Sr. Director, KEEN Effect

Lead a fearless movement to create the future of footwear.

We are looking for a Fierce Community Builder, Fearless Strategic Thought Leader and Tenacious Defender of the Planet to make KEENs vision of becoming the most Innovative, Regenerative and Trusted footwear company in the world a reality. This leader lives and leads in such a way that others may have faith and hope in a better future.

You are a change champion, purpose driver, and social impact maverick who is responsible for creating, leading, and executing comprehensive environmental, ethical, and social justice strategies, programs, and activities that have a positive effect across people, product, and planet, in alignment with the company’s Long-Range Plan and core values. As the strategic architect and operational leader for The KEEN Effect, your role is accountable for departmental success and cross-functional integration of sustainability and social responsibility goals across all KEEN functions. This includes overseeing environmental initiatives such as greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategies, restricted substances, and global disaster relief responses, as well as social justice, philanthropy, NGO, and community partnership programs. The Sr. Director leads a team of subject matter experts and cross-functional KEEN Effect ambassadors embedded across legal, people & culture, product development, manufacturing, marketing, and commercial operations, unafraid of doing something that others endlessly debate, fail to act upon. This position requires impeccable communication and presentation skills and plays a critical role in advancing the company’s vision to become the world’s most innovative, regenerative, and trusted footwear company.

This position is located in Portland, OR, and necessitates a regular presence at our global headquarters (four days per week).

Essential Functions

• Leads the development and global integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies in alignment with overall business objectives, ensuring ESG is embedded in executive-level decision-making and long-term enterprise planning.
• Fosters collaborative relationships with policymakers and government stakeholders to advance KEEN’s ESG objectives.
• Advocates for the company’s positions on key legislative and regulatory issues by engaging with government officials, agencies, and industry stakeholders on a local and national level.
• Defines the vision and multi-year strategy for enterprise-wide philanthropy and employee volunteer programs.
• Oversees execution and ensures measurable impact, alignment with brand reputation, and stakeholder expectations.
• Champions the organization’s global social impacts by engaging executive leaders, boards, and cross-functional stakeholders to communicate strategic intent, commitments, performance results, and ESG governance.
• Acts as a senior advisor and influencer to C-suite leaders, guiding the adoption of ethical, sustainable, and environmentally responsible business practices across operations, products, partnerships, and supply chains.
• Partners with Product and Supply Chain to lead KEEN on its journey to creating the World’s cleanest shoes and finding solutions for a circular economy and regenerative practices.
• Oversees the global strategy and execution of nonprofit partnerships, including selection, due diligence, performance measurement, and long-term impact assessments.
• Ensures partnerships align with brand values, ESG goals, and reputational risk standards. Leads engagement with community partners to support humanitarian relief efforts and systemic social impact initiatives.
• Collaborates with Marketing, Communications, and Brand teams to ensure that ESG values and stories are effectively integrated into enterprise messaging, content strategies, and campaigns across all platforms.
• Oversees development of the organization’s annual global impact report, including narrative, data integrity, third-party assurance, and executive-level presentation of results, risks, and forward-looking strategies.
• Establishes and enforces ESG standards, expectations, and contractual obligations in collaboration with Legal, Sourcing, and Compliance teams.
• Leads implementation of global partner monitoring systems to ensure adherence to corporate values and ethics.
• Provides visionary leadership to a global ESG team. Sets department goals and key results (OKRs), defines success metrics, fosters high performance, and develops future ESG leaders through mentorship, performance management, and professional development -- partners with cross-functional leaders to do the same in their respective functions.
• Cultivates a culture of sustainability and social responsibility internally by promoting volunteerism, showcasing community partners, and driving initiatives to make the physical and virtual workplace more environmentally conscious and inclusive.
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field such as Business Administration, Public Policy, Environmental Studies, International Relations, Communications, or Social Sciences required
• Master's Degree (MBA, MPA, or MSA preferred
• Minimum Years of Experience:
• Ten (10) years of progressive leadership experience in diverse areas of Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, and Community Relations with
• Five (5) years in a senior-level ESG, sustainability, or corporate affairs position
  

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Proven experience developing and executing global ESG strategies aligned with enterprise priorities.
• Deep expertise in stakeholder engagement, governance reporting, and managing cross-border philanthropic or sustainability programs.
• Strong financial and impact analysis acumen to measure ROI on ESG initiatives.
• Experience working across complex, matrixed organizations or multinational corporations.
• Demonstrated success influencing C-level executives and board-level stakeholders.
• Track record in crisis management, social risk mitigation, and reputation stewardship.
• Experience integrating ESG with brand, marketing, DEI, supply chain, or legal strategies.
  
  

Travel Required: Yes

Percent of Time: up to 10% of the time

Base Salary: $196,200 - $215,000 yearly

This range represents the low and high end of the anticipated base salary range for this position. The actual base salary will depend on numerous factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, and location. Our base salary is just one component of our competitive total rewards strategy, which includes numerous benefits and perks as well as specific health and welfare benefits.

Why Work at KEEN: Driven by a passion for life outside, KEEN is a values-led, independently owned brand from Portland, Oregon, that’s on a mission to create original and versatile products, improve lives, and inspire outside adventure. Founded in 2003, KEEN launched a revolution in the footwear industry with the introduction of the Newport adventure sandal and has donated more than $18 million to non-profit organizations and causes around the world to promote responsible outdoor recreation, including conservation efforts to protect open spaces. KEEN strives to show the world through its products and its actions that a business for good can actually be good for business. By giving back, reducing impact, and activating communities and individuals to protect the places where we work and play, KEEN puts its values in motion and takes action to leave the world a better place.

At KEEN, we believe in a more just and equitable future for all people. As a global brand, we acknowledge that our business, buildings, and daily lives exist within the traditional territories of indigenous peoples. We strive for a future that recognizes the knowledge, rights, and resilience of these peoples.

Fuerst Group, KEEN, and Chrome are equal opportunity employers. We value an inclusive and diverse community. Qualified candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability.