Job Advert: Certification Manager

Employment Type: Full-time

Job Summary

The Certification Manager will lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of all sustainable agriculture and ethical sourcing standards. The successful candidate will spearhead fair trade and UTZ certification schemes, ensuring the company’s operations maintain strict traceability, ethical labor compliance, and sustainable agricultural practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage field staff (coordinators and officers) and supervise the ICT function to ensure timely inspections, accurate data collection, and reliable certification and EUDR records
• Maintain and expand sustainability certifications (EU & NOP organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance)
• Develop and deliver training programs for: farmers (good agricultural practices, certification compliance) and staff (quality systems, documentation, audits)
• Ensure cocoa and vanilla farmers clearly understand and consistently comply with certification standards
• Oversee the Internal Control System (ICS) and GMR ensuring farmer registration, records, and farm mapping, among other elements, are accurate and up to date
• Conduct internal audits and host external certification audits
• Maintain continuous audit readiness through proper documentation, robust traceability systems, non-compliance risk assessments, and prompt implementation of corrective actions
• Supervise systems ensuring compliance with deforestation and EUDR requirements, including farmer identification, polygon mapping, and accurate volume tracking and verification
• Monitor sourcing and purchasing activities to ensure full adherence to certification requirements
• Support on in-house compliance with other certification requirements such as the good functioning of grievance mechanism
• Ensure compliance with customer-specific codes and requirements
• Maintain strong relationships with farmer associations and cooperatives
• Support and guide farmer cooperatives to meet Fairtrade compliance requirements
• Advise cooperatives on the selection and implementation of Fairtrade Premium projects
• Narrative and Financial management and reporting of small and medium sized donor projects
• Ensure transparency and accountability across all certification and sourcing activities
• Manage and continuously improve systems and processes related to certification
• Willingness to live in Bundibugyo and travel frequently to other cocoa producing regions within Uganda
• Other tasks as needed

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Environmental Science, Agribusiness, or related field
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in: Certification systems (Organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, etc.) and managing field teams and farmer-based programs
• Experience in cocoa/vanilla value chains and cooperatives preferred

Language requirements:

• Fluency in English (written and oral)
• Fluent in at least one of the following languages: Rutooro, Lubwisi, Lukonzo, Kwamba.
• Working proficiency in French and/or Swahili desired.

Personal Qualities

The ideal candidate for this role is an ethical leader with strong integrity, who will do the right thing even when no-one’s watching. They also have:

• High attention to detail, organisational and planning skills
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, from field to boardroom
• A passion for the sustainability and regenerative agriculture

• Manage field staff (coordinators and officers) and supervise the ICT function to ensure timely inspections, accurate data collection, and reliable certification and EUDR records
• Maintain and expand sustainability certifications (EU & NOP organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance)
• Develop and deliver training programs for: farmers (good agricultural practices, certification compliance) and staff (quality systems, documentation, audits)
• Ensure cocoa and vanilla farmers clearly understand and consistently comply with certification standards
• Oversee the Internal Control System (ICS) and GMR ensuring farmer registration, records, and farm mapping, among other elements, are accurate and up to date
• Conduct internal audits and host external certification audits
• Maintain continuous audit readiness through proper documentation, robust traceability systems, non-compliance risk assessments, and prompt implementation of corrective actions
• Supervise systems ensuring compliance with deforestation and EUDR requirements, including farmer identification, polygon mapping, and accurate volume tracking and verification
• Monitor sourcing and purchasing activities to ensure full adherence to certification requirements
• Support on in-house compliance with other certification requirements such as the good functioning of grievance mechanism
• Ensure compliance with customer-specific codes and requirements
• Maintain strong relationships with farmer associations and cooperatives
• Support and guide farmer cooperatives to meet Fairtrade compliance requirements
• Advise cooperatives on the selection and implementation of Fairtrade Premium projects
• Narrative and Financial management and reporting of small and medium sized donor projects
• Ensure transparency and accountability across all certification and sourcing activities
• Manage and continuously improve systems and processes related to certification
• Willingness to live in Bundibugyo and travel frequently to other cocoa producing regions within Uganda
• Other tasks as needed

• High attention to detail, organisational and planning skills
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, from field to boardroom
• A passion for the sustainability and regenerative agriculture

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Environmental Science, Agribusiness, or related field
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in: Certification systems (Organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, etc.) and managing field teams and farmer-based programs
• Experience in cocoa/vanilla value chains and cooperatives preferred
• Fluency in English (written and oral)
• Fluent in at least one of the following languages: Rutooro, Lubwisi, Lukonzo, Kwamba.
• Working proficiency in French and/or Swahili desired.