Job Opening: Agricultural Certification Technical Specialist – Remote, All USA

JOB TITLE: Bee Better Certified Program Technical Specialist

LOCATION: Remote from employee’s home office, in the mainland US (preferably within 1 hour of a major airport). Employee is required to have a suitable home office with good internet access and work from a location approved by Xerces.

COMPENSATION: $29.16/hr. ~60,653 annualized

JOB START DATE: April 2024

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 16, 2024

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

All applications must be submitted via our application website at: http://bit.ly/xerces-jobs

We are committed to creating a more diverse workforce that is welcoming to all employees and the communities we serve. Xerces provides accommodations for the job application process if needed. If you need an accommodation to complete the job application process, please email reasonable.accomodation@xerces.org.

JOIN US!

Come join a growing team of conservation professionals at the Xerces Society who are dedicated to protecting some of the world’s most important animals. We are seeking a skilled certification professional with strong project management and partner support skills.

Launched in 2017, The Xerces Society’s Bee Better Certified, is agriculture’s only native pollinator conservation certification giving bees safe, healthy places to live. The program incentivizes conservation projects on farms around the world, supporting farmers and pollinators alike. Today Bee Better links certified farms with major food companies and grocery retailers, and provides consumers with verification that their choices can directly support native pollinators and biodiversity.

At Xerces, we harness the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of the public to implement conservation programs. We take action by helping farms and public agencies develop conservation plans for pollinators and beneficial insects, producing ground-breaking publications on insect conservation, training thousands of farmers and land managers to protect and manage habitat for beneficial insects, protecting endangered species and their habitat, and engaging the public to raise awareness about invertebrates found on farms, forests, prairies, deserts, streams, wetlands, towns and cities. Our methods focus on habitat conservation planning, education, scientific analysis, advocacy, and applied research to conserve invertebrates, such as bees, butterflies, mollusks, and fireflies.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:

This position is responsible for supporting Bee Better Certified’s (BBC) core certification operations and other private-sector (supply chain) pollinator conservation initiatives under the direction of the Bee Better Certified program lead.

Working across the United States and beyond, this position is responsible for:

• Ongoing certification standards development and stewardship, including periodic standards review and updating with stakeholders, establishing workflow with certifying agencies.
• Building and managing internal workflow systems.
• Managing BBC brand stewardship initiatives.
• Coordinating social and traditional media, developing and carrying out BBC promotional efforts.
• Tracking and facilitating daily BBC operations including requests for information, application inquiries, organization of weekly BBC business meetings and coordinating steering committee engagement.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Leading the development, planning, implementation of trainings and program specific technical oversight.
• Review and interpret current pollinator science and incorporate into agricultural standards review process.
• Coordinate labeling standards review process.
• Administer the Bee Better document center, including document review, formatting, publication, and language translation (through approved translation service contractors).
• Define, develop and administer international agricultural standards.
• Coordinate BBC labeling and chain of custody licensing process.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with third-party Certification Bodies, including approval, onboarding, reporting, review and quality control.
• Maintain program quality and consistency through continual review process.
• Track BBC/food industry data and assist with reporting both external (e.g. when needed for grant reporting), and internal.
• Represent Bee Better Certified at events and conferences.
• Develop social media, marketing and PR content to increase participation and public awareness.
• Lead development of outreach and engagement materials to recruit prospective BBC and private-sector- partners.
• Provide support to BBC Program Lead and regionally-based staff who are involved in sustainable sourcing initiatives and BBC promotion and certification activities.
• Develop effective agendas and coordinate BBC Advisory and internal project committee meetings.
• Assist with contract development and management.

STATUS & SCHEDULE: Full-Time, hourly non-exempt position, scheduled to work ~ 40 hours/week. Schedule may be flexible and the opportunity for partial or full-time remote work location can be made, depending on job-specific requirements.

BENEFITS: This position includes a generous benefits package including; thirteen paid holidays, paid time off accrued at a rate of 1.73 hours for every 30 hours of pay (15 days per year for a 40 hour/week schedule), medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage, the option to participate in a pre-tax flexible spending account for medical and dependent care expenses, short-term disability insurance where not provided under state law, long-term disability insurance, participation in a 401k retirement program with employer contribution match upon meeting eligibility requirements, and a flexible work environment.

TERMS: The Xerces Society is an at-will employer. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Xerces Society and our programs, please see our website: www.xerces.org

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

All applications must be submitted via our application website at: http://bit.ly/xerces-jobs

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Xerces Society is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer including disability and veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

PRIORITY REFERRAL OF PROTECTED VETERANS

We request priority referral of protected veterans for all openings with our organization. In order to be considered for employment, all applicants for employment with Xerces Society, apply through our Job Board. When referring or being referred as a candidate, including protected veterans, please refer them to this applicant site; http://bit.ly/xerces-jobs.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE:

REQUIRED

• Background knowledge of farm certification programs or a regulatory environment.
• Fluency in English and Spanish (written and spoken).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, and be capable of organizing meetings and effectively presenting information to a wide variety of professional clients and stakeholders.
• Experience reviewing and interpreting scientific literature.
• Ability and willingness to work with diverse teams and constituents in a respectful, equitable, and inclusive fashion.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to develop work plans and work independently on assigned tasks.
• Working knowledge of common software applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint). The use of Google Suite and geospatial data management is required daily.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience communicating with, participating in meetings and coordinating with members of the public, private companies, and/or private landowners.

PREFERRED

• Prior background in farming, the food industry, or sustainability initiatives, or consumer/industry certifications.
• Working with farmers and/or other landowners related to on conservation efforts and habitat projects.
• An understanding of pollination ecology and the role of native pollinators (especially bees) in agroecosystems.
• Native plant identification skills, weed identification skills, and knowledge of most common bee & other pollinator groups.
• Experience or familiarity with habitat enhancement/restoration/native planting projects; experience with these projects in an agricultural setting is a plus.
• Experience with multi-stakeholder project management.
• Commitment to conservation, and/or interest in the conservation of insects, pollination, wildlife, or other natural resources.

QUALIFICATIONS:

REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s Degree in agricultural sciences, biology, ecology, entomology and/or equivalent education and experience.
• Prior work experience with program coordination, and/or project management; 2+ yrs required.
• Valid driver’s license in the United States and a motor vehicle records check prior to employment allowing employee to be insured under Xerces corporate liability insurance. Offer of employment is contingent on this record check.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Be able to perform the following with reasonable breaks and/or reasonable accommodations:

• Operate a computer and other office productivity machinery for periods of 1-8 hours.
• Able to move and transport supplies, materials, equipment weighing up to 30 lbs.
• Traverse across agricultural roads and fields, unpaved roads and walkways, and unimproved trails for periods of 1-8 hours.
• Occasionally drive an automobile for periods of 1- 8 hours in support of events.
• Travel overnight when necessary for project assessments, implementation or planning.

Apply Here: https://www.click2apply.net/74rKD7H6gNjLWcqoAS7QdB