Certification Forester

Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) is private for-profit company recognized internationally for its third-party evaluation and certification programs. Founded in 1984, SCS offers technical expertise that spans a wide cross-section of the economy including food and agriculture, forestry, coffee, fisheries, energy, consumer products, manufacturing and retailing, and the home improvement and construction sectors. SCS is accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). 

Position Overview: 

The Certification Forester carries out a range of professional activities primarily associated with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)  Forest Management Certification and SCS LegalHarvest Timber Verification.  From time-to-time the Certification Forester may be given other responsibilities in Greenhouse (GHG) Gas Verification. 

Our forest certification projects are conducted around the world, and done so under the auspices of the Forest Stewardship Council-FSC.  The certification forester serves as an auditor for FSC Forest Management/Chain-of-Custody and SCS Legal Harvest Timber verification projects; trains and reviews the work of contract auditors, conducts stakeholder outreach and adaptation of standards; and helps market certification programs to potential clients. 

This position requires travel, fluctuating between 20%-40% time, depending on the season. Work is to be based out of the SCS Point Richmond, California office.

Responsibilities:

• Auditor: works alone, or with teams of professionals to assess management practices of private and publicly managed forests relative to the FSC and Legal Harvest certification/verification standards.  Assessments take place on operations throughout the world and involve document review, research, stakeholder consultation, on-site assessment of field activities, interviews, and report writing.
• General Certification/Verification Support: oversees the completion of initial and annual assessments including assembling, training, and scheduling certification/verification teams; notifying and consulting with stakeholders; planing assessment itineraries; coordinating the peer review process; reviewing, editing, and finalizing reports.
• Quality Control Related to FSC and ISO Accreditation (e.g., tracking of latest FSC, Legality Verification, and ISO standard developments and coordination of programmatic changes to keep SCS in conformance).
• Marketing/business development: assists program directors in preparing budgets and proposals for new certification/verification projects.  Provides responses to parties interested in certification.
• Training/Oversight:  Recruits, trains, and oversees work of assessors/consultants.
• General Administration: assists with tasks related to the management of the programs, translating/updating public summaries of audit reports, maintaining current website documents, and maintaining current files for all certified clients.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications:

• Minimum Bachelors degree in forestry (or closely related natural resources field);
• Preference given to applicants with at least 4 years of professional experience in a related field;  
• Preference given to applicants with auditing experience and knowledge of forest certification;
• Excellent writing and communication skills;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Computer skills: proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel required;experience with Filemaker Pro preferred;
• English proficiency required; Preference given to applicants who possess additional foreign language skills in Spanish, Portuguese, French, Indonesian, Russian, and/or Chinese.
• Initiative and ability to work independently or in a team to complete tasks in a timely manner

Compensation: Compensation is based on qualifications and prior experience.  SCS offers a competitive benefits package including vacation, health, dental, and 401K. 

To Apply: 

Please submit a resume and cover letter, including salary requirements, a description of how your skills and experience fit the needs and mission of our company and writing or presentation samples with our on-line form.

SCS is an equal opportunity employer and as such, considers individuals for employment or promotion according to their skills, abilities and experience. We value diversity and are a company that values employees of many backgrounds. Accordingly, SCS does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions) national origin, ancestry, age, medical condition, physical disability, mental disability, family care status, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis prohibited by law. Further, SCS prohibits the harassment of any individual on any of the bases listed above.  This policy applies to all areas of employment, including recruitment, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.