Bilingual Farm Certification Specialist

Who we are: 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 50 years ago, our roots now 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 is expanding our Farm certification team! We are seeking a Farm Certification Specialist who will provide bilingual (English/Spanish) technical services to certified Farm operations and new applicants, ensuring clients of diverse backgrounds have equitable access to the certification process.    

 

If you are bilingual in English and Spanish, have regulatory compliance and/or environmental, agriculture or related field experience gained through work or volunteer positions, and share a passion for our mission to advance organic agriculture for a healthier world, we encourage you to apply. As a Farm Certification Specialist, you’ll play a key role in ensuring the organic integrity of products in the marketplace.   

 

This is a full-time, non-exempt position that reports to the Farm Certification Team Lead, Supervisor, or Manager. This is a United States-based remote position.  

 

This position does not include on-site inspections of certified operations and will not include field work in the future.  

 

Applications will be reviewed beginning January 13, 2025.   

 

Essential Responsibilities:

• Review inspection reports and mid-year updates for certified farm clients and new applicants to evaluate compliance with USDA National Organic Program (NOP) and other applicable standards and communicate outcomes to clients. 

• Make autonomous or semi-autonomous decisions about client compliance with standards, including requirements related to land history, seed and planting stock use, crop rotation and soil management, natural resource management, input materials, equipment, post-harvest handling, labeling, records, and audit trail documentation.  

• Provide customer service to clients, including technical assistance on regulatory topics and support navigating the certification process. 

• Maintain accurate client database records in CCOF’s complex, proprietary database. 

 

Specific Duties    

• Provide clear and accessible written and verbal communication about the certification process and regulatory requirements to CCOF clients via email, letter, phone, and occasional virtual or in-person meetings. 

• Utilize regulatory text and other resources, including technical support staff office hours, to make compliance decisions. 

• Ensure timely review of client updates and inspection reports by independently managing workload in alignment with internal team goals. 

• Complete a quality and quantity of work on par with other Farm Certification Specialists of similar tenure. 

• Ensure that USDA NOP and other applicable standards and CCOF Quality System requirements are implemented. 

• Ensure that client database records are consistent and current.  

• Attend recurring staff meetings and monitor internal communications to maintain updated knowledge of current topics, updates, and announcements. 

• Complete ongoing professional development to expand skills and knowledge, meet requirements of CCOF’s accreditations, and contribute to the ongoing development of the team.  

• Work on special projects as deemed necessary by the Director of Farm Certification.

 

Required Qualifications: 

• Bilingual proficiency in both English and Spanish extending to written and spoken communication for Spanish speaking audiences including farm operators in the US and Mexico. Ability to write and understand complex texts and have challenging conversations in both languages. 

• Exceptional critical thinking skills to work independently within established procedures and use available resources to overcome obstacles and problem-solve. Able to ask for assistance when needed.    

• Professional written and verbal communication to effectively engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Writes clearly to tailor messages to various audiences. Organizes and shares information effectively.  

• Able to confidently navigate roles involving communicating regulatory requirements.   

• Understanding of how to prioritize competing needs and tasks without sacrificing quality. Able to monitor, plan, and follow through on tasks with competing deadlines. Able to effectively track information from multiple sources such as emails, phone calls, meetings, and messaging notifications.  

• Notices and fixes errors that others might overlook. Acknowledges mistakes and turns them into learning opportunities. Has a track record of leaving things better than they found them. 

• Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office suite (especially Outlook, Word, and Teams) and other relevant applications such as database programs. Able to learn database programs and maintain accurate database records.  

• Proficient in delivering technical support and building trust through professional and empathetic customer service interactions. Displays a courteous, helpful attitude when interacting with clients and is able to de-escalate tense situations. 

• Actively contributes to the team to complete tasks and meet goals. Actively listens to coworkers, respects ideas, and aims to improve processes. Receptive to constructive feedback. 

• B.A. or B.S. degree or higher in an applicable field such as environmental science, agriculture, or related fields. OR at least 3 years of experience in an applicable field gained through work or volunteer positions.   

 

Desired Qualifications: 

• Knowledge and commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles. Willing to engage in discussions about race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, ability, or gender and the ways our identities shape our workplace experiences. Understands the historical context for inequities and its present-day implications. 

• Experience with organic and/or regenerative production practices or regulations, such as hands on field experience in agriculture or at a certification agency accredited by the National Organic Program and/or Regenerative Organic Alliance. 

• Completion of IOIA Organic Crop and/or Livestock Inspector training or similar. 

• Experience working in complex database programs (i.e. Intact Platform). 

• Experience with environmental, quality assurance or food safety regulatory programs. 

• Experience working remotely and/or collaborating effectively with remote teams. 

• Commitment to CCOF’s mission to advance organic agriculture for a healthy world. 

 

Supervisory Responsibilities or Key Relationships: 

• This role does not have any supervisory responsibilities. 

 

Physical and Travel Requirements: 

• 8-hour regular workday schedule that falls within the 7:00 am to 7:00 pm timeframe in the employee’s time zone. This ensures client contact availability during most normal CCOF business hours (8:00 am – 5:00 pm Pacific Time). 

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. 

• This position may involve occasional opportunities to travel domestically for staff events, and/or to represent CCOF professionally at industry events in the US or Mexico. Travel opportunities for this position are generally optional and are not expected to exceed approximately 10 days per year.   

 

Other duties: 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

 

Compensation: CCOF takes pride in offering competitive pay and benefits such as superb health plans, 401(k) program, and generous sick/personal and vacation time. The bilingual Farm Certification Specialist’s starting salary range will be $56,238 - $60,000 and will depend on qualifications and experience.  

Hiring Process: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Interested applicants, please submit the following documents:

• Cover letter summarizing your interest in CCOF and the position, and qualifications
• Current resume
• List of three professional, academic or volunteer references 

Incomplete applications will not be considered. No phone calls, please. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Thank you for your interest.

CCOF is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage people with diverse backgrounds and experience to apply.

Inclusivity is a core value at CCOF. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable work and learning environment for all employees. We believe every member of our team enriches our diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions.