Ethical Social and Governance Manager

This is an exceptional role, responsible for leading The Boots Group's ethical compliance function. This pivotal and business critical role within the Global Sourcing function will be responsible for leading the Ethical and Social Governance strategy for TBG, ensuring that our global supplier base is compliant with our ethical sourcing practices.

Purpose of the Role

Ensure that The Boots Group suppliers conform to the group's Ethical and Social Governance Code of Conduct, and continually evolve social policies and standards across the organisation.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the thinking for the TBG policies for social responsibility; ensuring that this is consistent with industry best practice in ethical trade, human rights, and responsible sourcing.
• Manage the delivery of the Ethical Sourcing programme for The Boots Group suppliers, including supplier audits and assessments.
• Ensure up-to-date knowledge of international ethical trade and human rights standards and best practice, ensuring TBG policies are updated following evolving global regulations and standards.
• Integrate ESG principles into business operations.
• Monitor supply chain compliance, identify risks, agree corrective actions, and quickly escalate nonconformities to senior management on risk and recommended actions.
• Share all Ethical and social updates with the business.
• Partner with the Supplier Assessment team, lead supplier engagement, and onboarding to ensure that all suppliers are compliant with TBG quality, ethical and social standards.
• Conduct supply chain risk assessments including on-site visits, review ethical audit reports, supplier risk scores, and action plans to ensure they meet relevant standards.
• Manage audit CAP, ensuring adherence to committed closure and promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
• Support the supplier assessment team with GMP assessments.
• Support delivery of the NPD programme, through swift delivery of the supplier onboarding process.
• Provide transparency to the business of supply chain risks, performance on audits and schedule adherence; through monthly local, regional and global Indicators.
• Develop relationships with 3rd party experts, regulators, industry groups, and external partners.
• Develop guidelines and provide training to raise awareness and understanding of ethical and social governance goals across the organisation.

What you’ll need to have (our must-haves)

• Coming from a retail, operations, or manufacturing background, you must be able to demonstrate substantial experience and knowledge of global Ethical and Social Governance best practice and regulations.
• Proven experience of leading the creation, development and implementation of Ethical and Social Governance strategies, policies, and frameworks tailored to the organization’s objectives and industry.
• Proven experience of working with a global supplier base, across several tiers of the supply chain.
• Can demonstrate experience of working with colleagues in other global regions.
• Extensive experience of working with 3rd party audit bodies to support delivery of Ethical and Social Governance programmes.
• Must be an excellent communicator, written and verbal; and able to engage and influence with all levels of stakeholders, including executive board members.
• A thorough understanding of GMP principles and requirements, and managing assessments.
• An energetic, calm and authoritative presence; with excellent attention to detail.
• Personal integrity is a must.

Rewards designed for you

• Boots Retirement Savings Plan.
• Discretionary annual bonus.
• Generous employee discounts.
• Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption leave pay and gift card for anyone expecting or adopting a child.
• Flexible benefits scheme including option to buy additional holiday, discounted gym membership, life assurance, activity passes and much more.
• Access to free, 24/7 counselling and support through TELUS Health, our Employee Assistance Programme.

There’s lots more in our benefits and discounts, MyBoosts - there to give you that little lift in your everyday.

About The Boots Group

The Boots Group is a trusted leader in healthcare, pharmacy and retail, operating across 11 countries - including the UK, Ireland, Thailand and Mexico. The Boots Group brands - including Boots, Boots Opticians, No7 Beauty Company, Farmacias Benavides and Alliance Healthcare - are trusted and well recognised healthcare and beauty businesses, serving millions of customers and patients every day in communities around the world. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, passionate about embracing the diversity of our colleagues and providing a positive and inclusive working environment for all.

What’s next

If you apply, our team will be in touch to let you know the outcome of your application or to arrange next steps. Where a role is advertised as full-time, we are open to discussing part-time and job share options during the application process. If you require additional support as part of the application and interview process, we are happy to provide reasonable adjustments to help you to be at your best. We hope to hear from you soon.