Certification Director

                                                                     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