Sustainability Lead, Product

Company Description
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, accessories, home, fragrances, and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps, among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. At Ralph Lauren, we unite and inspire the communities within our company as well as those in which we serve by amplifying voices and perspectives to create a culture of belonging, ensuring inclusion, and fairness for all. We foster a culture of inclusion through: Talent, Education & Communication, Employee Groups and Celebration.

Position Overview
Drive implementation of RL's product and materials sustainability strategy through actionable guidance, clear processes, and strong technical expertise. The Lead will collaborate closely with key internal partners including Innovation, Design, Product Development, Raw Materials, Traceability & Transparency (TNT), and Marketing, as well as external stakeholders. The Lead will also eventually manage ~1-2 direct reports. Direct experience in product sustainability and supply chain is strongly preferred.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:
•Strategy Implementation: Partner with key business units/leaders, manage cross-functional teams and establish clear processes to drive the implementation of RL's product and material sustainability strategy and initiatives and achieve public goals on sustainable key material sourcing
•Product Attributes & Certifications: Support improved adoption of environmentally preferred materials by:
•Establishing overarching frameworks and guidance on existing sustainable product attributes and third-party certifications/standards, and integrating new ones upon evaluation
•Leveraging technical expertise on product sustainability performance to engage product creation team in improving adoption of preferred materials
•Traceability, Transparency and Product Impact: Co-lead product impact-related workstreams within TNT governance structure, in support of regulatory compliance readiness strategy and product impact objectives.
•Manage relationships with LCA-related service provider(s), facilitating project execution, engaging cross functionally, providing subject matter expertise, and leveraging results to inform longer-term LCA at scale approach
•Coordinate workstreams to identify and close product environmental impact data gaps
•Education & Engagement: Enable product and material sustainability education and engagement with key stakeholders by:
•Helping prepare for and lead internal forums and trainings to share insights, case studies, best practices and resources/expertise, especially in the areas of product life cycle assessment and sustainability performance
•Communicating effectively to build the business case for product specific sustainability initiatives and performance improvement
•Innovation & Emerging Issues: Oversee environmental impact review of new product technologies and innovations and provide strategic recommendations to Product Innovation and Raw Materials Studio teams
•Tracking and analyze relevant emerging issues including micro/nano fiber generation, leather supply chain traceability and deforestation verification, regenerative agriculture and sourcing strategies that protect and preserve biodiversity

Experience, Skills & Knowledge
Skills and Experience:
•Demonstrated ability managing product environmental or corporate responsibility-related programs in the supply chain; apparel industry, raw material, supply chain or product sustainability experience preferred
•Experience with product life cycle assessment tools and the application of life cycle analysis to business decision-making; proven ability to assess potential environmental impacts of materials, processes, etc.
•Advanced MS Excel skills in combining and analyzing data from various sources, and generating reports and graphics to help drive decision-making
•Previous engagement with the Textile Exchange, SAC, or comparable industry groups and knowledge or prior experience with SAC's Materials Sustainability Index or similar tools