ACE Village Commercial Director

Location: London (international travel required, including Pakistan and India).

Pilio UK jointly with SAMA Verte, Pakistan have developed a pioneering sustainability programme for the fashion and textile industry to address its climate, biodiversity, and social challenges. We have developed innovative, sustainable finance solutions to channel investment into natural fibre landscapes in order to reduce carbon emissions, restore ecosystems and foster socio-economic resilience.

Our flagship initiative, ACE Village (Affordable Clean Environment) Programme, is a sustainability insetting solution designed to enable fashion brands to achieve carbon, biodiversity, and social impacts within their cotton supply chains. By integrating clean energy (e.g., solar microgrids, irrigation), nature enhancement, and community empowerment, ACE Village creates a scalable model for brands to meet Climate+ 2030 goals and beyond.

ACE Village has been supported by grants from Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst Competition to develop and test the solution in Pakistan. ACE Village now is ready to go to market.

We are seeking a Commercial Director to lead the commercialisation of ACE Village, driving adoption by fashion and textile brands, signing-up and managing brand participation, and scaling its impact globally, with an initial focus on cotton supply chains.

Role Overview

The Commercial Director will work closely with the CEO to develop and execute a business strategy that positions ACE Village as a market-leading insetting solution for fashion brands. This role will focus on commercialising ACE Village for cotton supply chains, building strategic partnerships, signing up and managing the delivery of participating brands, aligning insetting with relevant regulations, standards, and certifications, securing funding, and ensuring the solution delivers measurable carbon, biodiversity, and social impacts. The successful candidate will combine commercial expertise, sustainability knowledge, and a passion for systemic change to drive market adoption and global scalability. This role will eventually grow into other commercial opportunities being incubated by Pilio. The ideal candidate will be expected to build this practice and over time, encouraged to build related and ancillary practices on the back of the ACE Village programme.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercialisation of ACE Village: Develop the business model: Refine the financial and commercial framework for ACE Village to enable fashion brands to invest in carbon-reductions, biodiversity-positive, and socially impactful cotton supply chains.
• Market research and strategy: Analyse brand needs, market opportunities, barriers, competition, local contexts (e.g., Pakistan and India), regulations, and certifications to inform a robust go-to-market strategy. Identify drivers for brands to adopt ACE Village to meet Climate+ 2030 and net-zero goals.
• Pilot project leadership: Oversee the commercial aspects of the £1 million, 2-year Innovate UK Energy Catalyst pilot, signing up and managing the delivery of fashion and textile brands participating in the ACE Village programme to ensure alignment with their sustainability goals and seamless integration into supply chains.
• New demand development: Build and nurture commercial relationships with fashion & textile brands to develop a portfolio of at least 5 brands in 2025.
• Funding and Investment: Secure funding: Identify and attract funding from foundations, institutions, corporates, impact investors, and renewable/carbon markets to scale ACE Village. Develop collaborative financing models that bring together diverse players to accelerate clean energy and regenerative agriculture in cotton-growing communities.
• Market innovation: Explore emerging carbon and biodiversity credit markets to enhance the financial viability of ACE Village, ensuring brands see clear ROI alongside impact, while aligning with relevant certification standards.
• Market research: Continuously monitor market trends, brand sustainability priorities, regulatory changes, and competitive landscapes to refine the ACE Village strategy.
• Customer acquisition: Secure commitments from fashion brands to adopt ACE Village, building long-term commercial partnerships.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Work with our R&D, sustainability, and product teams, as well as external stakeholders, to deliver commercial objectives.

Skills and Competencies

• Commercial expertise: Proven track record in commercialising innovative business models, ideally in sustainable finance, carbon markets, or supply chain sustainability.
• Financial acumen: Expertise in developing financial models, securing funding, and navigating investment landscapes (e.g., impact investing, carbon/renewable markets).
• Sustainability knowledge: Strong understanding of carbon mitigation and adaptation frameworks, biodiversity frameworks, social impact metrics, and relevant regulations, standards, and certifications (e.g., EU legislation, sustainable cotton standards, ISO standards, carbon accounting protocols), with familiarity in fashion industry supply chains.
• Analytical thinking: Ability to analyse complex market data, regulatory requirements, and certification standards to build evidence-based strategies.
• Interpersonal skills: Exceptional relationship-building and stakeholder management, with the ability to engage diverse groups (e.g., brands, farmers, investors) and manage brand participation.
• Decision-making: Confidence in making strategic and operational decisions in a dynamic, innovative environment.
• Sustainability passion: Strong commitment to driving systemic change in climate, biodiversity, and social equity.
• Project management: Experience leading multi-stakeholder projects with clear commercial and impact outcomes, ensuring regulatory and certification compliance.

Qualifications and Experience

• Essential: 10+ years of experience in commercial roles, with at least 3 years in sustainability, carbon markets, renewable energy, or supply chain solutions. A go-getter personality, proactive, a drive to excel and build a solid new company with this pathbreaking solution. Demonstrated success in commercialising innovative sustainability solutions. Experience building partnerships with corporates and impact investors. Knowledge of carbon mitigation, clean energy, biodiversity and social impact interventions, as well as understanding of relevant regulations and certifications. Experience in the fashion or textile industry, particularly with natural fibre supply chains (e.g., cotton and wool). Existing network in sustainability, fashion, or impact investing sectors. Familiarity with South Asian fibre production markets (e.g., Pakistan, India).

Remuneration

Market-based pay commensurate with the stage of the company and this endeavour.