Back Senior Coordinator (expert specialist) on Organic Policy and Guarantee

We are hiring a Senior Coordinator (expert specialist) on Organic Policy and Guarantee

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About Us

Founded in 1972, IFOAM – Organics International works as an agent of change, advocating for true sustainability in agriculture, value chains, and consumption. We are an international non-profit organization with a membership base that spans around 100 countries, and promote a holistic approach to food systems based on the principles of health, ecology, fairness, and care.

The Position

It’s an exciting time to join our team; we are looking to strengthen our organization by hiring a Senior Coordinator to complement the expertise in our Organic Policy and Guarantee team at IFOAM – Organics International. We are looking for an experienced professional in the working area of Organic Guarantee and Policy with proven technical expertise. **

The Policy and Guarantee team advocates for and supports the development and revision of policies, regulations as well public and private organic guarantee systems. Its goal is to achieve policies, regulatory frameworks and national organic sector strategies that are conducive to the development of the organic sector specifically and, more generally, to the advancement of sustainability in agriculture and food systems.

As Policy & Guarantee Senior Coordinator, you will join a culturally diverse 30-member team at our office in Bonn, Germany. Your will be part of a team of 7, all experts in the field of global/ organic policy and/or guarantee.

We are aiming to fill this position from October 2021 or as soon as possible.

Tasks and Responsibilities

The incumbent will coordinate, provide technical advice and implement projects and consultancy missions on organic policy and guarantee systems, including organic standards, certification, regulations, support policies and national sector development strategies. This includes a combination of:

Technical advice: support, coordinate and give expert input into policies and regulations, follow-up on policy processes, maintain technical overviews, conduct stakeholder consultations, design and deliver technical coaching and trainings, organize and facilitate multi-stakeholder workshops, and deliver in-country technical consultancies. Particularly, provide expert input on policy and regulations in countries with which we currently work through project engagements. In addition, provide expert input on supporting policies, sector development and national action plans into other ongoing projects managed by other teams.

Implement advocacy and consultancy activities towards regulations in development or under revision for inclusion improvement of their standards and control requirements and for the inclusion of equivalence approaches in their import regulation. Follow-up on major regulation revisions (EU, US, etc…) and necessary technical position developments and submissions if any. Guide the technical and/or advocacy work related to group certification.

Manage IFOAM’s role as a scheme owner of the IFOAM Accreditation Program and our communication with IOAS and the Accredited Certification Bodies on it. Contribute to the work on the IFOAM Norms (IFOAM Standard and/or IFOAM Accreditation Requirements) and IFOAM - Organics International technical positions development.

Coordinate researches on organic certification trends as well as on general sector trends, that help improve IFOAM-Organics International’s strategic recommendations for national organic sector development strategies. Review and comment on consultant studies and reports related to Organic Agriculture development (particularly in Africa) that are linked to IFOAM projects or projects from our cooperation partners.

Project management: Conduct budget and implementation monitoring, coordinate activities, reporting, etc of ongoing projects. Support others in writing project proposals and tender proposals to acquire funding for the P&G activities.

Representation: When required, you will represent the organization at external events and contribute to the global, regional and national advocacy efforts of IFOAM - Organics International

Skills, Experience and Qualifications

· MSc or BSc degree in agriculture, environmental studies, political science, development studies, or related fields;

· At least 6+ years of work experience in the above fields, of which at least 4 years in organic agriculture;

· A good understanding of the global organic policy and guarantee landscape, including familiarity with public support to organic agriculture, organic regulations, organic certification, the organic movement and organic agriculture in developing countries;

· Exposure to developing countries, international events and policy processes in a work context;

· Experience with project coordination/management of donor-funded projects;

· Excellent English, written and spoken;

· At least one other language, either French or German;

· Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a culturally diverse team;

· Strong ability to self-organize, take initiative and make budget decisions within the context of project budgets, balanced with a willingness to perform hands-on tasks linked to project administration;

· High level of integrity and commitment to advancing the cause of the organic movement.

· Familiarity with Participatory Guarantee Systems and/or group certification;

· Knowledge or experience of working with United Nations and other international organizations;

· Familiarity with national/regional strategies for organic sector development;

· Expertise in the field of organic standards and/or conformity assessment;

· Familiarity with IFOAM - Organics International and/or the global organic movement.

Our Offer

We offer a full-time position, initially for 2 years, with the intention to extend to an unlimited contract. IFOAM – Organics International offers a gross annual salary range comparable with other international NGOs, depending on the qualifications and experience. We are open for candidates with managerial experience and an exceptional profile exceeding the requirements laid out in this call, which will get remunerated accordingly.