Senior Manager - Standards & Assurance

Senior Manager, Standards And Assurance

POSITION SUMMARY :

- The Senior Manager, Standards & Assurance manages a small team to guide and coordinate work on the assurance and quality of implementation of the Organization certification in Key countries, including China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

- The Senior Manager coordinates with others at all levels of the organization, to develop and execute relevant strategies and workplans and acts as a first point of escalation for problem solving.

- They assure alignment across the activities of the Standards and Assurance (S&A) department in the region and assist team members and country staff in the development of country plans, budgeting and monitoring of activities, and promotes learning across countries and regions.

- They coordinate the collection and analysis of risk based certification data and support it's use to drive improvements in the Organization's standard and assurance processes and in identifying support needs for certificate holders.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

- The Organization's Core Values are Impact, Change, Collaboration, Openness and Trust and as such they form the basis of the behavior we demonstrate;

Team management :

- Guides/supervises the work of a small team of direct reports based in different countries in Asia and manages their performance including objective setting and regular performance reviews;

- Carries/y out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include hiring; mentoring and evaluating; guiding professional development opportunities; and addressing employee relations issues;

Strategic & operational planning & management :

- Oversees operation of the Organization's certification program in the assigned countries and identifies issues and opportunities for improvement of Quality of implementation (QoI) and Assurance;

- Translates organization-wide risk assessment into targeted QoI activities for countries and sectors in Asia

- Develops and implements an annual plan for QOI activities in the assigned countries and coordinates this annual plan with broader regional/country plans to capture synergies;

- Provides input and contributes to country-specific plans and projects;

- Maintains oversight, performance monitoring and reporting on QoI activities in the region and adjusts plans and activities to improve performance and impact;

Risk Based data & risk assessment :

- Supports S&A officers with the collection and analysis of risk based data from Quality of Implementation processes including review of audit reports, supply chain risk assessment review, Country level risk assessments, and compilation of risk assessment data.

- Coordinates with country teams in Asia to carry out risk assessments and use risk based certification data to inform country plans for quality of implementation and assurance activities and priorities for support to CBs and CHs.;

Stakeholder Management :

- Coordinates and provides support, advice and training to certification bodies on the Organization standards and the implementation of certification rules in Organization operating countries in Asia;

- Engages with relevant internal and external stakeholders to identify and address reputational risks in coordination with S&A and Regional Management and other relevant departments;

- Organizes consultation with stakeholders (internal and external) on issues related to certification standards and assurance; and,

- Represents the Organization S&A department at relevant events and meetings with external stakeholders.

QUALIFICATIONS :

- Bachelor's Degree in agronomy/rural development/sociology/ environmental science/forestry or equivalent professional qualification;

- Minimum 10 years' experience in sustainable agriculture certification - preferably with some knowledge of Organization and/or UTZ certification programs;

- Minimum 3 years experience in managing staff and teams including proven competence in, performance management, coaching /mentoring and or training of staff;

- Minimum 3 years experience developing and managing budgets, strategic and operational plans;

- Ability to write clear reports and draft documents and policies, make presentations in person and online, and present complex information in a simple way, and adopt culturally appropriate communication styles when engaging with different stakeholders;

- Proven ability to develop and maintain constructive working relationships with a broad range of stakeholders at organizational, and regional level;

- Proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook with a demonstrated experience in accounting software and working knowledge of PowerPoint;

- Fluency in verbal and written communication in English; and,

- Ability to travel a minimum of 30% per year internationally.