Manager, Circularity and Resource Security, Recycled Content Standard

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a global community of over 225 of the world’s leading businesses driving systems transformation for a better world in which 9+ billion people can live well, within planetary boundaries, by mid-century. Together, we transform the systems we work in to limit the impact of the climate crisis, restore nature, and tackle inequality.

We accelerate value chain transformation across key sectors and reshape the financial system to reward sustainable leadership and action through a lower cost of capital. Through the exchange of best practices, improving performance, accessing education, forming partnerships, and shaping the policy agenda, we drive progress in businesses and sharpen the accountability of their performance.

Role overview

​Own the development of WBCSD’s recycled-content methodology under its Circularity program in three stages: first, establish a clear, evidence-based view of what already exists, mapping existing product-level standards, certification schemes, methodologies and data models for recycled content and circular performance so the work starts from the real gap rather than assumption; second, work directly with member companies to define and continuously test, from practical use cases, what the methodology needs to achieve; third, work with WBCSD member companies and partners to develop and release the methodological output. The methodology should leverage and be designed for compatibility with existing data model and exchange infrastructure and protocols such as WBCSD Partnership for Carbon Transparency (PACT), so that recycled-content and circular performance data can later move through existing exchange rails already built for product carbon.

Key responsibilities

• Map and assess the existing landscape for recycled-content measurement, calculation and assurance, existing standards, certification schemes, methodologies and data models to establish a clear, evidenced view of what already exists and where the genuine gaps are.
• Convene and lead the WBCSD member working group, bringing together sustainability reporting, product compliance, quality and certification, procurement, data and business-systems owners, and commercial and finance leads, to define from real company use cases what the methodology needs to achieve in practice.
• Develop the recycled-content methodology, including scope, calculation rules and assurance requirements, from scoping in through drafting to a published methodology, building on the landscape assessment and member input.
• Design the methodology for assessment of circular performance as well as compatibility with existing data model and exchange infrastructure such as WBCSD PACT, so that a later technical implementation can leverage existing infrastructure for product carbon data.
• Test drafts against real company data and use cases, ensuring the methodology works with members’ existing product compliance and certification workflows rather than creating a parallel reporting burden.
• Work with the wider team of WBCSD’s Circularity program to complement the Global Circularity Protocol (GCP), so GCP’s measurement of circular performance can draw on a comparable, trusted recycled-content figure
• Maintain close technical consultation with the WBCSD PACT team through development, to ensure alignment with PACT’s data model, roadmap and assurance approach, and to draw on PACT’s experience building the carbon exchange layer.
• Manage the delivery plan, budget, risks and reporting for the deliverable; escalate where scope, resources or timelines are at risk; and make the evidence-based case for how the work should continue beyond 2027, including the technical development that is outside the 2027 scope.
• Collaborate with the wider Circularity team including two Associates that support across the program scope, and the Senior Manager and Manager working on the Global Circularity Protocol v2.0. Define dedicated support needs and development opportunities for Associates in context of the recycled content and circular performance data workstream.