Lead and Expand Better Cotton's Supply Chain, membership and Traceability Operations

Lead Better Cotton's Traceability, Membership, and Supply Chain teams and operations across Pakistan, Central Asia, and Far East Asian Countries. Manage Better Cotton Global ginning program and developing a comprehensive Farm to Gin roadmap and ginning registration model for new countries in aligned with the Better Cotton 2030 strategy. Collaborate closely with M&SC teams & managers to formulate Annual Operating Plans, budgets, and strategies. Fostering cross-functional relationships within the organization. Work on demand related targets, including membership engagements, organize events, training and participate in internal & external conferences. Ensure functional financials, budgeting and spendings with expense monitoring, accruals, and treasury requests. Ensure the integrity of the chain of custody standard and oversee audit programs. Support Chain of Custody Standards and traceability roll out across the supply chain. Lead a pilot project on cotton’s first mile traceability to explore use of digital solutions and engage intermediaries.

Lead and responsible for BCI's Supply Chain operations in Pakistan, Central Asia and Far East Asian Countries and developing and organizing training programs for RB members and their supplier from Pakistan and all FEA Countries. Team support in training material development i.e brochures, videos and PPTs and organizing networking events to increase Better Cotton uptake. Public speaking and moderation in conferences, Supply Chain and Membership events. Lobbying Government institutions, Industry and private stakeholders (INGOs, Embassies) for mutual collaboration and funding Better Cotton projects. Working in matrix model and collaborate with other function to create business cases for farmers and ginners. Helping country manager in delivering HR services which includes hiring and training of BCI staff in Pakistan.

Country lead to manage the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) Supply Chain operations by meetings and training of implementing partners to ensure Farmers Education and Training programmes in Pakistan and enabling Better Cotton uptake by textile. Organizing National and International conferences and networking events to engage partners and members (Ministy of Agriculture, Trade & Textile, APTMA. Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCC), Karachi Cotton Association (KCA) and Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA). Annual programme budgeting, managing expenses & flow of funds. Supervision and organizing online training programmes through gotowebinar. Project delivery and cost monitoring of EU funded-Switch Asia programme with WWF-Pakistan. EU Project report development and submission. Together with Country Coordinator organize Implementing partners training on Better Cotton Standard System and BCI principles & Criteria. Doing 2nd party credibility checks, report writing and creating farmers license numbers. Follow up with IP to ensure farmers get their license numbers well in time. Working as point of contact for membership queries, applications, membership fee and services.

Initiated Brand’s led cotton sustainable production programme in Pakistan as a team lead of 25 professionals and successfully produced IKEA’s first ever (BMP cotton). Core responsibilities were to oversee organizing training and workshops for farmers and supply chain actors by professionals and experts. Monitoring and evaluation of project activities to ensure compliance and quality. Work with service providers to get developed end to end traceability programme for IKEA’s sustainable material. To ensure the purchase of sustainable cotton at market rates, make sure sustainable cotton is being purchased on market rates, discourage price up charge and suppliers competition. Suppliers on boarding and making sure IKEA’s material purchase and CSR targets are being met. Organizing and hosting IKEA coworkers visit in project area, suppliers’ facilities. Taking care of admin and finance operation for IKEA field office, it includes (Travel planning, request for budget, financial reports, vendors payments, staff salaries & benefits).

Project lead in implementation of “Community Integrated Pest Management Project” at cotton crop in District Khanewal in Coordination with National Agriculture Research Center (NARC) Islamabad Pakistan, District government, Agriculture departments and other NGOs. Line Management of 120 staff members which include recruitment, promotion, salaries, expense, leaves approvals. Daily, weekly and monthly report writing and project presentation to management. Organizing 3rd party financial and process audits and project monitoring by Government agencies. Writing project proposals, organizing cotton days and seminars. Supervising Women Training of Trainers (WToT) in Punjab to improve their health and safety during cotton farm activities. Training of 18000 Cotton farmers in 4 years project and formation of village-based associations in villages. Community mobilization by financial support to poor community for small business and livelihood development programmes. With the help of social mobilizers develop a community comprehensive backstopping and capacity building programme a funds recovery plan.

Participate in Cotton Training of Facilitators (ToF) and cascade same training to cotton farmers using Farmer Field School (FFS) approach for sustainable cotton production. Lay Field Trails and Research on Cotton Ecosystem Analysis. Training of cotton farmers in Farmer Field Schools (FFS). Organize training of “Plan Pakistan” officials and community organization on cotton integrated pest management (IPM). Meeting and organizing field visits of FAO delegates. Establishing first ever “Children Ecology Club” in Pakistan and collaboration with “Food and Agriculture Organization” (FAO) for better implementation of programme. Monitoring and backstopping of Agriculture extension workers for their capacity building and training quality improvements. End of project completion report development for Food & Agriculture Organization. Organize farmers days and conferences for cross learning. Participate in meetings with delegates and officials.