior Manager, Global EPR Compliance to establish and lead its global capability for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and related product stewardship compliance. The role owns the operating model for packaging, paper, plastics and textile EPR obligations across applicable markets, coordinates internal reporting data collection and validation, manages Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) relationships and external advisors, and translates evolving regulations into practical business actions. During a transition period, the role will work alongside external advisors while building the internal knowledge, processes and governance needed for Kontoor to manage recurring EPR execution internally.

The role will develop global compliance strategy, monitor regulations, lead registrations and reporting, maintain a compliance calendar and controls, and build standardized data governance and reporting readiness. It will partner with Sustainability, Legal, Finance, Tax, Supply Chain, Packaging, Product Development, Sourcing, IT, regional teams and brand leaders. The position also supports fee forecasting, audit readiness, circularity initiatives, reusable packaging strategies and recyclable materials programs, while providing leadership with updates on compliance status, risks, fee exposure, data readiness and optimization opportunities.

During the first 12 months, expected outcomes include establishing and socializing a global regulatory inventory, compliance calendar and RACI; creating standardized data definitions and reporting templates; centralizing PRO relationships and auditable records; documenting priority data and systems gaps with owners and action plans; and launching a leadership dashboard covering deadlines, status, fees, risks and opportunities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in sustainability, environmental science, business, supply chain, law, public policy, engineering, packaging, textiles or a related field; equivalent experience is considered.
• At least 7 years of experience in regulatory compliance, environmental compliance, product stewardship, sustainability reporting, packaging compliance, EPR, circular economy programs or related fields.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex cross-functional programs involving many stakeholders, deadlines and data sources.
• Strong analytical skills and experience using Excel and business intelligence or data reporting tools, with the ability to translate data into compliance deliverables and management insights.
• Experience managing external consultants, advisors, legal partners or third-party service providers.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to influence across functions, geographies and leadership levels.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with packaging EPR, textile EPR, PPWR, plastic packaging taxes, product stewardship, PRO reporting or related global circular economy regulations.
• Experience in apparel, footwear, retail, consumer goods, manufacturing, packaging, logistics or global branded products.
• Familiarity with ERP, PLM, Power BI, sustainability reporting platforms or compliance management systems.
• Knowledge of packaging materials, textile/fiber composition, recyclability, eco-modulation, recycled content and circular design principles.
• Experience building SOPs, compliance calendars, audit-ready evidence files, control frameworks or governance processes.
• Advanced degree, legal/regulatory training, project management certification or sustainability credential.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a global EPR compliance roadmap covering packaging, paper, plastics, textiles and relevant circular economy requirements.
• Monitor emerging laws and guidance, assess applicability to Kontoor, and translate requirements into business actions, timelines and data needs.
• Own the end-to-end global EPR compliance process, including jurisdictional applicability assessments, obligation mapping, registrations, reporting preparation, submissions and post-filing documentation.
• Lead registrations, submissions, fee-related data packages and ongoing engagement with PROs and other responsible authorities.
• Create and maintain a global EPR obligation tracker and compliance calendar with filing deadlines, owners, evidence requirements, approval checkpoints and escalation paths.
• Coordinate data collection from ERP/reporting systems and business owners, identify gaps in data availability, quality, ownership and system capabilities, and build standardized templates, definitions and quality checks.
• Partner with IT and analytics teams to improve reporting automation through data pipelines, dashboards, controls and repeatable templates.
• Manage external advisors, consultants, legal advisors, industry groups and other stakeholders; define scopes, track deliverables, validate outputs and drive knowledge transfer.
• Provide internal guidance to Sustainability, Legal, Finance, Tax, Supply Chain, Packaging, Product Development, Sourcing and regional teams regarding requirements and regulatory impacts.
• Lead recurring governance meetings, issue logs, risk reviews and action plans; escalate compliance risks and business impacts to leadership.
• Support annual planning by modeling EPR fees, liabilities and cost drivers by market, material and product category; analyze fee structures and eco-modulation signals for cost-avoidance opportunities.
• Coordinate records, assumptions, evidence files, document retention and responses to internal reviews, external audits and regulator inquiries.
• Support internal policies, SOPs, training materials and record-retention practices for EPR compliance and product stewardship.
• Prepare leadership updates on regulatory changes, compliance status, risks, consultant spending, fee exposure, data readiness and business optimization opportunities.
• Work with product and packaging teams on material optimization, packaging reduction, recyclability and circular design; lead and design reusable packaging strategies, support recyclable materials programs and guide circularity initiatives.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package with choice and flexibility for employees and their families.
• Resources supporting physical, emotional, social and financial wellbeing.
• Discounts on Kontoor Brands apparel.
• Four weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees who are new parents.
• Flexible Fridays.
• Tuition reimbursement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior