Sustainable Procurement Manager

Job Overview

The Clifford Chance Procurement department seeks to 'broaden the value provided to the firm globally by delivering a commercial focus across the end-to-end procurement process'; providing commercial and strategic advice and support to our stakeholders regarding pre and post-contract management processes, supporting the implementation of our supplier management and sustainable procurement programmes, and providing commercial training to empower and equip our stakeholders and ensure compliance with our procurement policies and procedures.

As a member of the wider Procurement team, the Sustainable Procurement Manager is expected to contribute to on-going sourcing and supplier management reviews, manage stakeholders, and work as part of a team, providing sustainability guidance as required.

This role may require infrequent travel to other Clifford Chance global offices.

Clifford Chance won the Outstanding Diversity and Inclusion Practices in Procurement Teams award at the CIPS Excellence in Procurement Awards 2020.  Please refer to the 'News' section of our Supplier Management website for more detail and other initiatives we have been involved in.

Who you will work with

• Client and Business Development teams in order to provide responses to client queries related to our procurement and supplier management approach, including sustainability.
• Global stakeholders (internal) including senior levels.
• Support members of the Procurement team.
• External Stakeholders, including suppliers.

What you will be responsible for

The Sustainable Procurement Manager will be responsible for delivery and implementation of the firm's Sustainable Procurement Programme, including training and upskill for our stakeholders to support compliance with our procurement policies and procedures, and enable us to fulfil our supplier management commitments.

What you will do

• To act as Sustainable Procurement expert and advisor and build and maintain relationships with business management and operational teams. 
• To influence the sustainable procurement strategy; supporting the achievement of our near-term science-based targets by 2030 and supplier management commitments.
• To be responsible for making decisions to support the delivery of our Sustainable Procurement Programme in consultation with the Senior Procurement Manager (SRM & Sustainability).
• To manage the continued delivery and implementation of our Sustainable Procurement Programme globally, including tailored guidance, training and support for each region / office to ensure the commitments we've made (client, legal, regulatory and voluntary) are addressed and reported on.
• To lead the 'Supplier Emissions' pillar of our Net Zero programme and support emissions reporting for our purchased goods and services and capital goods category, including climate and environment-scenario and impact analysis in respect of our supply chain.
• To act as the Procurement Lead for our Modern Slavery Programme and statement and provide supplier management and sustainable procurement programme updates for the reporting period.
• To review and update our supplier management documents, including, but not limited to an annual review of our Supplier Relationship Management Framework, tools, templates and guidance, our Supplier Management intranet and website, and our Supplier Code of Conduct and Standards.
• To provide supplier management and sustainable procurement programme updates as part of our annual Responsible Business Report, including, but not limited to, UN Global Compact Questionnaire, Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics (SCM) updates.
• To coordinate our annual sustainability assessment firm response, working with key stakeholders, including, but not limited to, HR, including Inclusion, Information Security, Risk & Compliance Teams.
• To stay abreast of external market best practice regarding sustainable procurement, maintaining and sharing thought leadership.
• To support initiatives to ensure growing compliance and adherence to the firm's global procurement policies.

Your career experience so far

Qualifications:

Qualified to degree level, MCIPS or a recognised procurement qualification is desirable.

Experience:

• Demonstrable working knowledge in sustainable procurement or supplier management programme management, including reporting and measurement from a similar or comparable organisation.
• Good working knowledge of carbon footprint calculations and decarbonisation pathways.
• Knowledge and/or experience of implementing supplier diversity programmes.
• Experience of collaborating with different regions to support oversight and assurance activities, including supplier performance and risk management.
• Experience of managing and influencing challenging stakeholders and suppliers.
• Experience of presenting to senior leadership teams and project committees to support approvals and programme implementation and rollout.

Knowledge:

• A strong understanding of procurement best practice, process and tools and its application to a comparable organisation.
• A good understanding of UN Global Compact and guiding principles, and the implementation of them within a global supply chain.
• A good understanding of Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and other reporting frameworks.
• A good understanding of UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 (Section 54).
• A good understanding of science-based target methodology (SBTi), the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, carbon footprint calculations, and decarbonisation pathways.
• Excellent written, verbal skills and interpersonal skills.
• Strong multitasking, problem solving and organisational skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite (incl. Excel, Word, PowerPoint).

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and development your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

Who we are

As one of the leading international law firms, our work spans jurisdictions, cultures, and languages – and so do our people.

We believe every career at Clifford Chance should be rewarding and stimulating –  full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly and collaborative approach to work. 

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations.

But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all our teams.

Whatever your area of expertise, Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds meet.

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age.  This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.

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