MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT (24-28HOURS/WEEK)

At Fair Wear Foundation, we know there’s a better way to make clothes. One where workers can actively shape their realities by exercising their right to freedom of association and bargaining collectively, supported by safe, enabling conditions. In this industry, power imbalances between supply chain actors are redressed, with business relationships that are equitable and grounded in shared responsibility and shared value for all supply chain actors. Fair Wear promotes and facilitates human rights due diligence (HRDD) as a key vehicle for transformation. This approach proactively addresses human rights risks and creates tangible improvements in workers' lives. With trade unions, governments, and other industry influencers, we push towards a new normal to create systemic change that goes far beyond our reach.

Together, we’re making fashion fair for everyone.

Fair Wear is an international multi stakeholder organisation with around 45 highly diverse staff based in The Netherlands and Germany, as well as expert teams in eleven production countries. For more about our work, see here. Since the last 25 years, Fair Wear works, with 100+ member brands  to show what impactful Human Rights Due Diligence looks like in garment, textile and footwear supply chains. Please find more about our work here.

For the Management Team (MT) we are looking for a Management Assistant. The assistant will support the management team members with MT meetings, Committee of Expert and Board meetings and will support communication with staff.  In this role you will be facilitating decision making and tracking progress of actions of the MT. It is a unique opportunity to get insight into the multi-stakeholder governance of Fair Wear, to take part in strategic discussions at executive level and to form a crucial connection between Management and staff. The Management Assistant is based in the Netherlands and has (or is eligible for) a Dutch working permit.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Management Assistant supports the Management Team (MT), and the Executive Director (ED) in particular. Responsibilities include:

Management Team Meetings

• Planning and organising the weekly MT meetings and monthly strategy meetings, and monitoring the annual MT cycle
• Ensuring that proposals from staff for discussion and decision-making in the MT are available on time and contain the required type of information
• Taking basic notes (actions, decisions) of the MT meetings and from time to time documenting other meetings as needed
• Drafting the brief “MT Update” communication to staff
• Managing the MT folders, both public and confidential
• Monitoring progress to ensure action points are followed up properly and timely

Board Meetings and Committee of Experts (CoE) meetings (quarterly)

• Assisting the MT and the Board Chair in composing the agenda
• Ensuring all documentation is sent out on time
• Organizing meetings logistically, inviting internal and external participants as applicable
• Taking notes and finalising them as the official minutes in collaboration with the MT
• Collecting input from each team for the quarterly update sent to Board and CoE

Other coordination and support

• Ensuring action points from MT and Board meetings are communicated to the relevant colleagues for follow-up
• Monitoring progress on those action points

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

We are looking for someone with:

• an analytic mindset and an affinity for processes and procedures
• the ability to organise work efficiently, effectively, accurately, and independently in a dynamic environment
• the ability to process a variety of complex information
• the ability and flexibility to connect with others, and to motivate and guide them on what is needed
• excellent English (spoken and written) is required, Dutch proficiency is an asset
• excellent social skills
• intercultural sensitivity, adequate digital skills and a good ability to be productive in virtual (online) settings
• reliability and the ability to deal with highly sensitive and confidential information
• genuine motivation to assist people and processes to improve collective impact
• an interest in management processes, process management, and change management
• at least 3 years of experience in a similar role.

What we offer

• Initially, 1-year employment contract with the prospect of an extension upon good performance, subject to continuation of funding
• We offer a salary in accordance with the Fair Wear’s remuneration policy with a range of € 39.727– € 44.905 p.a. excluding holiday allowance, based upon a 36-hour working week, depending on work experience.

• Extensive learning opportunities in the area of global supply chains and human rights due diligence
• An international working environment; connections to European clothing brands, Fair Wear teams based in Amsterdam as well as garment producing countries;
• A diverse organisation, culture and teams that take the time to celebrate, reflect and champion each other’s work
• A hybrid work setting with an office at the World Fashion Centre in Amsterdam

Note: we will be interviewing candidates on a rolling basis and will close the vacancy if the right candidate is found before the stated deadline.

Please visit www.fairwear.org for more information about our organisation. For more information about the position, you can, during office hours, call Margreet Vrieling (+31 6 466 010 72)

If you are interested, please send your CV with cover letter to vacancy@fairwear.org, no later than September 12th, 2025.