About the organisation

Soil Association Certification Ltd exists to accelerate the just transition across food, farming and land use, as a global leader in sustainability certification. We deliver trusted solutions with nature, for people and planet through the certification of high integrity holistic standards. These assurance schemes cover a wide range of sectors including food, forestry, farming, landscape restoration carbon markets, beauty and wellbeing, textiles and catering.

We are recognised and trusted by consumers and businesses around the world, operating in over 60 countries delivering FSC and PEFC certification, and you will also find the Soil Association organic symbol on over 70% of organic products in the UK.

Soil Association Certification is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Soil Association, formed in 1946, which is the only UK charity which works across the spectrum of human health, the environment and animal welfare. That’s because we cannot tackle these issues in isolation.

We campaign for change, we support farming innovation, we serve healthy food in communities, we support and grow the organic market, and we protect forests. We couldn’t do any of this without our supporters, partners, donors and dedicated staff. We make a difference in the world where it’s needed the most.

About the opportunity

The technical team provide an essential technical service to the staff of the forestry department as well as the wider network of auditors, agents and certificate holders across the globe. No two days are the same as we regularly respond to scheme owner changes through integration into our Quality Management Systems, training and calibrating our network and coordinating internal and external audits and findings to ensure full implementation. We regularly collaborate with our scheme owners including FSC and PEFC to ensure that the certification standards are robust and implementable enabling us to increase our positive impact on responsible forest management through our certification activities. The imminent integration of the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) into the scheme owner accreditation standards has instigated this recruitment process which will expand our team of technical staff.

About you

The ideal candidate will:

• Operate with a high level of accuracy with excellent attention to detail
• Take ownership of tasks and pride in completing them accurately, efficiently and on time
• Have excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Be a good team player: assist colleagues; share information and ideas
• Have empathy with the aims and objectives of the Soil Association
• Professional membership of the Institute of Chartered Foresters or another relevant professional body is desirable.

Benefits

We offer a range of financial and lifestyle benefits to all our employees, including:

• 27 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days with length of service plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time)
• Pension scheme with ethical investment options and employer contribution increasing with length of service
• Free membership of the Soil Association and discounts on organic produce
• Volunteer days to give back to the local community or support green initiatives
• Family friendly policies and flexible working
• Cycle to work scheme
• Sociable and engaging workplace of professionals that share a passion for healthy, sustainable lifestyle and produce.

Hours

37.5 hours per week, Mon – Fri – with flexibility for travel at weekends if needed

Permanent