Innovation Manager - Decarbonisation (Maternity Cover)

Fashion for Good is seeking an Innovation Manager who, together with their team, will be responsible for driving decarbonisation initiatives and the strategy for scaling processing solutions focused on tier 2 across the fashion supply chain. Reporting to the Innovation Platform Director - Scaling, the Innovation Manager will spearhead cross-functional initiatives, manage key partnerships, and oversee a team dedicated to enabling a transition toward low-carbon operations across Fashion for Good's network of innovators, brands, manufacturers, and ecosystem stakeholders.

The Innovation Manager will support mature innovators in the processing space, developing roadmaps to scale that encompass fundraising, technology validation, and strategic supplier and partner engagement. Beyond innovator support, the role carries direct delivery responsibility for the Scaling team's flagship initiative, Future Forward Factories. This includes guiding the team on blueprint development, advising on the retrofitting of existing facilities with new technologies, and leading strategy development for demonstrator facilities. The candidate will take strategic ownership of demonstrator financing – structuring financing approaches and driving this work forward – alongside active relationship management across innovators, brands, manufacturers, financiers and ecosystem partners.

The Innovation Manager also leads the associates and analysts within the team, providing day-to-day guidance and ensuring coherent execution across workstreams.

As part of this, the role is responsible for the following areas:

Key Responsibilities

Crafting and driving industry solutions that embed processing innovations in the industry at large

• Demonstrate ability to think strategically and support key innovators with their roadmap to implementation, including identifying and connecting key suppliers, support with business models, impact, and fundraising, including reviewing investment decks and supporting external investors with due diligence.
• Demonstration and tracking of KPIs; advancing key impact and progress visualisations such as funnel and metrics dashboard.
• Develop best practices and toolboxes to further drive implementation, including off-take agreements, innovator deep dives on business models, and project financing.
• Drive emerging thought-leadership opportunities.
• Support business development and partner retention through Innovation Platform strategy and new idea generation and execution.
• Play a bridging function between FFG innovators, partners, investors and financiers, and NGOs, and build and maintain an active innovator alumni network alongside the programme associate.

Driving Industry Adoption of Processing Innovations

• Craft and drive industry solutions that embed processing innovations, including decarbonisation, renewable energy, and enabling technologies, across the supply chain at large.
• Support mature FFG innovators in the processing space using the due diligence framework, evaluating technology readiness, market traction, impact, financial health and business models.
• Develop and maintain deep knowledge of implementation challenges specific to Processing focus areas.
• Build roadmaps to scale for key innovators, covering fundraising, marketing, technology validation, and strategic supplier engagement.

Cross-Sector Initiatives & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and manage networks with brand, retail and manufacturing partners to understand real-world supply chain implementation challenges.
• Establish and manage relationships with technology and research institutions globally, including academia, multi-stakeholder organisations, governments and incubators.
• Where relevant, act as Fashion for Good’s topical expert and maintain dialogue with relevant experts in Fashion for Good’s brand, retailing and manufacturing partners.

Team Leadership

• Manage innovation associates, analysts and interns by supporting them in managing various scaling activities.
• Be responsible for their personal development and training as well as the bi-annual evaluation process.
• Manage communication and collaborations with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate has a relevant track record and combines strong interpersonal skills with a self-starting, proactive attitude. The following qualifications are essential:

Essential Experience & Education

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability, Engineering, Renewable Energy, Business, Economics, or related fields. Advanced degrees (MBA, MSc) in these areas are a plus.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 7+ years of experience in decarbonisation, renewable energy, supply chain transformation, or technology innovation.
• Experience in the apparel and footwear industry or manufacturing supply chains is strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with renewable energy markets, low-carbon processing technologies, and energy financing models is a significant advantage.
• Structured, strong project management and organisational skills, with the ability to handle multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to represent the organisation effectively to external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience managing individuals or a team.
• Capacity to adapt to different and complex work environments, easily navigating change as well as different cultures and organisational settings.
• An ability to think strategically and then proactively execute and mobilise large organisations to achieve the goals set out.
• A true passion to make a difference and enact change.

Languages

Proficiency in English is a requirement.