Social & Human Rights Project Lead

About Earthworm

Earthworm is a group of people who believes we can solve the big issues affecting people and nature today. We work in global supply chains impacting millions of people and places around the world to make the products we buy. We work on the ground, in forests, fields and factories, helping companies, farmers and communities find practical solutions together. And we know that, ultimately, trust and positive changes comes from people getting to work together, hands in the soil.

Your Role

As part of this role, you’ll be leading labour and social assessments across palm oil plantations, mills, refineries, and other supply chain sites. Your work will ensure compliance with labour laws, human rights standards, buyer requirements, and certification schemes. You’ll be identifying labour risks and helping to shape corrective action plans that improve worker welfare and strengthen responsible business practices.

Collaboration will be central to your success: you’ll work closely with private-sector actors in the agricultural supply chain and government agencies to embed Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) into the palm oil sector in Malaysia.

A key focus will be tackling forced labour risks, promoting responsible recruitment, ensuring workers’ access to remedy, and preventing child labour.

Beyond assessments, you’ll also support companies in building their capacity to remediate human rights issues, empowering them to take ownership of ethical practices.

This is a role that keeps you connected to the realities on the ground, requiring frequent travel to palm oil sites across Malaysia.

Your daily work will include:

• Getting out into the field: Visiting supply chain sites to conduct labour rights assessments through document reviews, interviews, and on-the-ground observations.
• Turning insights into action: Preparing baseline and endline reports, drafting corrective action plans (CAPs), and monitoring progress.
• Being the go-to expert: Providing technical guidance on labour rights, human rights due diligence, and social compliance to colleagues, suppliers, and partners.
• Building strong partnerships: Coordinating project activities with suppliers, government agencies, civil society, and other stakeholders.
• Improving our tools: Maintaining and refining labour assessment methodologies.
• Driving impact in landscapes programmes: Supporting social and human rights projects in EF Southern Central Forest Spine (SCFS) and Sabah.
• Empowering others: Designing and delivering training sessions and workshops on forced labour, ethical recruitment, and grievance mechanisms.
• Sharing knowledge: Preparing reports and presentations that help stakeholders understand challenges, solutions, and inspire action.

Your Profile

You’ll thrive in this role if you bring both expertise and passion for advancing labour rights and responsible sourcing.

Ideally, you’ll have:

• Hands-on experience in Malaysia’s agricultural supply chains, assessing and addressing human rights risks and improving worker welfare and ethical sourcing.
• Strong command of key frameworks: Malaysian labour laws, UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, ILO Conventions, OECD Guidelines, MSPO, RSPO, and EU regulatory requirements to strengthen Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) systems.
• Influence with private-sector actors, engaging companies to shift their sourcing practices toward responsibility and sustainability.
• Training expertise: Designing and delivering programmes on HRDD, forced labour, responsible recruitment, child labour, and access to remedy.
• Collaborative spirit with independence: Proactive, a strong team player, while capable of working autonomously.
• Technical skills: Producing clear presentations and analytical outputs using Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel.

Workings Conditions

• Education: Preferable Degree in Social Sciences, Human Rights, Sociology, International Development, or other related field.
• Experience: 4 years minimum.
• Language(s): Bahasa & English.
• Employment: Full-time.
• Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Joining Us

If you are in search of having a meaningful impact, with a desire to innovate and act for the environment, this offer is for you! The team you would join is truly committed to and passionate about finding concrete solutions to improve relationship between People and Nature.