Organizational Background:

Label STEP established its presence in Nepal in 1997. The organization monitors and validates fair trade standards across the complete line of handmade carpets produced by STEP Fair Trade Partners (licensees/importers). Good working and living conditions, fair salaries, collective bargaining, environmentally responsible production, and the prohibition of child labor are among the 10 STEP Standards. Wherever non-compliance is detected, these compliance criteria are systematically audited, and corrective steps are expected to be taken. Label STEP Nepal also conducts the 'Weavers Community Empowerment Program,' which aims to build the capability of weavers via education and training, including financial literacy.

Label STEP uses an interactive web-based database named ‘STEP Web’ to simplify the verification process, to ensure that the swift sharing of the compliance reports with the stakeholders and to ensure adoption of the corrective actions.

Since November 2019, Label STEP has been executing the "Artisans Villages Revitalizing Nepal's Carpet Industry" in the Sarlahi area of Province-2, in conjunction with the UKAID Skills for Employment Program. The project aims to replicate Kathmandu's success model, which has seen an unprecedented rise in the carpet industry for over six decades, while also creating jobs and improving the livelihoods of the marginalized community, as well as overcoming the hand-knotted carpet industry's crippling labor shortages. To keep track of the weavers’ development as well as the production management, Label STEP has developed a Weavers Management app and Weaver Database as a part of the project. 

Responsibilities and Accountability:

• Undertake regular field visit to all workshops of the member exporters for monitoring and verification of fair trade standards in the production of STEP Fair Trade Partner’s (licensees/importers) entire line of handmade carpets.
• Ensure compliance of STEP’s 10 Standards which include good working and living conditions, fair wages, collective bargaining, eco-friendly production, and the prohibition of child labour among others in all the STEP affiliated supplier workshops.
• Ensure corrective actions are implemented wherever non-compliance is observed.
• Update STEP Dashboard following field visit of all STEP affiliated suppliers.
• Update and upload reports of the verification visits in STEP web with pictures and necessary comments, as well as set the date of the next follow up visit.
• Undertake wage survey on a regular basis and upload the findings in Step Web for each supplier.
• Update weavers information in STEP web.
• Submit written report of any serious concern of Harsh/ Inhumane treatment, sexual harassment and Child labor in the supply chain immediately to the country representative/supervisor.
• Prepare regular field visit reports and annual reports of the STEP affiliated suppliers in line with the standard reporting template.
• Share feedback and suggestion to design weaver/ workers awareness program as per the observation during monitoring and verification process.
• Make sure that the privacy of our suppliers we visit, are not violated. (Such as; designs bring exposed)
• Undertake any other assigned tasks as per the emerging priorities of the organization.

Qualification:

• Completed Bachelor Degree in social sciences, commerce or any other related field or completed higher secondary education with at least two years of experience in social mobilization or community engagement activities.
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English and Nepali.
• Adept in Microsoft office applications
• Strong passion to work in the field and community level.

Working Hours:

• 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, 5 days a week.