Senior Manager, Global EPR Compliance

Kontoor Brands, Inc.•Greensboro, NC

About The Position

Kontoor Brands is hiring a Senior Manager, Global EPR Compliance to establish and lead the company’s 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 collection and validation of reporting data, manages relationships with Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) and external advisors, and translates regulatory developments 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 own recurring EPR execution. The position leads the end-to-end global EPR compliance process, including applicability assessments, obligation mapping, registrations, reporting preparation and submissions, and post-filing documentation. It develops and maintains a global compliance roadmap, obligation tracker, filing calendar, data governance approach and audit-ready records. The role also partners with IT and analytics teams on reporting automation and works across Sustainability, Legal, Finance, Tax, Supply Chain, Packaging, Product Development, Sourcing, regional teams and brand leaders. The role supports business planning through fee and liability forecasting, identifies compliance and data risks, and provides leadership updates on regulatory changes, compliance status and optimization opportunities. It also works with product and packaging teams on reusable packaging, recyclable materials, packaging reduction, material optimization, textile circularity and circular design. The position is intended for a hands-on regulatory and sustainability leader who can build the operating system for EPR compliance while helping the company make informed product and packaging decisions.

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 multiple stakeholders, deadlines and data sources.
Strong analytical skills and experience with Excel and business intelligence or data-reporting tools; 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.
Ability to lead diverse teams and adapt amid ambiguity.
Ability to lead with integrity, connect teamwork to business strategy, drive priorities with urgency, model accountability and collaborate across functions.

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 or 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 or 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, and translate requirements into business actions, timelines and data needs.
Lead registrations, reporting submissions, fee-related data packages and ongoing engagement with PROs and other responsible authorities.
Maintain a global EPR calendar with filing deadlines, owners, evidentiary requirements, approval checkpoints and escalation paths.
Coordinate external advisors, define scopes of work, track deliverables, validate outputs and support knowledge transfer to Kontoor.
Create standardized data templates, definitions and quality checks for sales, packaging, materials, fiber composition, weights, recyclability and market requirements.
Coordinate cross-functional work with Sustainability, Legal, Finance, Tax, Supply Chain, Packaging, Product Development, Sourcing, IT, regional teams and brand leaders.
Support annual planning by modeling known and potential EPR fees, liabilities and cost drivers by market, material and product category.
Coordinate records, assumptions, evidence files, document retention and responses to internal reviews, external audits and regulator inquiries.
Work with product and packaging teams to identify opportunities to reduce EPR exposure through material optimization, packaging reduction, recyclability and circular design.
Own end-to-end global EPR compliance, including jurisdictional applicability assessments, obligation mapping, registrations, reporting preparation, submissions and post-filing documentation.
Create and maintain a global EPR obligation tracker covering packaging, paper, textile and related product stewardship requirements.
Coordinate data collection from ERP and reporting systems and business owners; identify data availability, quality, ownership and system capability gaps.
Partner with IT and analytics teams to improve reporting automation, including data pipelines, dashboards, controls and repeatable templates.
Manage relationships with PROs, external consultants, legal advisors, industry groups and other relevant external stakeholders; support program participation decisions where applicable.
Provide internal guidance about EPR requirements and emerging regulatory impacts to relevant functions and regional teams.
Lead recurring EPR governance meetings, issue logs, risk reviews and action plans; escalate compliance risks and business impacts to leadership.
Support development of internal policies, SOPs, training materials and record-retention practices for EPR compliance and product stewardship.
Analyze fee structures and eco-modulation signals to identify cost-avoidance opportunities and improvements in packaging, textile circularity and product stewardship.
Prepare leadership updates on regulatory changes, compliance status, risks, consultant spending, fee exposure, data readiness and optimization opportunities.
Lead and design reusable packaging strategies, support recyclable materials programs and guide circularity initiatives.
Deliver first-year outcomes: create and socialize a global regulatory inventory, compliance calendar and RACI; establish data definitions and reporting templates; centralize PRO relationships and compliance records; document priority data gaps and system improvements with owners and action plans; and launch a leadership dashboard.