Certification Officer – Farming and Growing

Location: Bristol, Hybrid Working (40% in office), United Kingdom
Salary: £28,800 to £30,800 per annum
Employment Type: Full-time, 12 months Fixed Term Contract

About our 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.

About the Opportunity

We are looking for a passionate and professional individual to join our organic Farming and Growing team as a Certification Officer. The role will require you to support with the delivery of our organic farming schemes and carry out certification and account management services to a portfolio of farming and growing clients (licensees) across the UK. The role is hybrid with 40% of the month spent in the office and 60% working from home. We are looking for an individual who is efficient and can provide excellent customer service to our clients.

About You

• You must have a qualification and/or background in farming, ideally with some knowledge of organic production methods. We will also consider candidates who have equivalent knowledge but some limited experience working in the farming sector.
• You must have knowledge about the organic standards, specifically in relation to farming and growing.
• You need to be confident and decisive, a good communicator and be able to work with different people from a variety of communities and backgrounds, and have experience in face-to-face communications and providing good customer care.
• You are computer literate and ideally have experience using CRM/database systems.
• You must have excellent organisational and time management skills, with close attention to detail.
• Full UK driving licence is desirable for travelling to any external events

Our 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

To Apply

Click ‘apply now’ to submit your application form. Please note we look at applications on arrival and reserve the right to close this vacancy early.

Please check your junk/spam folder if you do not receive a confirmation email upon submitting your application. All candidates will subsequently receive an email to confirm whether they have made it through to interview stage.

For any queries, please contact [email protected]

Please note we do not accept CVs or Cover Letters.

We know the value of diversity in nature and want it in our organisation. We recognise that diverse backgrounds and experiences will bring a fresh perspective to our work. If you’re not sure about applying, please get in touch with us for a chat.

Thank you for your interest in supporting our work at the Soil Association.