Certification Program Manager
About The Position
Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) is seeking a Certification Program Manager (CPM) to lead a designated certification review subteam and oversee part of PCO’s annual certification workflow. The role ensures effective and consistent implementation of certification under the USDA National Organic Program and other organic standards. The CPM translates certification policies and priorities into actionable workflows, monitors performance against targets, and guides team members toward organizational goals while fostering a compassionate, mission-aligned workplace culture. The CPM provides direct supervision to Certification Specialists and oversees team management, including onboarding, training, workflow planning, performance monitoring, coaching, and performance reviews. The position also leads change initiatives, supports continuous improvement, and works across departments to align operations with organizational goals. The role oversees certification processes and compliance, including review workflow prioritization, adverse actions, reinstatements, export certificate issuance, and coordination with Quality on accreditation requirements and audit findings. The CPM also contributes to staff training, procedures, forms, and policies, and may assist with complaints, investigations, appeals, and legal actions. This is a fully remote position with moderate travel.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or an equivalent combination of education and training.
- At least three years of experience in organic certification.
- At least three years of experience as a supervisor or people manager.
- Knowledge of USDA organic standards.
- Education, training, or professional experience in agriculture, science, or organic production or handling relevant to assigned duties.
- Strong regulatory compliance experience.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work independently while coordinating and communicating effectively with others.
- Strong planning and teamwork skills.
- Proficiency with common software tools, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and internet research.
- Ability to attend events or trainings requiring travel.
Nice To Haves
- Team leadership experience.
- Experience with database management.
Responsibilities
- Lead and support the Certification Review Team, helping staff meet individual and team goals.
- Support hiring, training, onboarding, and ongoing management of team personnel.
- Coach and mentor staff, support professional development, conduct performance reviews, and provide ongoing feedback.
- Manage team workflows and monitor performance to ensure certification decisions are timely, consistent, and aligned with PCO’s mission and goals.
- Foster a collaborative, inclusive, accountable, and continuously learning team culture.
- Support implementation and refinement of the team-based certification service model, documenting lessons learned and establishing sustainable processes.
- Lead the team through change with clear communication, empathy, and a focus on learning and improvement.
- Identify and communicate operational impacts of regulatory or internal process changes, and collaborate across departments on change initiatives.
- Facilitate staff feedback and engagement during transitions and incorporate insights into change strategies.
- Participate in industry working groups, task forces, listserv discussions, and relevant trainings or events to stay current on regulations and industry developments.
- Implement strategies aligned with annual work plan goals and support workflow processes and client-file prioritization, including assigning and performing reviews when appropriate.
- Manage team metrics and evaluation tools to measure performance, identify trends, and improve services.
- Allocate team resources to support customer service, consistency, timeliness, and review quality.
- Oversee and support adverse action processes, including mediations, settlements, and reinstatements.
- Implement a customer service strategy that improves the certification experience and supports client retention.
- Oversee reinstatements and export certificate issuance, including approvals and documentation.
- Partner with Quality to support accreditation requirements, audit plans, and resolution of findings and nonconformities.
- Support timely, inclusive, and transparent communication with internal and external stakeholders.
- Contribute to training, procedures, forms, and policies that support continuous improvement and compliance.
- Assist with complaints, investigations, appeals, and legal actions as needed.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
