**ABOUT YOUR ROLE:** The Director, Government Affairs and Global Impact for China builds external and internal relations on government engagement topics and strategies within the China region, with the objective to enhance VF’s business reputation while reducing objective and subjective risk. This role also builds VF’s engagement with regional external stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, trade organizations, multi-stakeholder initiatives, and universities. This role achieves exceptional results, through strategic, collaborative and proactive external engagement. **YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE:** Include but not limited to + Partners with an expert internal team of subject matter experts to drive VF’s external engagement and government relations forward, including consultants in China policy, government affairs and lobbying, and external stakeholder management. + Collaborate with leadership to set a vision and strategy for government engagement regionally, in partnership with the global Government Affairs team while building annual workplans which detail activities and set measurable goals. + Understand the motivations and drivers of VF’s external stakeholders and their expectations for VF to drive change across the VF enterprise, including brand operations, retail, products, distribution, and supply chain, to protect people and the planet in line with VF’s purpose. + Create and maintain a dynamic mapping of impact areas for China from external stakeholders in relationship to the influence in the industry and over VF; formulate and lead strategic relationships and opportunities for collaboration to meet broader VF goals and to advance VF’s reputation among interested stakeholders. + Build and execute a robust, comprehensive government relations strategy for China covering all areas of government engagement touch points. Monitor legislative endeavors that benefit VF via regulation or legislation, with a view of both immediate and long-term benefit. + Represent VF’s commitment to responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship and protection of workers among key elected and appointed leaders, cabinet officials and political appointees. + Maintain overwatch of VF and all of its brands with the China Social Credit Rating System while building an implementing an effective dashboard for this system and all relevant legislation coming out of Beijing. + Support VF’s regional approach to mitigate human rights risks internally within VF and within our contracted factories, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other international norms. + Select and manage existing government consulting firms covering strategic jurisdictions in China. + Identify, map and engage key government administration and civilian staff. + Collaborate with subject matter experts within VF and external advisors to prioritize industry association memberships, competitor benchmarking and policy initiatives. **HOW YOU WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE:** + **G** **OVERNMENT AFFAIRS:** Government Relations for VF is a systematic effort to influence the policies of government to help achieve our business objectives and to protect the interest of our employees and customers. This role, in partnership with our legal team and the APAC President will lead all China government affairs strategies and activities relating to VF’s business. This role must understand the government framework in China specifically, government strategies, individuals in power, key legislative and party initiatives and entry points for lobbying and advocacy on various topics. This role will be responsible for regional engagements regarding trade policy, tariffs, customs, product standards, labor standards, environmental laws, sustainability endeavors, safety standards, raw material requirements, and more. This role will engage with key internal decision makers and subject matter experts as needed to support VF’s advocacy efforts and build coalitions of support to defend/amend or advocate for state and federal legislative proposals. This position is VF’s key regional government affairs team member. Government Relations protect business value and creates new value for VF by creating opportunities for VF’s business to thrive. This position enhances VF reputation with government officials, influences regulation and legislation to ease VF’s business and reduce costs and protects VF and our brands against negatively impactful legislation. This role also provides regional leadership for the newly formed VF global government affairs Council. + **CHINA PRODUCT COMPLIANCE:** This role partners with an expert team located in China, along with external China government affairs consultants, whose ultimate results enable VF and our brands to operate throughout China in accordance with the stated legal requirements. Operating as a set of western brands throughout multiple provinces across China presents a complex set of local interpretations to national laws. This team which would include this new role, builds relationships at a national level among key regulators and agencies and at the provincial level to minimize diverging local interpretations of law while building strong relationships and reputation to enable fast resolution of issues when they may arise. Managing the China testing schemes enables secure market opportunities to sell VF products in China. This role helps to build various strategies that leverage VF’s business needs and the Chinese government relationships, while fully and transparently complying with all requirements of the US’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Given the Chinese market is VF’s fastest growing market, the results of this position enable VF’s strategic choices while building success for VF in a complex and profitable market. + **STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY:** Key stakeholder engagement is a key part of a global business strategy and critical for the success of our business when seen from the view of external allies and adversaries. The benefits of external stakeholder engagement fall across three categories: + Maintaining or building reputation and credibility, understanding stakeholder concerns help mitigate risk helps, hearing a diverse range of perspectives and expertise to help VF make better decisions and arrive at otherwise unforeseen solutions. + The position will develop and maintain an updated comprehensive, regional mapping of all VF’s external stakeholders that impact VF’s activities, including charitable giving via the VF Foundation and our brands in China. This role leads the analysis of each stakeholder’s interest in VF, their alignment or opposition to VF’s activities, and VF’s strategy for engaging, which may range from no engagement to active partnership. In some cases, building collaborative relationships based on comprehensive mapping will help achieve great VF goals as it relates to GRS and sustainability efforts. This role will directly manage internal expert management staff and build internal and external subject matter teams that activate within the developed strategy to further VF’s interests while minimizing risk to VF and its brands. + **WORKERS RIGHTS:** With VF’s global supply chain spanning over 50 countries and well over 1 million workers, this role will continuously enhance VF’s ability to uphold the fundamental rights of workers throughout the region. This role determines which external organizations VF should engage or partner with to expand our ability to make a difference across the world. **WHAT WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR IN YOU:** **Competency requirements:** + Strong communication skills (verbal and written) + Strong interpersonal/influence skills (conflict resolution) + Operates with a high degree of integrity and a strong commitment legal and policy compliance + Strong building external strategic relationship skills (which add value to VF’s business and Foundation efforts in China) **Functional Competencies:** + Stakeholder Management + Problem solving + Understanding of charitable giving / NGO function in China + Database management + Government Affairs experience w/ focus in China (both at the local and country level) **Experience** Minimum 7+ years of relevant experience. 5 years of stakeholder engagement experience and government affairs leadership. Experience working in a consumer product company with a global supply chain is a plus. **Academic Qualifications** Minimum Degree Held: BA/BS in communications, political science, business, law, or related field. MS in related field a plus but not required. **Language Proficiency:** Fluent in English, Chinese or any Asian Languages R-20250512-0061 VF Diversity Vision Statement VF is committed to creating an inclusive environment that welcomes and values the differences among all of our associates, customers, suppliers and the communities in which we live and conduct business. The continued success and growth of VF is enhanced through initiatives that promote diversity throughout VF around the world.VF is an equal employment opportunity/ affirmative action employer of minorities, females, protected veterans and the disabled. VF is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, and treating our VF associates and VF applicants without discrimination on the basis of their race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, citizenship, disability, protected veteran status, HIV/AIDS status, or any other legally protected factor.