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Senior Director, Global Responsible Sourcing & Supply Chain Sustainability

Levi Strauss & Co. • United States • Added on Jun 26, 2026
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This executive leadership position oversees the integrity of a global supply chain by managing human rights and environmental risks at every tier. You will be the primary architect of due diligence frameworks, ensuring that labor violations and ecological harms are not just identified but actively resolved. Reporting directly to the Chief Sustainability Officer, you hold the authority to challenge business decisions to protect workers and ecosystems across all sourcing regions.

The role represents a critical pillar of a brand synonymous with pioneering labor standards. By integrating rigorous risk remediation into the core of apparel manufacturing, you ensure that commercial success does not come at a human or environmental cost. In an era of increasing supply chain transparency laws, this work bridges the gap between high-level ethics and operational reality in high-risk geographies.

This suits someone who is a seasoned subject matter expert with over two decades of experience in supply chain governance and the courage to lead sensitive investigations within a complex, global matrix.

Job FAQs

What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role?

As a senior leader, you will design and execute global human rights and environmental due diligence frameworks. The role is centered on identifying, escalating, and remediating complex risks across multiple supplier tiers, ensuring that the company’s high standards for labor and ecology are strictly enforced. You will also be responsible for regulatory readiness, preparing the organization for evolving global disclosure requirements. This involves overseeing the resolution of grievance cases and maintaining audit-ready data for external reporting, all while providing strategic direction to a global team of sourcing professionals.

Key learning opportunities for this job

This position offers deep exposure to cutting-edge regulatory environments like the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), providing a platform to master compliance at the highest level. You will gain unparalleled experience in managing complex socio-political risks in high-risk sourcing geographies. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to participate in and lead influential multi-stakeholder initiatives such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (Higg) and SLCP. The role facilitates advanced expertise in integrating human rights impact assessments within a large-scale commercial business model.

How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)?

The ideal candidate is a veteran professional with at least 20 years of experience in responsible sourcing or supply chain sustainability. You must possess deep technical knowledge of labor standards and environmental risk management, backed by a history of handling sensitive investigations and remediation cases. Beyond technical skills, you should demonstrate brave ethical judgment and the ability to influence C-suite leadership. A Master’s degree in a relevant field and a data-driven, systems-oriented mindset are highly valued for navigating the complexities of a global supply chain.

Advice to stand out and make a successful application

To stand out, move beyond general sustainability theory and demonstrate a track record of concrete risk mitigation in complex manufacturing contexts. Highlight specific instances where you successfully managed high-risk escalations or labor disputes with integrity and rigor. Align your application with the specific values of the brand, emphasizing your ability to balance commercial operations with ethical mandates. Showing a sophisticated understanding of how environmental risks like water stewardship intersect with human rights will demonstrate the holistic approach the company values.

What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on?

The role focuses intensely on the social and environmental footprint of the supply chain, particularly labor rights in garment manufacturing. You will lead the charge on forced labor prevention, fair wages, and safe working conditions across global factories. On the environmental side, the focus will likely remain on resource stewardship within the supply chain, including water usage, chemical management, and biodiversity protection. You will ensure that environmental goals are not just corporate targets but operational realities at the supplier level.

What are the main challenges someone in this role might face?

The primary challenge lies in the complexity of multi-tier supply chains in high-risk regions where transparency is difficult to maintain. Navigating the tension between manufacturing speed/cost and stringent ethical compliance requires high emotional intelligence and resilience. Additionally, keeping pace with the rapidly shifting global regulatory landscape presents a constant challenge. You must translate abstract legal requirements into actionable operating models that a global procurement team can successfully implement.

How could a typical day look like for someone in this position?

A typical day involves high-level strategic meetings with the Chief Sustainability Officer and cross-functional partners in Legal and Sourcing to discuss emerging risks. You might spend time reviewing the status of sensitive grievance investigations or analyzing data from supplier audits to identify systemic trends. Your afternoons could be dedicated to external stakeholder engagement, meeting with NGOs or trade unions to discuss industry-wide challenges. The role is dynamic, shifting between internal team leadership, strategic planning, and urgent crisis management as issues arise in different time zones.

What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role?

Given the seniority of this role, growth is directed toward global executive influence and shaping the future of the apparel industry’s ethics. Success here places you at the very top of the field, with the potential to move into broader corporate leadership or Chief Sustainability Officer positions. You will also have the opportunity to serve as a thought leader in the industry, representing the brand at international forums and influencing global policy on responsible sourcing and worker protection.

The main stakeholders you might be interacting with

Internally, you will partner closely with Supply Chain, Product Development, and Legal departments to ensure sustainability is embedded in business decisions. You report directly to the Chief Sustainability Officer and will interact with other senior executives regarding reputational risks. Externally, your network will include tier-one and sub-tier suppliers, government officials, labor unions, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). These interactions are often focused on collaborative problem-solving, compliance auditing, and ensuring transparency in labor practices.

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