Technical Product Manager - Traceability

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Job description

Starting date: As Soon As Possible

Contract type: Fixed-term (2 years renewable)

Salary: UK: £58,000-62,000 per annum dependent on experience

Location: UK (London, or accessible to London)

Application closing date: 5th December 2021 (Note: we will be reviewing applications as they are received)

Background

Better Cotton is the world's largest cotton sustainability programme. Our mission: to help cotton communities survive and thrive, while protecting and restoring the environment. In challenging times, we are meeting the challenge head on. Through our network of field-level partners we have trained over 2.5 million farmers - from the smallest to the largest - in 23 countries in more sustainable farming practices. A quarter of the world's cotton is now grown under the Better Cotton Standard. We have united the industry's stakeholders behind our efforts, from ginners and spinners to brand owners, civil society organisations and governments. Everyone who cares about cotton and its sustainable future can now be part of something better.

About this role

As Better Cotton enters its next strategic phase, to achieve our 2030 vision and drive change on the ground for farmers, BCI will make it possible to trace Better Cotton. By introducing traceability, we will continue to generate demand for Better Cotton, supporting our core markets of apparel and textiles while contributing to systemic change.

We work across all kinds of farm types, sizes and geographies. It is crucial that these producers, and the Better Cotton they produce, can continue to access international markets in the face of changing regulatory and business expectations. Traceability represents an opportunity to bring transparency on impact while ultimately meeting our vision to drive change on the ground for farmers.

To deliver traceability, a new team has been formed to develop, launch and roll out a solution over the next 4 years. This is great opportunity to join a team building something truly transformational from the ground up. We are looking for a skilled product manager to lead the traceability solution requirements gathering and support the traceability programme manager on the vendor selection process. Once the platform is live, the product manager will manage the relationship with our chosen vendor to enhance the MVP and release new functionality in line with our development roadmap.

Our ideal candidate has worked in tech or management consulting and has experience across the technology acquisition life cycle. The role would suit someone commercially minded with an interest in sustainability.

The role

Reporting to: Traceability Programme Manager

Solution development

• Responsibility for the development of a convincing solution strategy regarding current, intermediate, and future mode of operations including agreement of strategy regarding the current Better Cotton traceability platform
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to map the user journeys for a Better Cotton traceability platform
• Develop and own the traceability requirements documentation ensuring all aspects of the solution are aligned to the solution strategy and targets defined by the Traceability team. Requirements for development will include:
• Lead multistakeholder workshops to gather the functional requirements for our traceability solution
• Work closely with our internal IT team to determine the non-functional requirements and ensure appropriate data governance and information security systems are implemented
• Support the solutions architect to determine Better Cotton's future systems architecture to identify integration opportunities and ensure interoperability of our traceability platform with internal and external systems
• Provide technical guidance on in country traceability pilots to test different technologies in multiple countries to understand how they operate within varied cotton supply chains and how we can scale the solution

Data

• Align the solution with BCIs data strategy and analytics roadmap
• Clearly articulate and detail insights on the data assets, technology analytics solutions, user personas and share with relevant stakeholders
• Partner with the BCI data team to develop a data integration strategy for the solution

RFP and vendor selection

• Define criteria for vendor selection, working with the support of the traceability officer to map the traceability solution landscape
• Produce vendor RFP with support from the traceability programme manager and external consultants
• Overall responsibility for procuring solution cost options and estimates
• Determine technical success criteria for shortlist vendor pilots
• Provide input and technical expertise into the vendor selection process
• Post vendor selection, lead the testing process
• Manage the approval processes to obtain solution sign-off

Solution roll out

• Provide technical support on the roll out of traceability and work with the vendor to identify and address any issues
• Hire and manage the traceability platform coordinator who will help manage the day-to-day relationship with the successful vendor
• Product manage the live solution, working with the chosen vendor to develop and release new features to enhance the platform from an MVP to an optimal product

Profile

The selected candidate will have the following skills, knowledge, and experience:

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to communicate clearly and concisely with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds
• Previous work experience in tech and/or management consulting focused on solution identification and implementation
• Excellent knowledge in the areas of ITIL or equivalent frameworks
• Demonstrable knowledge in several areas such as project management, application management, quality management, test management, architecture & administration
• Experience in successfully delivering the full technology acquisition life cycle; design, procurement, implementation, maintenance etc to develop solutions that are compelling, compliant, secure and deliverable
• Knowledge or appreciation of traceability and/or supply chain technologies
• Experience in gathering and documenting technical requirements with groups of complex and varied stakeholders
• Demonstrated integrity and business ethics
• Excellent organisational skills, capacity to multi-task and handle a set of different priorities
• A self-starter that is able to work in ambiguous situations and manage uncertainty
• Proficient in English (written and verbal)
• Ability to work in a team environment

Desirable

• University degree, or equivalent higher education qualification, in a relevant field with an interest in sustainability
• Experience with database management and analytic technologies
• Experience or knowledge of the following: Blockchain, GIS, GPS and IOT, AI, APIs, AIDC like RFID and QR codes, physical tracer technologies
• Knowledge of textile or commodity supply chains
• Knowledge of a 2 nd or 3 rd language

Working arrangements

The position is full-time (40 hours per week) and will be based in our London. Better Cotton offers flexible working, with core hours of availability being 10am - 4pm UK time and post-Covid working from home options currently being reviewed. Pending Covid restrictions, some travel may be required (10-15%).

Applications

Interested applicants with the required attributes are asked to send a detailed CV (3 pages maximum) and a motivational letter (2 pages maximum), in English, by email to: with subject: "Application - Technical Product Manager" by Midnight on 25 th November 2021 at the latest.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Better Cotton is currently unable to provide sponsorship for work permits, and candidates need to have a pre-existing right to work in the location where they will be based.

Better Cotton is an equal-opportunities employer, and is committed to good practice and transparency in the management of natural, human and financial resources.