Sustainability Assistant

The primary mission of the Sustainability Assistant is to provide comprehensive analytical and administrative support to Margaret Howell’s sustainability department. You will assist in calculating Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, using platforms such as CarbonFact to help guide decarbonisation pathways aligned with Science Based Targets initiatives (SBTi). Additionally, the role focuses heavily on sustainable materials management and supply chain traceability. You will coordinate certified material documentation, manage certifications such as GOTS, GRS, and RWS, and handle packaging baseline reporting under extended producer responsibility frameworks like PPWR. On the ethical and social side, you will administer Sedex supplier data, monitor factory audits, and support strategic initiatives on living wages, fair labor standards, and circular product trials across internal cross-functional departments.

Candidates will gain hands-on expertise in environmental data systems, specifically leveraging specialized textile carbon accounting software like CarbonFact. This provides immediate, marketable proficiency in greenhouse gas accounting and supply chain emissions modeling. You will also acquire deep familiarity with textile certifications and raw material supply chains, including standards like Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) and Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). Understanding the compliance and verification mechanisms of these frameworks offers invaluable insight into global luxury manufacturing. Furthermore, this position provides direct exposure to upcoming EU and UK textile legislation, including EPR and PPWR regulations, equipping the candidate with sharp regulatory literacy that is in high demand across the fashion sector.

The ideal candidate holds an academic degree in sustainability, environmental management, or a related discipline, or possesses equivalent early professional experience within sustainable retail. An earnest, demonstrated interest in conscious fashion design and ethical manufacturing is essential. Technically, the role requires strong quantitative ability and advanced Excel and data management skills. Candidates must be comfortable handling raw supply chain records, audit sheets, and material volumes with exceptional attention to detail. Strong written and interpersonal communication skills in English are essential, as is the capability to coordinate cross-functionally across design, product development, and diverse supplier networks while maintaining tight deadlines.

To stand out, highlight specific experience you have with environmental data collection, lifecycle concepts, or certification auditing. If you have previously utilized tools like Sedex, HIGG, or carbon management platforms, make sure these are prominently featured on your CV. Tailor your motivation letter by showing a clear appreciation for Margaret Howell’s distinctive aesthetic and production philosophy, which emphasizes craft, enduring quality, and European manufacturing. Demonstrating an awareness of the distinction between fast-fashion CSR and the realities of high-end, durable garment manufacturing will differentiate you. Prepare examples of how you have organized messy datasets or tackled tight deadlines, emphasizing your analytical rigor, precision, and proactive communication approach.

The position centers prominently on Scope 3 emissions reduction and material sustainability, reflecting where the largest environmental footprint of apparel brands resides. Managing material certifications helps verify lower-impact sourcing for wool, linen, and cotton. Another significant focus area is packaging and circular economy compliance, involving data collection for B2B and B2C packaging to satisfy Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mandates and reduce plastic consumption. The role also addresses the social pillar of ESG, focusing on human rights due diligence, supply chain traceability, living wages, and fair working environments within tier-1 and tier-2 manufacturing partners.

A primary challenge will be navigating supply chain data gaps and obtaining timely, verified responses from external manufacturers and vendors across Europe and Asia, which can require persistence and diplomatic stakeholder communication. Balancing multiple concurrent regulatory deadlines, ranging from climate target metrics to packaging reporting and ethical audits, can also test prioritization skills in a fast-paced retail calendar. Finally, translating technical sustainability requirements into practical guidance that busy creative teams in design and product development can easily adopt will require tact and patience.

A typical day could begin by reviewing inbound supplier certificates for organic or recycled textiles, validating them against existing purchase orders, and logging them in the central tracking system. Late morning might involve collaborating with the Sustainability Manager to extract energy and freight data, entering these figures into CarbonFact to evaluate quarterly carbon performance against SBTi milestones. In the afternoon, you might join a review with product and production teams to discuss upcoming packaging adjustments for PPWR compliance, followed by checking Sedex updates to verify corrective action plans submitted by garment factories.

This role is structured as an ideal launching pad into a specialized career in fashion sustainability and corporate responsibility. By working across both environmental and social pillars, you build a wide-ranging, versatile skill set. Over time, there could be opportunities to progress into a specialized Sustainability Specialist or Officer position, taking full ownership of carbon accounting, supplier engagement programs, or circular design projects. The cross-functional exposure to design, sourcing, and executive reporting offers high visibility within a respected, international fashion house, building a strong network and foundational credentials.

Internally, you will collaborate closely on a day-to-day basis with the Sustainability Manager, while coordinating directly with design, merchandising, and product development teams to ensure eco-design standards and certifications are met. You will also interface with internal logistics, retail operations, and factory teams at the brand's own North London production facility to collect operational and packaging figures. Externally, your primary contacts will include fabric mills, garment manufacturers, certification bodies, and audit providers, as well as external software partners and industry sustainability working groups.