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January 9, 2024
Job Description
Job Title: Certification Expert
Department: AGRIDEV
Reports to: Agricultural Development Manager
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Job Purpose:
Ensuring compliance of the whole value chain to the requirements of ISCC EU Biofuels-Certification
Cross-Functional Interaction & Responsibilities:
- Work together with the logistics and production teams to ensure that certified seeds and oil are managed correctly according to certification requirements.
- Maintain regular communication with colleagues at the organization’s headquarters to align on certification requirements and updates.
- Maintain regular communication with suppliers and buyers to ensure a smooth sourcing and sale of certified products.
- Maintain regular contact with the certification body.
Principal Accountabilities:
Ensure the organization’s suppliers comply with certification requirements by supporting them in the following activities:
- Perform risk assessments using GRAS online tool for wards.
- Ensure proper registration of new farmers with all mandatory documents filled in correctly.
- Label products from non-registered farmers and products from high-risk wards as non-sustainable
- Ensure correct filling and archiving of payment receipts, weighbridge tickets, and transport documents.
- Maintain a product inventory (mass balance) of incoming and outgoing products in Excel.
- Provide training on ISCC certification principles of sustainable farming to farmers, field officers, WAO’s, village heads, and cooperative chairmen.
- Train and inform staff on the sustainability tools adopted by the organization.
- Keep an up-to-date product inventory (mass balance) of incoming and outgoing certified products for the organization.
- Verify the correct filling and archiving of payment receipts, weighbridge tickets, transport documents, and sustainability declarations by the organization’s logistic team.
- Regularly update documents and procedures in the organization’s Sustainability Management System.
- Account for non-sustainable products accurately.
- Organize and manage the audits required for certification.
- Demonstrate stakeholder relations skills, particularly with local communities.
- Perform general management tasks.
- Fulfill any other duties assigned from time to time
Job Requirements:
- Must have prior experience in sustainability certification, quality management systems, and/or ISO standards (e.g., Ecocert, GlobalGAP, Fairtrade)
- Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Natural Sciences, or relevant fields.
- Minimum of 3 years of experience in a similar role or field.
- Experience in agricultural and agroforestry development projects, analysis of existing supply chains, and production potential of agricultural biomass for industrial use.
- Ability to design and manage large-scale agricultural and agroforestry interventions.
- Knowledge of agricultural and agroforestry production systems, including contract farming mechanisms and/or agro-industrial initiatives.
- Familiarity with certification processes related to production traceability, sustainability, and calculation of GHG emissions.
- Strong interpersonal skills, teamwork, and management coordination.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Well-connected network of relevant contacts to assist in job performance.
- Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
WTS ENERGY is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.