Head of CSR Manager

Role Purpose & Context

Role Summary

The Head of CSR Manager is here to lead our social impact programmes, making sure we're not just talking the talk but actually walking it. You'll be taking our overall CSR strategy and turning it into actionable plans, getting your team to deliver real change on the ground. This role sits right at the heart of our commitment to being a responsible business, linking what we say we'll do with what we actually achieve. You'll work at the intersection of our corporate values and operational reality, translating big-picture goals into concrete initiatives that our employees and communities will see and feel. When this role is done well, our social impact programmes will be genuinely effective, our reputation will be strong, and our employees will feel proud of where they work. When it's not, we risk being accused of greenwashing, losing employee trust, and failing to meet critical external expectations. The challenge, honestly, is balancing ambitious goals with the practicalities of budget, resources, and sometimes, internal resistance. The reward? Seeing your team's work make a tangible difference in people's lives and knowing you're building a more ethical, sustainable business.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Director of CSR & Sustainability
• Direct reports: Roughly 3-5 direct reports, including CSR Specialists and Programme Managers
• Matrix relationships: CSR Programme Lead, Sustainability Manager (Social Impact), Senior Manager, Corporate Responsibility,

Key Stakeholders

Internal:

• HR Leadership (for employee engagement and wellbeing programmes)
• Operations Directors (for supply chain and community impact)
• Marketing & Communications (for external reporting and brand narrative)
• Legal & Compliance (for regulatory adherence and risk management)
• Finance Department (for budget allocation and SROI analysis)
• Executive Leadership Team (for strategic alignment and buy-in)

External:

• NGO Partners and Community Organisations
• ESG Ratings Agencies (e.g., MSCI, Sustainalytics)
• Industry Bodies and Peer Networks
• Regulators and Policy Makers
• Investors and Shareholders
• Suppliers and Value Chain Partners

Organisational Impact

Scope: This role directly shapes our company's social impact, influencing our brand reputation, employee engagement, and our ability to attract and retain talent. You'll be accountable for ensuring our CSR programmes deliver on strategic objectives, contributing to our overall 'social license to operate' and mitigating reputational risks. Your work will directly affect how we're perceived by customers, employees, and investors, significantly impacting our long-term value.

Performance Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

1. Metric: ESG Rating Improvement (Social Pillar)
2. Desc: Our performance in key social metrics as assessed by major ESG ratings agencies.
3. Target: Achieve and maintain top-quartile performance in social scores (e.g., MSCI, Sustainalytics) within 18 months.
4. Freq: Annually, following rating agency updates.
5. Example: If our MSCI social score is currently 6.5, the target would be to reach 7.5+ by Q4 2025, demonstrating improved performance in areas like labour practices or community engagement.
6. Metric: Community Investment & Impact (SROI)
7. Desc: The quantified social and economic value generated by our community programmes, measured using SROI methodology.
8. Target: Demonstrate an SROI ratio of at least £3:£1 for all major community investment programmes.
9. Freq: Annually, for each major programme.
10. Example: A £100,000 investment in a local skills training programme should generate at least £300,000 in social value (e.g., increased employability, reduced welfare reliance).
11. Metric: Employee Engagement in CSR Programmes
12. Desc: The percentage of employees actively participating in volunteering, giving, or internal sustainability initiatives.
13. Target: Increase employee participation rates in core CSR programmes by 15% year-on-year.
14. Freq: Quarterly, via internal surveys and programme sign-up data.
15. Example: If 30% of employees volunteered last year, we'd aim for 34.5% this year, tracking participation in our Benevity platform.
16. Metric: Programme Budget Adherence
17. Desc: How closely programme spending aligns with approved budgets.
18. Target: Maintain programme spending within a 5% variance of the approved annual budget.
19. Freq: Monthly, through financial reporting.
20. Example: If a programme has an annual budget of £500,000, actual spend should be between £475,000 and £525,000, with any significant deviations explained and approved.
21. Metric: Supplier Sustainability Performance
22. Desc: The average sustainability score of our critical suppliers, as assessed through platforms like EcoVadis.
23. Target: Improve the average EcoVadis score of our top 100 suppliers by 8% within 12 months.
24. Freq: Bi-annually, based on supplier re-assessments.
25. Example: If the average score for key suppliers is 55/100, the target would be to reach 59.4/100 by the next assessment cycle, showing progress in areas like labour conditions or environmental management.

Qualitative Metrics

1. Metric: Strategic Alignment & Influence
2. Desc: How well CSR initiatives are integrated into wider business strategy and how effectively you influence senior leaders.
3. Evidence: You're regularly invited to strategic planning meetings outside of your direct department. Your proposals for new programmes are often adopted and resourced. Senior leaders proactively seek your input on business decisions with social or ethical implications. Feedback from peers and your Director confirms your ability to shape strategic discussions and secure buy-in.
4. Metric: Team Leadership & Development
5. Desc: The effectiveness of your leadership in guiding, developing, and motivating your direct reports.
6. Evidence: Your team consistently meets or exceeds programme objectives. Direct reports report high levels of job satisfaction and professional growth in their annual reviews. You're seen as a fair and supportive manager who provides clear direction and constructive feedback. There's a low voluntary turnover rate within your team, and you're actively mentoring individuals towards their next career steps.
7. Metric: Stakeholder Trust & Engagement
8. Desc: The quality of relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, building trust and fostering collaboration.
9. Evidence: External partners (NGOs, community groups) speak positively about our collaboration and responsiveness. Internal teams (e.g., HR, Operations) see you as a trusted partner, not just a 'CSR person'. You're able to resolve conflicts or navigate complex stakeholder demands effectively, maintaining positive relationships even when decisions are tough. You're often the first point of contact for complex ethical or social questions.
10. Metric: Reporting Quality & Transparency
11. Desc: The accuracy, completeness, and clarity of our internal and external CSR reporting.
12. Evidence: Our annual sustainability report receives positive feedback from investors and external reviewers for its transparency and adherence to frameworks like GRI or SASB. Internal dashboards provide clear, actionable insights for relevant teams. There are no significant restatements or corrections needed after reports are published, indicating robust data governance and review processes.
13. Metric: Innovation & Best Practice Adoption
14. Desc: Your ability to identify and implement new, effective approaches to CSR that keep us ahead of the curve.
15. Evidence: You regularly bring forward well-researched proposals for new programme ideas or improvements to existing ones. We're among the first in our industry to adopt emerging best practices (e.g., new SROI methodologies, advanced supplier engagement tools). You're actively participating in industry forums, bringing back insights that translate into tangible improvements for our programmes.

Primary Traits

• Trait: Influential (Pragmatic Diplomat)
• Manifestation: You're the person who can get the Head of Operations to genuinely care about waste reduction targets, not just because you asked, but because you showed them the business case. You'll build compelling arguments that link CSR initiatives to tangible benefits like reduced risk, improved brand value, or even increased revenue. Navigating internal politics to secure budget and buy-in for those long-term, sometimes tricky, projects? That's your bread and butter. You'll often find yourself being the bridge between departments, getting everyone on the same page.
• Benefit: Honestly, CSR programmes touch every corner of the business – HR, Operations, Finance, Legal, you name it. Without the ability to influence your peers and, crucially, senior leadership, even the most brilliant strategy will just sit there, gathering dust. You've got to be able to make the Head of Finance understand why investing in a community programme makes commercial sense, not just ethical sense. Your ability to get things done without direct authority is absolutely critical here.
• Trait: Resilient (Thick-Skinned Idealist)
• Manifestation: Expect to bounce back after a really promising initiative gets de-funded during a budget cut. You'll calmly address those cynical questions from colleagues who still think CSR is 'fluffy' or a 'nice-to-have'. You'll persist for months, sometimes even years, to get a complex, cross-functional project off the ground, even when it feels like you're pushing water uphill. You don't give up just because it's hard or because you've heard 'no' a few times.
• Benefit: Truth is, this role is a marathon, not a sprint. Progress in CSR is often incremental, and you'll frequently face skepticism, resource constraints, or competing priorities. If you're someone who needs instant gratification or gets easily disheartened by setbacks, you'll burn out quickly. A lack of resilience here doesn't just affect you; it makes the entire function ineffective because you won't be able to drive the long-term changes we need.
• Trait: Empathetic (Multi-lingual Listener)
• Manifestation: You're genuinely good at understanding the concerns of a local community group who are worried about a new facility, even if their priorities clash with ours. You can translate complex investor ESG questions into clear, actionable data requests for the finance team. You recognise the immense pressures on a factory manager when you're asking them to implement a brand-new environmental programme, and you adjust your approach accordingly. You can put yourself in someone else's shoes, whether they're an activist, an executive, or a frontline employee.
• Benefit: The reality is, this job means speaking many different 'languages'. You'll be engaging with activists, investors, board members, and frontline employees – all with different perspectives and priorities. If you can't genuinely understand where they're coming from, you won't build the trust needed to bridge those often-conflicting worlds and find common ground. Without empathy, you'll struggle to get buy-in and your programmes won't resonate where they need to.

Supporting Traits

• Trait: Systems Thinker
• Desc: You naturally see the bigger picture, understanding how environmental actions impact social outcomes, or how supply chain decisions affect community relations. You connect the dots between seemingly disparate issues.
• Trait: Articulate
• Desc: You can simplify complex ESG topics, like 'double materiality' or 'Scope 3 emissions', into clear, concise explanations that a non-expert board audience can grasp quickly and act upon. You're a great communicator, both in writing and speaking.
• Trait: Pragmatic
• Desc: You know when to push for a gold-standard solution and when a 'good enough for now' approach is necessary to make progress. You're focused on impact and progress, not just perfection. You understand that sometimes, making a small step forward is better than waiting indefinitely for the perfect solution.
• Trait: Detail-Oriented (with a strategic lens)
• Desc: You're the one who catches the data inconsistency in the annual report before it goes to print, but you also understand why that detail matters in the broader strategic narrative. You care about accuracy, but you don't get lost in the weeds at the expense of the bigger picture.

Primary Motivators

1. Motivator: Making a Tangible Difference
2. Daily: You'll get a real buzz from seeing a community programme you designed actually improve lives, or knowing that a new policy you championed has reduced our environmental footprint. It's about seeing the 'why' behind your work every day.
3. Motivator: Solving Complex, Multi-faceted Problems
4. Daily: If you enjoy unpicking knotty issues that involve multiple stakeholders, conflicting priorities, and a mix of ethical, social, and business considerations, you'll love it here. Every day brings a new puzzle to solve.
5. Motivator: Building and Nurturing a High-Performing Team
6. Daily: You'll thrive on coaching your direct reports, helping them grow their skills, and seeing them succeed. Building a cohesive, motivated team that delivers impactful programmes will be a huge source of satisfaction.

Potential Demotivators

If you need every project you start to see completion exactly as planned, or if you get frustrated by the slow pace of organisational change, this might be a tough ride. You'll often be pushing against the status quo, and that can be exhausting if you're not prepared for it. Expect to spend a fair bit of time on internal advocacy, which isn't always glamorous.

Common Frustrations

1. The Data Scavenger Hunt: Spending 50% of your time chasing down inconsistent, poorly-tracked data from 15 different departments, only to have to manually clean it in Excel before it's usable for the annual report. It's like being a detective, but with spreadsheets.
2. "Philanthropy as Strategy": Constantly re-explaining to senior leaders that writing a check to a charity, while good, isn't a substitute for embedding sustainable practices into the core business strategy. It's not just about giving money; it's about how we make it.
3. Budget Whiplash: Being celebrated as a strategic priority in the all-hands meeting, then being the first function to have its budget cut by 30% at the first sign of a market downturn. It can feel like a rollercoaster.
4. The "Tick-the-Box" Mentality: Fighting the perception that your job is simply to fill out surveys and produce a glossy annual report, rather than drive genuine operational and cultural change. Getting people to see beyond compliance is a constant battle.
5. The Ratings Black Box: Receiving a downgraded score from an ESG rating agency based on outdated information or a flawed methodology, then spending weeks trying to get them to correct the record. It's frustrating when your hard work isn't accurately reflected.
6. Commitment-Resource Gap: The immense pressure to match a competitor's bold public commitment (e.g., "Net Zero by 2040") without receiving the corresponding headcount, budget, or executive mandate to actually achieve it. It's tough to deliver without the right tools.

What Role Doesn't Offer

1. A purely operational role with clear, predictable tasks every day. You'll need to think strategically and adapt constantly.
2. A quiet, solitary job. You'll be talking to people across the business and externally, all the time.
3. Instant gratification. Many of our programmes are long-term plays, with impact that takes years to fully materialise.
4. A role where you're handed all the resources you need upfront. You'll often have to build the case for investment and fight for resources.

ADHD Positives

1. The varied nature of projects and stakeholder engagement means you'll rarely be stuck on one monotonous task for too long, which can be great for maintaining focus.
2. The need for creative problem-solving and influencing across different departments can tap into strengths in innovative thinking and dynamic communication.
3. The role often involves managing multiple, concurrent initiatives, which can suit individuals who thrive on juggling different priorities and switching contexts.

ADHD Challenges and Accommodations

1. Challenges: The 'data scavenger hunt' and detailed reporting aspects can be tedious and require sustained attention to detail, which might be difficult. Also, managing and tracking numerous small tasks for your team can be overwhelming.
2. Accommodations: We can help by providing clear project management tools (like Asana or Monday.com) with structured templates, regular check-ins to help prioritise, and dedicated support for data aggregation and quality control. We're open to using visual aids for planning and breaking down large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. We can also explore delegating some of the more repetitive data entry or tracking tasks to a specialist.

Dyslexia Positives

1. The strategic thinking, big-picture analysis, and ability to synthesise complex information into compelling narratives are often strengths for dyslexic individuals.
2. Strong verbal communication and empathetic engagement with diverse stakeholders are highly valued, allowing you to excel in areas beyond written reports.
3. The creative problem-solving required to find innovative solutions for social impact can be a real asset.

Dyslexia Challenges and Accommodations

1. Challenges: Extensive written reporting (ESG reports, policy documents, internal communications) and detailed data analysis can be demanding. The 'alphabet soup' of ESG frameworks often involves complex acronyms and specific terminology that can be tricky.
2. Accommodations: We encourage the use of assistive technologies like text-to-speech and dictation software. We'll provide access to proofreading tools and support for reviewing critical documents. We also value verbal presentations and discussions as much as written reports, and we can offer templates for consistent formatting in reports to reduce cognitive load. Where possible, we can pair you with a team member for document review.

Autism Positives

1. The logical, systematic approach to developing 'Theory of Change' models and SROI analysis can be a great fit for those who excel at structured thinking and identifying causal links.
2. A deep commitment to ethical principles and social justice, often associated with autistic individuals, aligns perfectly with the core mission of CSR.
3. The ability to focus intensely on specific areas of expertise (e.g., a particular ESG framework or a complex data set) can lead to exceptional insights and problem-solving.

Autism Challenges and Accommodations

1. Challenges: The constant need for informal influencing, navigating complex social dynamics, and handling ambiguous stakeholder demands can be challenging. Also, frequent, unstructured meetings or sudden shifts in priorities might be difficult to manage.
2. Accommodations: We'll strive for clear, direct communication, especially in feedback and expectations. We can provide meeting agendas in advance and encourage structured discussions. Where possible, we can reduce exposure to highly ambiguous social situations by providing clear objectives and support. We can also offer a quiet workspace or noise-cancelling headphones to manage sensory input and allow for focused work. We're open to discussing preferred communication styles (e.g., email over impromptu calls).

Key Responsibilities

Experience Levels Responsibilities

1. Level: Head of CSR Manager (Level 005)
2. Responsibilities: Develop and refine our social impact strategy, making sure it aligns with the overall business goals and emerging global sustainability trends. This means turning big ideas into concrete plans that your team can actually deliver.
3. Lead, mentor, and manage a team of 3-5 CSR professionals (Specialists and Programme Managers). You'll be responsible for their growth, performance, and making sure they're delivering high-quality work. This isn't just delegating; it's about coaching and empowering.
4. Oversee the end-to-end management of our major community investment and employee engagement programmes. You'll be accountable for their success, from planning and budget allocation to impact measurement and reporting. Think of it as owning the entire lifecycle.
5. Drive the collection, analysis, and reporting of our social performance data for key ESG frameworks (GRI, SASB, CSRD). You'll ensure data integrity and present compelling narratives to internal and external stakeholders, including our Director and sometimes even the board.
6. Build and maintain strong relationships with critical external partners, including NGOs, community leaders, and ESG ratings agencies. You'll be our primary point of contact, negotiating partnerships and representing our organisation's social impact effectively.
7. Manage the annual CSR programme budget, typically in the range of £500K-£2M, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and demonstrating clear return on investment (including SROI). You'll need to be savvy with numbers and able to justify spending.
8. Act as a key internal advisor on social and ethical issues, providing guidance to other departments (e.g., HR on diversity, Operations on human rights in the supply chain). You'll be the go-to person for complex questions in this space.
9. Supervision: You'll report directly to the Director of CSR & Sustainability, with monthly strategic alignment meetings. For day-to-day operations and programme execution, you'll be largely self-directed and accountable for your team's output. You're expected to set priorities and manage your workload autonomously.
10. Decision: You have full authority over programme execution, team management (hiring, performance reviews, development plans for direct reports), and budget allocation up to £500K for specific programmes. You can approve vendor selections up to £100K. Strategic direction changes or major new programme investments (above £500K) require alignment with the Director. Any significant policy changes or external commitments need sign-off from the Director and relevant executive stakeholders.
11. Success: Your success will be measured by the tangible impact of our social programmes (e.g., SROI results, community reach), the improvement in our external ESG social ratings, the engagement levels of our employees in CSR activities, and the overall performance and development of your team. Ultimately, it's about making sure our social commitments are delivered effectively and transparently, enhancing our reputation and contributing to business value.

Decision-Making Authority

• Type: Programme Budget Allocation
• Entry: No authority. Assists in data gathering for budget requests.
• Mid: Proposes budget for specific, small projects (up to £10K) to manager.
• Senior: Manages project budgets up to £50K, with oversight from Lead. Can reallocate within project scope.
• Type: Team Hiring & Performance
• Entry: Provides informal feedback on team dynamics.
• Mid: Participates in interview panels for junior roles; provides input for peer performance reviews.
• Senior: Leads interviews for Specialist roles; conducts informal mentoring; provides formal input for performance reviews of mentees.
• Type: External Partnership Agreements
• Entry: Researches potential partners; drafts initial contact emails.
• Mid: Manages relationships with existing, smaller community partners; drafts initial proposals for review.
• Senior: Negotiates terms for mid-tier partnerships (up to £20K value); represents the company at local community events.
• Type: ESG Reporting Content & Narrative
• Entry: Gathers specific data points for reports.
• Mid: Drafts sections of the sustainability report based on templates and provided data.
• Senior: Leads the drafting of specific report sections (e.g., social impact, employee data); ensures data accuracy and narrative consistency for their workstream.

Competency Requirements

Foundation Skills (Transferable)

As a Head of CSR Manager, you're not just a technical expert; you're a leader and a strategic partner. These foundation skills are what will allow you to influence, manage, and drive change effectively across the organisation and with external partners. They're the bedrock of your success.

• Category: Communication & Influence
• Skills: Executive Presentation Skills: Can distil complex ESG data and strategic recommendations into clear, compelling presentations for the Director and executive leadership, anticipating tough questions and handling them with confidence.
• Negotiation & Persuasion: Able to secure buy-in for CSR initiatives from reluctant stakeholders, negotiate favourable terms with external partners (e.g., NGOs), and manage conflicting priorities effectively.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Regularly and effectively brings together diverse internal teams (e.g., HR, Operations, Finance) to work towards shared CSR goals, acting as a bridge builder and problem solver.
• Crisis Communication (Social Issues): Can draft and advise on sensitive communications related to social or ethical incidents, protecting the company's reputation and maintaining stakeholder trust.
• Category: Leadership & Team Development
• Skills: Team Leadership & Coaching: Provides clear direction, sets ambitious yet achievable goals, and actively coaches direct reports to develop their skills and advance their careers. Fosters a positive and high-performing team culture.
• Strategic Planning & Execution: Translates high-level CSR vision into actionable, measurable programmes and manages their execution, ensuring alignment with business objectives and resource availability.
• Change Management: Effectively champions and implements new CSR policies or programmes across the organisation, anticipating resistance and developing strategies to overcome it.
• Delegation & Empowerment: Knows when and how to delegate tasks effectively to team members, empowering them to take ownership and grow, while maintaining overall accountability for results.
• Category: Problem-Solving & Decision Making
• Skills: Complex Problem Solving: Able to analyse multi-faceted social and ethical challenges, identify root causes, and develop pragmatic, impactful solutions that consider diverse stakeholder perspectives.
• Strategic Judgement: Makes sound decisions under pressure, often with incomplete information, balancing ethical considerations with business realities and long-term impact.
• Risk Management (Social & Reputational): Proactively identifies potential social and reputational risks related to our operations or supply chain and develops mitigation strategies.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Uses quantitative and qualitative data (e.g., SROI, ESG ratings, stakeholder feedback) to inform programme design, resource allocation, and strategic recommendations.
• Category: Adaptability & Resilience
• Skills: Navigating Ambiguity: Thrives in environments where priorities can shift, data might be imperfect, and solutions aren't always clear-cut. Can create structure where none exists.
• Maintaining Composure: Stays calm and effective when facing internal scepticism, external criticism, or unexpected challenges related to CSR initiatives.
• Learning Agility: Continuously seeks out new knowledge in the rapidly evolving sustainability landscape, applying new frameworks, regulations, and best practices to our programmes.
• Persistence & Drive: Demonstrates unwavering commitment to long-term CSR goals, even when faced with setbacks or slow progress, maintaining enthusiasm and motivating the team.

Functional Skills (Role-Specific Technical)

These are the specific methodologies, tools, and technical knowledge you'll need to effectively design, implement, and report on our CSR programmes. This isn't just theory; it's about practical application to drive real-world impact.

Technical Competencies

• Skill: ESG Reporting Frameworks (GRI, SASB, TCFD, CSRD)
• Desc: Deep, practical knowledge of applying and reporting against standards like GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), SASB (now IFRS S2), TCFD (now IFRS S1), and emerging regulations like the EU's CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive). You'll own the overall reporting strategy for the social pillar.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Materiality Assessment (Double Materiality)
• Desc: The ability to lead and conduct formal 'double materiality' assessments to identify and prioritise the ESG topics that are most significant to both the business (financial impact) and its stakeholders (impact on society/environment). You'll guide the process and interpret the results strategically.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Social Return on Investment (SROI) Analysis
• Desc: Expertise in applying SROI methodology to measure and monetise the social, environmental, and economic value created by CSR initiatives. You'll move beyond simple output metrics to demonstrate the true value of our programmes to senior leadership and investors.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Stakeholder Engagement & Mapping
• Desc: A structured approach to identifying, prioritising, and managing relationships with diverse stakeholder groups (investors, employees, NGOs, communities, regulators) to inform strategy, manage risk, and build trust. You'll lead complex engagement strategies.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Theory of Change Development
• Desc: The ability to build robust, logical causal frameworks that connect a programme's inputs and activities to its intended short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes and impacts. This is key for proving actual impact and avoiding 'impact washing'. You'll guide your team in developing these for all major programmes.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Supplier Sustainability & Human Rights
• Desc: Understanding how to assess and manage social and human rights risks within the supply chain. This includes developing and implementing supplier codes of conduct, conducting due diligence, and driving corrective actions through platforms like EcoVadis or Sedex.
• Level: Advanced

Digital Tools

• Tool: ESG & Sustainability Platforms (Benevity, YourCause)
• Level: Strategic
• Usage: Leading platform selection/integration (e.g., connecting Benevity to Workday HCM), architecting data governance for employee engagement, and using platform analytics for strategic planning of giving and volunteering programmes.
• Tool: ESG Reporting & GRC Software (Workiva, OneTrust ESG, Diligent ESG)
• Level: Architect
• Usage: Owning the enterprise ESG data architecture for social metrics. Using GRC tools like ServiceNow GRC to integrate social and human rights risk into enterprise risk management. Presenting final social impact reports to the board via Diligent Boards.
• Tool: Supplier Sustainability Platforms (EcoVadis, Sedex)
• Level: Strategic
• Usage: Setting supplier social and human rights policies and thresholds within the platform. Integrating platform data into procurement decisions and enterprise supply chain risk models to drive responsible sourcing.
• Tool: Data Analysis & Visualization (Excel, Power BI, Tableau)
• Level: Strategic
• Usage: Defining the key social and community impact KPIs for executive dashboards. Working with data teams to ensure data integrity and automate reporting flows from source systems into visualisation tools. Overseeing complex SROI models.
• Tool: Project & Collaboration Tools (Asana, Monday.com, Confluence)
• Level: Strategic
• Usage: Overseeing the entire portfolio of CSR initiatives, allocating resources, and managing dependencies across projects. Championing the use of collaboration tools to improve transparency and efficiency within your team and across departments.

Industry Knowledge

• Area: Global Social & Human Rights Issues
• Desc: A deep understanding of global human rights issues, labour practices, diversity & inclusion, and community development challenges relevant to our industry and operating geographies. You'll be able to identify and respond to emerging issues.
• Area: Ethical Supply Chain Management
• Desc: Knowledge of best practices in ethical sourcing, supply chain due diligence, and managing risks related to forced labour, child labour, and unsafe working conditions. You'll advise on robust supplier engagement strategies.
• Area: Corporate Philanthropy & Community Development
• Desc: Expertise in designing, implementing, and evaluating corporate philanthropy programmes, employee giving, and community development initiatives to maximise social impact and align with business objectives.
• Area: Employee Engagement & Wellbeing
• Desc: Understanding how CSR programmes can contribute to employee engagement, wellbeing, and a positive company culture, working closely with HR to integrate social impact into talent strategies.

Regulatory Compliance Regulations

• Reg: EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)
• Usage: You'll be accountable for ensuring our social impact reporting fully complies with CSRD, including double materiality assessments and detailed disclosure requirements. This is a critical piece of work.
• Reg: Modern Slavery Act (UK) & similar human rights legislation
• Usage: You'll ensure our annual Modern Slavery Statement is robust, accurate, and reflects our due diligence efforts across the supply chain. You'll advise on human rights risk assessments and mitigation.
• Reg: UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)
• Usage: You'll embed the UNGPs into our policies and processes, guiding our approach to human rights due diligence and remediation mechanisms. This framework underpins much of our ethical approach.
• Reg: International Labour Organisation (ILO) Core Conventions
• Usage: You'll understand the principles of the ILO conventions and ensure our labour practices and supplier expectations align with these international standards, particularly concerning freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Essential Prerequisites

• Proven experience (at least 5-7 years) leading significant CSR programmes or workstreams, demonstrating clear impact and successful delivery.
• Demonstrable experience managing and developing a small team of professionals, including setting objectives, performance management, and coaching.
• A strong track record of successfully engaging and influencing senior stakeholders across different departments to achieve CSR objectives.
• Expert-level understanding and practical application of at least two major ESG reporting frameworks (e.g., GRI, SASB) and experience with materiality assessments.
• Budget management experience, including planning, forecasting, and reporting on programme expenditure, ideally for budgets over £200K.
• Experience in designing and implementing community investment, employee engagement, or ethical supply chain programmes from concept to completion.

Career Pathway Context

To thrive as a Head of CSR Manager, you'll need to have moved beyond just managing projects to truly leading programmes and people. We're looking for someone who has already demonstrated the ability to influence without direct authority and has a solid grasp of the practicalities of delivering social impact at scale. This isn't a role for someone who's just starting to manage a team; it's for someone ready to shape a significant part of our CSR agenda.

Qualifications & Credentials

Emerging Foundation Skills

• Skill: AI Ethics & Responsible AI
• Why: As AI becomes more embedded in business operations, from HR to product development, understanding its ethical implications (bias, privacy, fairness) and how to develop responsible AI policies is crucial for a Head of CSR. It's a new frontier for social impact.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Algorithmic bias and fairness in AI systems', 'description': 'Algorithmic bias and fairness in AI systems'}, {'concept_name': 'Data privacy and security in AI applications', 'description': 'Data privacy and security in AI applications'}, {'concept_name': 'Transparency and explainability of AI decisions', 'description': 'Transparency and explainability of AI decisions'}, {'concept_name': 'Human oversight and accountability in AI deploymen', 'description': 'Human oversight and accountability in AI deployment'}, {'concept_name': 'Ethical guidelines for AI development and use', 'description': 'Ethical guidelines for AI development and use'}]
• Prepare: This month: Read up on the EU's AI Act and other emerging AI ethics regulations. Understand the basics.
• Next quarter: Attend a webinar or online course on responsible AI principles and governance.
• Month 4-6: Start a dialogue with our Head of Data or AI team about their current ethical considerations and potential risks.
• Month 7-9: Propose a framework for assessing the social impact and ethical risks of our internal AI tools.
• Month 10-12: Lead a cross-functional workshop on developing our company's responsible AI principles.
• QuickWin: Start by reading articles from reputable sources like the World Economic Forum or the Alan Turing Institute on AI ethics. You can also use AI tools to summarise complex reports on this topic for you.
• Skill: Digital Human Rights & Online Safety
• Why: With increasing digitalisation, companies have a growing responsibility for how their products and services impact human rights online, from freedom of expression to data privacy. This is a rapidly evolving area that directly impacts our 'social license to operate' in the digital sphere.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Freedom of expression and censorship in digital pl', 'description': 'Freedom of expression and censorship in digital platforms'}, {'concept_name': 'Data privacy and surveillance implications of tech', 'description': 'Data privacy and surveillance implications of technology'}, {'concept_name': 'Digital inclusion and equitable access to technolo', 'description': 'Digital inclusion and equitable access to technology'}, {'concept_name': 'Online harassment, hate speech, and content modera', 'description': 'Online harassment, hate speech, and content moderation'}, {'concept_name': 'Corporate responsibility in platform governance', 'description': 'Corporate responsibility in platform governance'}]
• Prepare: This month: Research the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as applied to digital technologies.
• Next quarter: Engage with our Product and Legal teams to understand the human rights implications of our digital offerings.
• Month 4-6: Identify a relevant industry working group or forum focused on digital human rights and participate.
• Month 7-9: Develop a preliminary assessment of our company's digital human rights risks and opportunities.
• Month 10-12: Draft a position paper or policy recommendation on our approach to digital human rights.
• QuickWin: Follow thought leaders and organisations like Access Now or the Electronic Frontier Foundation on social media to stay updated on key developments in digital human rights.

Advancing Technical Skills

• Skill: Advanced ESG Data Architecture & Governance
• Why: As reporting requirements become more stringent (e.g., CSRD), the need for robust, auditable, and integrated ESG data systems is paramount. You'll need to understand how to design these systems, not just use them.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Data lineage and audit trails for ESG metrics', 'description': 'Data lineage and audit trails for ESG metrics'}, {'concept_name': 'Integration of ESG data with financial and operati', 'description': 'Integration of ESG data with financial and operational systems'}, {'concept_name': 'Automated data validation and quality checks', 'description': 'Automated data validation and quality checks'}, {'concept_name': 'Role-based access and data security for sensitive ', 'description': 'Role-based access and data security for sensitive social data'}, {'concept_name': 'Scalable data infrastructure for future reporting ', 'description': 'Scalable data infrastructure for future reporting needs'}]
• Prepare: This month: Shadow our Data Governance team to understand their principles and processes.
• Next quarter: Take an online course on enterprise data architecture or data warehousing fundamentals.
• Month 4-6: Work with our IT team to map our current social data flows and identify pain points.
• Month 7-9: Develop a proposal for improving our social data architecture, including system recommendations.
• Month 10-12: Lead a project to implement a new data governance framework for a key social metric.
• QuickWin: Start documenting the 'journey' of a single key social metric (e.g., employee volunteer hours) from its source to its appearance in the annual report, identifying every step and system involved.
• Skill: Predictive Social Impact Modelling
• Why: Moving beyond historical reporting, companies will increasingly use data to predict the social impact of business decisions (e.g., a new factory location, a product launch) and proactively mitigate risks or maximise positive outcomes. This means using data to inform future strategy.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Scenario planning for social impact (e.g., differe', 'description': 'Scenario planning for social impact (e.g., different community engagement strategies)'}, {'concept_name': 'Risk modelling for human rights and social licence', 'description': 'Risk modelling for human rights and social licence to operate'}, {'concept_name': 'Correlation and causation in social data analysis', 'description': 'Correlation and causation in social data analysis'}, {'concept_name': 'Ethical considerations in predictive analytics for', 'description': 'Ethical considerations in predictive analytics for social issues'}, {'concept_name': 'Integrating qualitative insights into quantitative', 'description': 'Integrating qualitative insights into quantitative models'}]
• Prepare: This month: Explore case studies of companies using predictive analytics for social or environmental impact.
• Next quarter: Take an introductory course on basic statistical modelling or predictive analytics.
• Month 4-6: Identify a specific business decision where predictive social impact modelling could add value.
• Month 7-9: Work with a data scientist to build a simple predictive model for a social outcome (e.g., community sentiment).
• Month 10-12: Present a business case for integrating predictive social impact modelling into our decision-making processes.
• QuickWin: Use Excel's forecasting tools on existing social data (e.g., employee engagement scores) to identify trends and potential future outcomes.

Education Requirements

• Level: Minimum
• Req: A Bachelor's degree in Sustainability, Environmental Science, Business Administration, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or a related field.
• Alts: We're pragmatic here. If you've got extensive, relevant professional experience (15+ years) that clearly demonstrates the strategic and leadership capabilities required for this role, we'd absolutely consider that as equivalent. Show us what you've done, not just where you studied.
• Level: Preferred
• Req: A Master's degree (e.g., MBA with a specialisation in Sustainability, MSc in Corporate Responsibility, or similar).
• Alts: While not strictly necessary, an advanced degree often provides a deeper theoretical grounding and strategic perspective that can be really valuable. That said, a proven track record of leading complex CSR programmes and managing teams can easily outweigh this.

Experience Requirements

You'll need at least 12-16 years of progressive experience in Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, or a closely related field, with a significant portion of that time (at least 5-7 years) spent in a leadership or management role. This should include direct experience managing a team of professionals, overseeing complex programmes, and managing budgets of at least £500K. We're looking for someone who has genuinely owned the delivery of social impact initiatives, not just supported them.

Preferred Certifications

• Cert: Certified Sustainability Practitioner (CSR-P)
• Prod: Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE)
• Usage: Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of sustainability principles, reporting frameworks, and best practices, which is directly applicable to leading our programmes.
• Cert: GRI Certified Training Programme
• Prod: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)
• Usage: Shows in-depth knowledge of the most widely used sustainability reporting standard, which is critical for ensuring the quality and credibility of our external reports.
• Cert: SASB FSA Credential (Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting)
• Prod: SASB (now IFRS S2)
• Usage: Highlights your ability to identify, measure, and manage financially material sustainability information, crucial for engaging with investors and integrating CSR into financial strategy.
• Cert: Project Management Professional (PMP) or PRINCE2
• Prod: Project Management Institute (PMI) / AXELOS
• Usage: While not CSR-specific, strong project management skills are essential for overseeing complex, cross-functional programmes and ensuring they are delivered on time and within budget.

Recommended Activities

• Regularly attend industry conferences and webinars on emerging CSR trends, regulations (e.g., CSRD updates), and best practices.
• Actively participate in professional networks and forums (e.g., ICRS, Ethical Corporation) to share insights and learn from peers.
• Undertake continuous learning in areas like ethical AI, digital human rights, or advanced SROI methodologies through online courses or workshops.
• Seek out opportunities to mentor junior professionals, honing your leadership and coaching skills.

Career Progression Pathways

Entry Paths to This Role

• Path: From Senior CSR Specialist / Programme Manager
• Time: 3-5 years in a Senior Specialist or Programme Manager role.
• Path: From Head of Community Impact / ESG Reporting Lead (in a smaller company)
• Time: 4-6 years in a similar leadership role in a smaller or less complex organisation.
• Path: From Management Consultant (Sustainability/ESG focus)
• Time: 5-7 years in a management consultancy, with a focus on sustainability or ESG strategy.

Career Progression From This Role

• Pathway: Director of CSR & Sustainability (Level 006)
• Time: 3-5 years in the Head of CSR Manager role.

Long Term Vision Potential Roles

• Title: Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) / VP, Global Impact (Level 007)
• Time: 5-10 years from the Head of CSR Manager role.
• Title: Head of ESG Investor Relations
• Time: 5-8 years from the Head of CSR Manager role.
• Title: Head of Ethical Supply Chain & Human Rights
• Time: 5-8 years from the Head of CSR Manager role.

How Zavmo Delivers This Role's Development

DISCOVER Phase: Skills Gap Analysis

Zavmo maps your current competencies against all requirements in this job description through conversational assessment. We evaluate your foundation skills (communication, strategic thinking), functional skills (CRM expertise, negotiation), and readiness for career progression.

Output: Personalised skills gap heat map showing strengths and priorities, estimated time to competency, neurodiversity accommodations.

DISCUSS Phase: Personalised Learning Pathway

Based on your DISCOVER results, Zavmo creates a personalised learning plan prioritised by impact: foundation skills first, then functional skills. We adapt to your learning style, pace, and neurodiversity needs (ADHD, dyslexia, autism).

Output: Week-by-week schedule, each module linked to specific job responsibilities, checkpoints and milestones.

DELIVER Phase: Conversational Learning

Learn through conversation, not boring modules. Zavmo uses 10 conversation types (Socratic dialogue, role-play, coaching, case studies) to build competence. Practice difficult QBR presentations, negotiate tough renewals, and handle churn conversations in a safe AI environment before facing real clients.

Example: "For 'Stakeholder Mapping', Zavmo will guide you through analysing a complex enterprise account, identifying key decision-makers, and building an engagement strategy."

DEMONSTRATE Phase: Competency Assessment

Zavmo automatically builds your evidence portfolio as you learn. Every conversation, practice scenario, and application example is captured and mapped to NOS performance criteria. When ready, your portfolio supports OFQUAL qualification claims and demonstrates competence to employers.

Output: Competency matrix, evidence portfolio (downloadable), qualification readiness, career progression score.