About the PRI

The PRI is the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment. It works to understand the investment implications of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and to support its international network of investor signatories in incorporating these factors into their investment and ownership decisions.

The PRI’s three distinct capabilities relate to the core elements of the PRI’s approach to achieving a sustainable financial system.

• Translate RI (Responsible Investment) thought leadership into insights and practical support that is tailored to what signatories need to progress their RI practice

• Convene our vast network to create opportunities for collaborative action

• Harness our global scale to influence policymakers and regulators to effect system change 

Job Description

This is an opportunity to work on Advance, the PRI collaborative stewardship initiative focused on human rights and social issues, with a specific remit to deliver the Apparel and Footwear Pilot Project. Join a global and motivated Stewardship team that works to deliver substantial real change in our global economy, society and the environment.

The Apparel and Footwear Pilot Project will, in its first phase, develop technical stewardship guidance to help investors adopt a more holistic approach to stewardship across the sector. This guidance will integrate climate, nature, and human rights-related risks and opportunities to support a just transition in the industry. In its second phase, the project will aim to catalyse investor action based on the recommendations of the technical guidance, promoting coordinated and holistic stewardship practices and fostering collaboration with existing apparel and footwear stewardship initiatives where relevant.

This position sits within the PRI’s Stewardship Initiatives team, which is responsible for facilitating collaborative investor engagement activities on key environmental, social and governance issues.

Stewardship is one of the most powerful mechanisms by which investors and their agents can contribute to the achievement of the PRI’s mission: the creation of a sustainable financial system which benefits the environment and society as a whole. The role is an exciting opportunity to contribute to work that will encourage and enable PRI signatories to fully realise the potential of stewardship to drive real-world outcomes in the apparel and footwear sector.

The apparel and footwear industry is deeply linked to climate change, nature loss and systemic human rights risks. Through this pilot, PRI will strengthen investor action in this sector, supporting signatories to engage effectively and consistently on interconnected sustainability challenges across value chains.

The role will sit within the Advance team, focusing primarily on the design and day-to-day delivery of this pilot. This includes working with experts and consultants to translating technical knowledge into practical tools and stewardship guidance for investors, building investor capacity, and coordinating company and/or sector engagement.  The position will suit someone with experience in stewardship focused on the apparel and footwear sector or working on sustainability issues in the sector. It will appeal to candidates who are comfortable working independently, managing multiple workstreams, and engaging with diverse stakeholders to turn complex issues into practical investor action.

The role will report into the Head of Stewardship, Human Rights and Social Issues who oversees Advance and this pilot.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the Apparel and Footwear Pilot Project within the PRI’s Stewardship Initiatives team, ensuring effective design, delivery, and impact across its phases.

• Oversee the development of technical stewardship guidance for investors, working with subject-matter experts and consultants to translate technical insights into practical tools and recommendations.

• Foster collaboration across PRI initiatives and with PRI issues teams to ensure consistency and coherence between the Apparel and Footwear Pilot and other stewardship, climate, nature, and human rights workstreams.

• Engage with external stakeholders, including civil society, rightsholders, and sector experts, to strengthen investor understanding of interconnected sustainability challenges in the sector and to promote meaningful dialogue.

• Contribute to knowledge sharing and visibility of the pilot through webinars, publications, and events, representing the PRI and the Advance initiative at external engagements.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with investors, supporting capacity-building and peer learning in alignment with the objectives of the pilot.

• Coordinate and support investor engagement activities with companies in the apparel and footwear sector and/or with the sector, facilitating collaborative and effective stewardship action.

• Convene and facilitate regular investor group meetings and calls, tracking progress against engagement objectives, sharing insights, and identifying opportunities for alignment with other initiatives.

• Support reporting and evaluation of the pilot’s outcomes, helping to shape the next phase of investor action and broader PRI stewardship strategy.

• Speak publicly at events, both digital and in person, on the PRI Pilot Project on Apparel and Footwear and on stewardship and the PRI’s work where relevant.

Person Specification

• Demonstrated subject matter expertise on sustainability issues across the apparel and footwear sector, in particular around climate, nature and human rights and strong knowledge of stewardship as relevant to the initiatives that are supported by the PRI.

• Recognised by colleagues, signatories and stakeholders for depth and breadth of specialist knowledge on stewardship and/or sustainability issues across the apparel and footwear sector, in particular around climate, nature and human rights. Adds value by sharing specialist knowledge and insights in a professional and objective manner. 

• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills. Ability to identify trends (and risks) and solve problems in a structured and rigorous way with a view of implementing improvements.

• Proactive approach to keeping up to date with the latest science and research on sustainability issues across the apparel and footwear sector, in particular around climate, nature and human rights. Ability to apply knowledge and analysis to identify issues, communicate fact-based insights and develop and evaluate tailored capacity-building and engagement strategies.

• Ability to translate specialist information and providing technical expertise in a clear and understandable format.

• A collaborative and consultative approach to working with others & committed to fostering an inclusive environment. An ability to find consensus among differing perspectives and identifying mutually beneficial solutions.

• Good written communication and verbal presentation skills and quick to respond to queries. Strong public speaking skills with ability to give presentations and lead meetings with senior stakeholders.

• Excellent networking, influencing and interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong and constructive relationships in different circumstances (remote/in-person or internal/external) with a clear understanding of what drives people and how to achieve optimal outcomes.

• Ability to engage investor participants using their language, tailoring communication style for this audience. Ensuring that engagement asks to companies are framed in actionable and constructive terms.

• Ability to clarify matters by absorbing and understanding relevant information and feeding them back in concise terms. Using effective listening and questioning to enhance understanding of complex issues.

• Very good programme management skills, with experience in delivering complex projects successfully, including directing others that may not be your direct reports.

• A strong sense of execution and delivery, working to agreed deadlines, involving relevant colleagues and allowing enough time for review and quality assurance.

• Ability to capture knowledge at the end of each project/ process/activity, to use and share.

• Effectively captures and structures complex, ill-defined or vague problems and is comfortable handling uncertainty (in own work and that of team members). Offers appropriate guidance or recommendations, including considering examples outside of the PRI.

We particularly welcome candidates from under-represented groups, including Black, Asian, and other People of Colour, those with visible or non-visible disabilities, LGBTQ+ candidates and those who are neurodivergent.

N.B. We reserve the right to close a vacancy before the closing date in the event of an overwhelming response or a change in business priorities.