Location Netherlands
Job-type Permanent
Salary €Competitive
Reference 19301

Acre is supporting GRI in the recruitment of a Senior Standards Officer to work either hybrid from Amsterdam or remotely (+/-2 hours CET) with the team based in Amsterdam.

GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) is an independent, international organization that helps organizations with transparency. They do this through the creation of a global common language for organizations to report their sustainability impacts. This enables informed dialogue and decision-making around those impacts.

The Role:

GRI is seeking a senior standards officer to contribute to the development of their leading Standards for reporting sustainability impacts. This position provides an exciting opportunity to join a fast-growing international organization in the field of sustainability reporting, working directly with stakeholders from businesses, civil society, and inter-governmental organizations.

In this role, you will support the development of GRI Topic or Sector Standards. GRI has an ambitious work program for the Standards Division. Alongside the development of new Topic Standards, there are over 30 Topics Standards which need regular maintenance to remain relevant. Additionally, Sector Standards for approximately 40 sectors will be developed in the coming years. This year there are immediate sector projects commencing on textiles and apparel, banking, insurance, and capital markets.

Regardless of the topic or sector, you will have the opportunity to be involved with a wide range of sustainability issues, such as human rights, climate change, biodiversity, and local community impacts. The role requires constant on-the-job learning and will provide opportunities to build knowledge about the GRI Standards, the process of standards development, and the sustainable development topics organizations engage with and manage.

What will your typical day look like?

You will support the development of GRI Topic and or Sector Standards. This will include researching the relevant sector and sustainable development topics, coordinating and facilitating expert technical groups and other stakeholder processes, analyzing and interpreting expert and stakeholder feedback, setting up systems to track the progress of projects, and collaborating with internal stakeholders on various project outcomes.

Reporting to the relevant Standards Manager, you will support the progress of the project, including stewarding the development of the standard's content across various topics.

Responsibilities Include:

  • Be a subject matter expert on the GRI Standards

  • Provide project management support, including coordinating the activities of the expert technical group by coordinating meeting schedules, preparing meeting agendas and materials, and collating key outcomes

  • Present on sustainable development topics and research findings, and facilitate discussions with experts and stakeholders to identify the content that should be recommended for inclusion in the Sector/Topic Standard

  • Develop key engagement tools for various expert and stakeholder engagement processes

  • Analyze qualitative feedback from consultations, including compiling and organizing feedback, synthesizing and interpreting large amounts of technical input, researching and proposing solutions to address the feedback, and presenting findings for specific audiences

  • Develop high-quality written materials, including presentations, briefing documents, departmental documents, and program proposals

  • Represents GRI at external and internal events related to the GRI Standards

Who are you?

You are an ambitious professional who has worked in an environment that has given you an understanding of sustainability reporting or how organizations manage sustainable development issues.

You will be organized, detail-orientated, and able to work independently as needed, balancing and prioritizing multiple tasks. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are a must, and experience working in stakeholder engagement processes and writing technical content will be an advantage.

Key Competencies/Requirements:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English

  • Minimum 4 years experience working on multi-faceted projects involving research and analysis of complex issues

  • Experience or expertise in one or more sustainable development topics

  • An understanding of the GRI Standards, sustainability reporting or experience developing standards, management systems or performance indicators will be an advantage

  • Strong logical thinking skills and the ability to synthesize qualitative information, including competing views, to develop a recommendation

  • Experience working with Office 365 and online tools such as MS Teams, Zoom or Miro

  • Ability to work and collaborate in remote, international, and multicultural teams

  • An affinity with the mission and vision of GRI

GRI Offers:

  • Hybrid work or remote arrangement (within +/- 2 hours CET)

  • Access to coworking office spaces globally

  • 36 (or extra leave) vacation days per calendar year to a maximum of 43 days paid time off including local public holidays

  • Pension contribution of 8% gross yearly salary and €70 per month healthcare contribution, or according to local labor legislation

  • Free access to the GRI Academy, the possibility to become a GRI-certified sustainability professional, and other personal development platforms; learning, development, and well-being platforms

About GRI:

GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) is an independent, international organization that helps organizations be transparent and take responsibility for their impacts so that together we can create a sustainable future. GRI does this through the creation of a global common language for organizations to report their sustainability impacts. This enables informed dialogue and decision-making around those impacts.

GRI is the global standard setter for impact reporting, which through an independent, multi-stakeholder process, maintains the world's most comprehensive set of sustainability reporting standards. Available as a free public good in 11 languages, the GRI Standards are, globally, the most widely used for sustainability reporting.

More than 10,000 organizations, including 78% of the largest 250 companies in the world, disclose sustainability information through the GRI Standards - something unimaginable when GRI was first established 25 years ago. In addition, GRI's standards are referenced explicitly in 160 policies of governments, regulators, and stock exchanges in 60 countries.

ACRE is supporting GRI in the hiring for this role. To apply, please note that only applications directly through Acre's website/link will be considered. If you have any questions, please contact Declan Murphy at declan.murphy@acre.com.