Job Description: Certification Director

The Certification Director provides strategic leadership for MOSA’s certification services to ensure accurate, timely, consistent, and compliant organic certification. This position oversees certification functions and ensures collaboration to support MOSA’s mission, strategic priorities, and commitment to client service.

The Certification Director serves as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and contributes to organization-wide planning, policy development, and strategic decision-making. Working closely with the Executive Director and organizational leaders, this position strengthens certification systems, improves processes, supports organizational initiatives, and promotes quality and continuous improvement.

Reports to: Executive Director
Department: Certification

Employment Status: Full-Time FLSA Classification: Exempt

Location: Remote Creation Date: 7/2026

Accepting applicants in the following states: FL, IA, KY, ME, MN, OH, PA, VA, WI

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Provides strategic leadership, coaching, and professional development to department managers and certification leadership staff
Oversees the recruitment, onboarding, development, succession planning, and performance management of the Certification department in collaboration with Human Resources
Establishes departmental goals, performance expectations, and operational priorities that align with MOSA's strategic objectives
Conducts regular one-on-one meetings and timely performance evaluations of direct reports
Oversees departmental staffing, workload distribution, and resource planning to ensure efficient operations and achievement of organizational goals
Promotes collaboration, accountability, and effective communication across departments
Fosters a positive, collaborative, and inclusive workplace culture that supports employee engagement and organizational success
Partners with Human Resources to address operational, personnel, and performance issues, managing discipline and terminations while ensuring consistent compliance with MOSA policies, employment practices, and collective bargaining agreements

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

Certification Leadership and Quality Assurance

Provides strategic leadership and oversight for the Certification Department. Develops and implements certification strategies that support organizational goals and regulatory requirements.
Ensures certification decisions are timely, consistent, technically sound, and compliant with USDA National Organic Program regulations and other applicable certification standards
Serves as the organization's senior authority on certification policy, complex certification matters, and regulatory interpretation
Oversees certification activities from application through certification decision while ensuring timely processing and exceptional client service
Develops and maintains certification policies, procedures, guidance documents, and technical resources
Leads initiatives that strengthen certification quality, consistency, efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
Establishes and monitors certification quality metrics, consistency trends, error rates, and corrective actions to strengthen organizational performance
Represents MOSA on certification and regulatory matters and maintains productive relationships with USDA, accreditation bodies, industry organizations, and other stakeholders

Operational Performance and Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partners with organizational leaders to establish and monitor certification goals, key performance indicators, workload trends, and organizational performance measures
Collaborates with organizational leaders to improve workflows, implement technology solutions, and ensure certification functions are effectively supported across the organization
Develops strategies to balance staffing capacity, workload distribution, and certification timelines and service quality
Identifies operational risks, process barriers, and opportunities for continuous improvement
Supports implementation of new certification programs, services, and strategic initiatives

Education/Experience:

Bachelor's degree in agriculture, biological sciences, environmental science, business administration, public administration, or a related field
Minimum of five years of leadership experience supervising managers, supervisors, or professional staff
Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in organic certification, regulatory compliance, or a related field
Demonstrated expertise interpreting and applying USDA National Organic Program regulations
Demonstrated experience leading organizational change, quality improvement, and cross-functional initiatives
Experience developing organizational performance measures, certification metrics, and workload management systems
Project management experience preferred
Experience leading remote and geographically dispersed teams preferred

Skills/Qualifications:

Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, coach, and develop managers and high-performing teams
Strong strategic leadership and organizational management skills
Extensive knowledge of USDA National Organic Program regulations and certification processes
Ability to build trust, foster accountability, and cultivate a positive organizational culture
Ability to prioritize competing priorities, allocate resources effectively, and make sound regulatory decisions
Strong decision-making, analytical, and problem-solving skills
Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and build strong organizational relationships
Strong project management and organizational planning skills
Demonstrated systems thinking with the ability to identify opportunities for certification process improvement and organizational effectiveness
Proficient with certification databases, workflow systems, Google Workspace, and other business technology applications

Physical Requirements:

Ability to spend long periods of time working on a computer
Occasional travel to industry events

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