Certification Officer/Auditor with Aquaculture

Certification Officer/Auditor (Farming & Growing) with Aquaculture Specialism

Location: Home Based UK with travel to Scotland required

Salary: £27,025 to £35,632 per Annum

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

About our Organisation 

Soil Association Certification Ltd exists to accelerate the just transition across food, farming and land use, as a global leader in sustainability certification. We deliver trusted solutions with nature, for people and planet through the certification of high integrity holistic standards. These assurance schemes cover a wide range of sectors including food, forestry, farming, landscape restoration carbon markets, beauty and wellbeing, textiles and catering.  

We are recognised and trusted by consumers and businesses around the world, operating in over 60 countries delivering FSC and PEFC certification, and you will also find the Soil Association organic symbol on over 70% of organic products in the UK. 

Soil Association Certification is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Soil Association, formed in 1946, which is the only UK charity which works across the spectrum of human health, the environment and animal welfare. That’s because we cannot tackle these issues in isolation.  

We campaign for change, we support farming innovation, we serve healthy food in communities, we support and grow the organic market, and we protect forests. We couldn't do any of this without our supporters, partners, donors and dedicated staff. We make a difference in the world where it’s needed the most. 

About the Opportunity 

We are looking for a passionate and professional individual to join our Organic Farming and Growing team, as a Certification Officer and Auditor. The role requires the individual to be efficient and provide excellent customer service to our clients. The role will specialise in aquaculture, which will include supporting the aquaculture sector to ensure it is adaptable to industry changes and challenges. Most of the aquaculture sites are in Scotland so ideally you will be based here. The role is home based and it is expected that you will be away from home around 50% of your time.

About You 

You must have a background in aquaculture, ideally with auditing experience and some knowledge of organic production. Qualifications in these areas are desirable. 

You need to be confident and decisive, a good communicator and be able to work with different people from a variety of communities and backgrounds and have experience of face-to-face communications with farmers and growers or food businesses and providing good customer care.

We need people with an investigative nature and able to manage their own workload. Some of these audits may take 2-3 days covering a variety of standards including Soil Association, GB organic, Naturland, Canadian Organic Regime and Bio-Suisse. They will require travel and staying away from home at times to ensure efficient use of time and travel.

Home based - Travel required. Full travel and accommodation expenses covered, travel time and audit fee paid depending on location and type of audit.

Full UK driving license required

Our Benefits 

• We offer a range of financial and lifestyle benefits to all our employees, including:  
• 27 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days with length of service plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time) 
• Pension scheme with ethical investment options and employer contribution increasing with length of service 
• Free membership of the Soil Association and discounts on organic produce 
• Volunteer days to give back to the local community or support green initiatives 
• Family friendly policies and flexible working  
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Sociable and engaging workplace of professionals that share a passion for healthy, sustainable lifestyle and produce 

To Apply 

Click ‘apply now’ to submit your application form. Please note we look at applications on arrival and reserve the right to close this vacancy early. 

Please check your junk/spam folder if you do not receive a confirmation email upon submitting your application. All candidates will subsequently receive an email to confirm whether they have made it through to interview stage. 

For any queries, please contact recruitment@soilassociation.org 

Please note we do not accept CVs or Cover Letters. 

We know the value of diversity in nature and want it in our organisation. We recognise that diverse backgrounds and experiences will bring a fresh perspective to our work. If you're not sure about applying, please get in touch with us for a chat. 

Thank you for your interest in supporting our work at the Soil Association.