Role: Product Traceability Lead

Purpose of role: To plan, own, manage and deliver our global product traceability project and transition to business as usual across Primark's international sourcing countries

Reports to: Director of Sourcing

Location: Reading or Dublin

Key Responsibilities:

To provide hands on leadership to the end to end delivery of our traceability project

Design, build & develop your teams' structure and individual capability to ensure the tool is successfully embedded in all regions and providing the product transparency we are looking for.

Work closely with the ethical trade, wider sourcing and sustainability teams to ensure the traceability tool is fit for its strategic purpose and meets their functional requirements.

In the first instance, you will develop the business case and measure project outcomes against it and on an ongoing basis you will ensure your programme of work / function delivers the objectives and company benefits on a business as usual basis.

During the implementation of the project, you will be required to be a key member of the implementation team resuming a key role in decision making and being our subject matter expert on supplier management & product traceability and transparency.

Working with the wider Primark team to manage our suppliers as they commence their traceability journey with us

Working with the change management team to create the change management plan

Build on the existing relationship with the selected platform vendor and develop it into a strong, trusted partnership

Work with key stakeholders to develop the data validation approach. You will develop comprehensive plans for this project and provide analytical and modelling support to develop and validate solutions

You will be a key decision maker for the business roll-out programme and the design of the new Traceability tool within Primark

Produce regular reporting on progress top plan, risks and issues logs.

To ensure all agreed KPI's are measured and achieved

To ensure appropriate resources are allocated in a timely manner including from external partners & vendors

To ensure progress is made to plan and adjustments made whenever necessary

To ensure budgets are properly monitored and managed

Oversee the recruitment of your in-country teams and establish your operational capabilities in several different geographical locations.

Work with & gain buy-in from the wider business functions to ensure understanding, acceptance & use of the traceability tool.

The ideal individual will be:

A highly experienced and effective business leader, with a demonstrable track record of personal

performance and achievement on large strategic projects, in both domestic and international settings

Pragmatic, practical and results driven.

Able to deliver in the face of varied and frequent challenges

Experienced in working in a retail commercial, sourcing, sustainability or ethical trade function and have experience working across markets.

Proven to have delivered large change projects through to benefits realisation

Good end to end sourcing awareness and understanding and a solid grounding in sourcing, sustainability or ethical trade functions

The individual should be self-motivated, focussed and results orientated, with the ability to operate within a highly pressurised and fast paced environment, consistently delivering results and achieving corporate objectives on time and within the agreed parameters.

Core Skills

A minimum of 5 years retail commercial, sourcing, vendor management, sustainability or ethical trade management experience

Proven in project delivery & ownership

Demonstrating a track record of senior stakeholder management, and comfortable receiving challenges from board level due to the sensitivity and importance of this strategic initiative to Primark

Excellent organisational, prioritisation and time management skills

Excellent problem solving, strategic thinking and planning skills

Relationship builder both internally and externally with strong influencing skills

Experience of working in a fast-paced sourcing or ethical trade environment

Be a strong people leader, ideally experienced at leading teams across different countries and cultures

Cultural awareness and sensitivity

Able to work away with potentially substantial international travel required

Strong administrative skills

Effective communicator - 2nd language skills a benefit