Environmental Expert

**About ZDHC**

The ZDHC Foundation oversees the implementation of the Roadmap to Zero Programme and is a global industry collaboration within the sports, fashion, luxury and outdoor industries. The ZDHC vision is widespread implementation of sustainable chemistry, driving innovations and best practices in the têxtile, apparel, leather and footwear industries to protect consumers, workers and the environment. Through collaborative engagement, standard-setting, and large-scale implementation, ZDHC advances the industry towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals. ZDHC takes a holistic approach to sustainable chemical management and enables tangible progress in the wider industry through the delivery of guidelines, platforms and solutions, including capacity building and innovation projects.

**Job Purpose**

The ZDHC Foundation is seeking an experienced (10+ years) result-oriented Environmental Expert to drive the strategy and activities in the Water Stewardship Competence Centre and related water impact area of the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme. The Subject Matter Expert will provide technical expertise within the Water Stewardship Competence Centre and support other Competence Centres, such as Air and Fibres & Materials, within the ZDHC MRSL Sustainable Chemical Management Framework. Scientific research on current best practices and innovations in water stewardship and wastewater management related to the value chain within the têxtile and footwear fashion industry and structurally collecting feedback from internal and external stakeholders is crucial in this role. This research will link to the ZDHC Roadmap to Zero Programme guidelines and solutions for continuous improvement.

**Key Roles and Responsibilities**
- Lead the Water Stewardship Competence Centre and provide technical expertise and technical advice on all wastewater, waste disposal and water use related matters, with a focus on the têxtile, leather and footwear industry.
- Own, develop, maintain and update the existing ZDHC guidelines related to water impact areas in close coordination with Sustainable Chemical Management Competence Centre, Roadmap to Zero Delivery Manager, Technical Writer and Quality Management.
- Develop and maintain science-based project impact metrics that integrate with the overall ZDHC Roadmap to Zero 2030 strategy.
- Keep up to date on the latest developments related to environmental engineering, water stewardship and wastewater management and maintain the industry best practices library.
- Together with Quality Management, create processes for the updates of the guidelines and document the work.
- Support the Technical Writer in Knowledge Base article writing for the ZDHC community to get guidance on Roadmap to Zero Programme processes and guidelines and frequently asked questions.
- Work with ZDHC Contributor Task Teams, Advisory Groups and Wastewater Council for their inputs on the content and managing timelines for continuous improvement of wastewater guidelines and supporting documents.
- Analyse and follow up with feedback given by the ZDHC community (internal and external).
- Conduct research on innovations in water stewardship in machinery, sustainable chemistry and process technologies for water usage optimisation and wastewater treatment in têxtile and leather processing.
- Support with technical expertise in the development of tools (such as Resource Efficiency Module) and global implementation projects of funding agencies, as well as Quality Team in managing the Laboratories/Certifiers acceptance and update process.
- Build case studies on water conservation methodologies in the industry, waste-to-wealth projects and wastewater impacts on biodiversity.
- Provide technical support to the ZDHC Academy in the development of training modules related to the water impact area.

**Required Skills**:

- 10+ years experience in environmental engineering activities related to têxtile, leather, footwear or similar production.
- Bachelor's or Master’s degree in science, chemical, civil, têxtile or environmental engineering or equivalent with specific experience and/or education related to the management of wastewater, sludge disposal, and water use in the têxtile, leather, or footwear industry.
- Additional accredited courses in water & environmental science/ wastewater management/ treatment.
- Knowledge of water pollution and wastewater treatment technologies.
- Knowledge and experience of working with multinational brand/supply chain collaborations and partnerships.
- Working knowledge of laboratory testing methods and analytical equipment.
- Awareness of the water industry, particularly water companies, and health and safety regulations.
- Exposure to working in têxtile or leather processing operations.
- Written and verbal skills to communicate specialist information to stakeholders and businesses.
- Interpersonal skills for liaising with customers, regulatory and health bodies, and other internal and