Vendor Compliance Manager

The Vendor Compliance Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing the company’s global ethical sourcing and social compliance programs across all apparel manufacturing partners. This role ensures that suppliers meet the company’s standards for labor practices, human rights, workplace safety, environmental responsibility, and ethical business conduct. 

The ideal candidate is a strategic and hands-on leader who can balance risk mitigation with strong vendor partnerships while ensuring alignment with brand values and global regulatory requirements. 

What you'll get to do:

• Develop and continuously improve the company’s global Social Compliance and Ethical Sourcing strategy. 
• Maintain and update the Vendor Code of Conduct in alignment with international standards (ILO, UN Guiding Principles, etc.). 
• Establish policies, SOPs, KPIs, and governance frameworks for vendor compliance. 
• Oversee factory audit programs (initial, annual, follow-up, and unannounced audits). 
• Manage third-party audit firms and ensure quality and consistency of assessments. 
• Analyze audit findings, identify systemic risks, and implement corrective action plans (CAPs). 
• Escalate critical issues (e.g., forced labor, child labor, harassment, wage violations) and drive timely resolution. 
• Partner with Sourcing, Production, Legal, Sustainability, and Finance teams to embed compliance requirements into vendor selection and performance evaluation. 
• Support onboarding of new factories with compliance readiness assessments. 
• Monitor evolving global regulations (e.g., UFLPA, Modern Slavery Acts, EU CSDDD) and ensure proactive compliance 
• Drive supplier education and capacity-building initiatives to improve working conditions. 
• Track and report compliance metrics to executive leadership and Board (as applicable). 
• Maintain accurate documentation and digital compliance systems.