Director of Farm Certification

CCOF Certification Services, LLC Published: April 27, 2019
Location
Santa Cruz, CA
Skill Level
Senior Level
Job Type
Full-time
Categories
Admin/ Gen Mgmt / Farm / Organics

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Description

~ CCOF Certification Services, LLC (CCOF) advances organic agriculture for a healthy world. We advocate on behalf of our members for organic policies, support the growth of organic through education and grants, and provide organic certification that is personal and accessible. ~

CCOF is a nonprofit organization governed by the people who grow and make our food. Founded in California more than 40 years ago, today our roots span the breadth of North America and our presence is internationally recognized. We are supported by an organic family of farmers, ranchers, processors, retailers, consumers, and policymakers. Together, we work to realize a future where organic is the norm.

Position Summary

CCOF Certification Services, LLC (CCOF) is seeking a Director of Farm Certification. The Director oversees CCOF’s farm-level certification programs within CCOF’s USDA National Organic Program, internationally accredited organic certification programs in the US, Canada and Mexico and CCOF’s Food Safety Services. This position may also implement new add on programs.

The CCOF Director of Farm Certification is responsible for CCOF organic certification programs for Grower, Livestock, Wild Crops scopes and Spanish Services within the USDA, COR, and International certification programs, as well as oversight and management of CCOF’s Global G.A.P. Food Safety program. This position is responsible for consistent application of regulations and procedures by certification staff and supports certification staff in their work.

This is a senior management level position for a self-directed career minded individual. Applicants must have extensive knowledge of organic certification, standards, personnel management, program oversight and the ability to work in a fast-paced office environment with demanding job responsibilities.

This position supports the development of new initiatives, oversees certification policies and helps to address new and evolving areas of organic standards. The Director will supervise 4 or more Certification Managers and/or Supervisors, who, in total, currently supervise 20+ Farm Department certification staff members.

Note: This is a full-time, exempt, status position reporting to the Chief Certification Officer (CCO).

Position Responsibilities

  • Will interact in various areas of CCOF governance including the CCOF CS LLC Management Committee and CCOF Inc Board of Directors as needed.
  • Supports the CCO in responding to issues as they arise, including the development and implementation of any special projects.
  • Partners with other senior management within CCOF Certification Services to ensure organizational success and achievement of strategic plan goals.
  • Has direct accountability for accreditation, compliance outcomes, and quarterly dashboard performance.
  • Oversees a team of Department Certification Supervisors and/or Managers.
  • Maintains expertise on technical organic issues and oversees technical personnel. May interact at regulatory level on certification matters.
  • Ensures customer service-oriented certification approach is maintained by certification staff.
  • Oversees decisions about important policies/positions on certification standards and implementation in the day-to-day certification context.
  • Works with Director of Operations, Director of Handler Certification and Director of Inspection Operations to develop, implement and execute consistent certification processes, procedures, and systems.
  • Collaborates with the quality department or directly oversees complaints, investigations, appeals, legal actions and other high-stakes issues for optimal outcomes.
  • Oversees implementation of standards including changes to regulations, instructions or guidance.
  • Ensures that department workload is completed within timeliness guidelines and organizational performance indicators.
  • Oversees certification department personnel and structure.
  • Ensures certification processes and decisions are performed in compliance with CCOF policies, CCOF Quality Manual and appropriate accreditation requirements.
  • May support or oversee discrete new business initiatives, services, or programs as directed by the CCO.
  • May represent the organization at trade shows, conferences, meetings, etc. as directed by the CCO.
  • Works directly with other areas of the CCOF organization on cross-organizational projects, needs and systems.
  • Serves as a member of the CCOF LLC Certification Management Team and CCOF cross organizational Management Team.

Desired Qualifications

Please do not submit an application unless you have all of the following:

  • B.A. or B.S. degree or higher in a relevant field.
  • At least five years of experience in organic certification and/or other third party auditing programs.
  • Thorough knowledge of organic standards applicable to farms and livestock operations.
  • Demonstrated experience managing both people and programs.
  • Direct experience in agriculture or food processing.
  • At least three years of experience in a professional office environment.
  • Comfort using a computer for multiple hours at a time.
  • Competency in word processing, formatting, databases, and email using applications including Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel.
  • Excellent professional communication skills in person, on the phone, and in writing.
  • Excellent skills to organize, monitor, and track numerous activities throughout the year.
  • Ability to travel throughout the year, represent CCOF at tradeshows and industry events, etc.
  • Ability to logically solve problems under pressure.
  • Ability to work with various groups of people and demographics.
  • Ability to multi-task in a busy environment.
  • Strong attention to detail.

Compensation: CCOF takes pride in offering competitive pay and excellent benefits. The Director of Farm Certification’s starting compensation will depend on qualifications and experience.  

To Apply

Hiring Process:

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Interested applicants, please submit the following documents to employment@ccof.org, with “Director of Farm Certification” in the subject line.  

  • Cover letter
  • Current resume
  • List of three professional references

Position will remain open until filled.

  • Incomplete applications will not be considered
  • No phone calls please
  • Only short-listed candidates will be contacted

Thank you for your interest. 

When you apply for this position, please say you saw this job on Green Dream Jobs!!

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