Create Alert

Associate Director, Programs

Apply now »

Date: 30 Apr 2026

Location: PUE, MX, 72197

Company: LRQA

About this Role

The Programs business leads LRQA’s efforts to develop tailored solutions for large corporate clients, fostering deep, strategic relationships. These bespoke solutions, which range from managing fully outsourced Responsible Sourcing Programs to interim, geographically, or topically targeted support often drive the creation of new services that can be scaled across LRQA. With Programs frequently serving as the foundation for broader offerings, the role demands a strong customer focus and a solutions-driven mindset. While leveraging LRQA’s existing capabilities, solutions are shaped by each client's unique processes, culture, and risk profile.

We are now seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Associate Director, Programs to join our Advisory Programs team. This role will be responsible for overseeing a select number of Programs engagements, as well as standardizing and optimizing operations across all Programs clients and service offerings.

The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in human rights, supply chain management, and audit programs, with a proven track record of implementing, managing, or supporting human rights due diligence (HRDD) programs for multinational companies.

 

Key Job Responsibilities
  • Manage and Oversee Select Program Clients
  • Lead and manage a portfolio of key Program clients, ensuring their needs are met through tailored solutions.
  • Oversee delivery performance, ensuring programs run efficiently, meet KPIs, and stay within budget.
  • Build strong client relationships to drive satisfaction, retention, and growth opportunities.
  • Manage and support the client-facing team, ensuring a high standard of service and client focus.
  • Drive Operational Excellence Across the Programs Team
  • Partner with LRQA’s Program Leads and Program Managers to ensure strong standard operating procedures, documented ways of working, performance measurement and management through internal and external key performance indicators, as well as reporting.
  • Enable knowledge and best practice sharing across Program Leads and Program Managers
  • Support Onboarding of New Program Clients and Teams
  • Support the onboarding of new Program clients, including the development of customized engagement models.
  • Support recruitment and onboarding, of new team members aligned to client requirements.
  • Support with establishing clear process flows, reporting structures, and meeting cadences to ensure seamless integration and ongoing delivery excellence.
  • Support e a smooth transition from sales to delivery, maintaining a consistent client experience.

Primary Responsibilities:
  • Manage and Oversee Select Program Clients
  • Act as the lead program manager for a portfolio of key Program clients , overseeing implementation, stakeholder coordination, and ongoing service delivery.
  • Oversee delivery performance across assigned clients, ensuring programs run efficiently, meet KPIs, comply with SLAs, and remain within budget.
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to clients on responsible sourcing, sustainability, and human rights risks in complex, global supply chains.
  • Build and maintain strong client relationships to drive satisfaction, retention, and strategic growth opportunities.
  • Manage outsourced and embedded delivery models, ensuring effective audit scheduling, supplier engagement, remediation support, and consultative guidance.
  • Drive Operational Excellence Across the Programs Team
  • Establish standard operating procedures for Programs operations, taking into account each Program’s unique, client specific ways of working
  • Develop Programs documentation on internal, as well as client facing ways of working
  • Identify and implement both internal and client facing Key Performance Indicators that can be implemented across the Programs team to ensure quality and consistency of delivery
  • Collaborate with Program Leads and Program Managers to develop robust and insightful reporting frameworks on program activities and impact
  • Onboard New Program Clients and Teams
  • Support the onboarding of new Program clients by developing tailored engagement plans, meeting cadences, and communication frameworks.
  • Conduct onboarding meetings and cross-functional workshops with clients and internal stakeholders to align on scope, expectations, and success metrics.
  • Support development of client-facing materials such as guidance documents, training content, FAQs, and escalation protocols to support consistent delivery.
  • Support recruitment, onboarding, and capability development for new team members aligned to specific client needs.
  • Ensure smooth handover from commercial to delivery teams, maintaining continuity and consistent client experience throughout.

 

Required Qualifications
  • Minimum of 8 years of experience in sustainability, responsible sourcing, human rights, or supply chain management.
  • Experience managing a social audit program on the brand/retail side, or support the implementation from a service provider side including planning, execution, and follow-up on remediation.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of common audit methodologies such as SMETA, BSCI, SLCP, and familiarity with global labor standards.
  • Hands-on experience with human rights due diligence programs, ideally for multinational clients or within complex supply chains.
  • Strong client-facing project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
  • Experience executing complicated and fast-moving operational activities liaising across a wide number of stakeholders
  • Ability to effectively collaborate with clients and internal colleagues across the globe.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; capable of simplifying complex topics for diverse audiences.
  • Fluent in English; additional languages a plus.
  • Based in Americas and able to travel occasionally.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience with regulatory frameworks (e.g., EU CSDDD, UK Modern Slavery Act, French Duty of Vigilance Law).
  • Familiarity with global supply chain structures and procurement practices.
  • Consulting, audit delivery, or assurance background is a strong asset.
  • Strong analytical, operational and reporting skills; experience with program dashboards or audit management systems is a plus.
  • Certification or coursework in sustainability, human rights, supply chain, or project management (e.g., SA8000, PMP, ISO 26000, etc.).