Technical Advisor and Lead Auditor

Contenido de trabajo

Company description

About Organic BC

Organic BC is growing the organic movement in British Columbia from the ground up. Our grassroots network of organic certifiers, farmers, processors, and consumers is working to build healthy soil, ecosystems, people and communities. Together, we’re raising the standards for organic agriculture and transforming agriculture’s impact on the planet.

About the Accreditation Board

The Accreditation Board (AB) is the arms-length agency of Organic BC whose purpose is to fulfil the obligations for accreditation. This function has been devolved to Organic BC from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries as the BC Certified Organic Program (BCCOP) administrator, and by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as a conformity verification body under the Canada Organic Regime (COR).

The core work of the AB is to perform the vital task of accrediting and/or recommending accreditation for member certification bodies. This procedure is the crux of the BCCOP and COR programs and is accomplished with utmost regard to quality control.

Job description

Organic BC is seeking to hire a Technical Advisor and Lead Auditor to support the work of the Accreditation Board. The position is remote contract work. The position is approximately 150 hours per year. This is an annual average. Some months will require more hours and some fewer depending on the audit cycle and the detailed timelines of the audits. There are approximately 90 hours annually to complete all audit activities and 60 hours estimated for providing technical expertise.

Reporting to the Accreditation Board Director, the successful candidate’s responsibility is to provide technical expertise and support to the COABC Accreditation Board (AB). This includes conducting document reviews and audits of the COABC Certification Bodies (CBs) to ensure compliance with the COABC accreditation programs. This position will involve some travel throughout the province of British Columbia.

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support the COABC Accreditation Board by providing technical expertise and support
• Assess compliance of Certification Bodies with the British Columbia Certified Organic Program (BCCOP), the Canadian Organic Regime (COR), and ISO 17065 as applicable through document reviews, auditing activities and other surveillance activities as required within the agreed timeline

The ideal candidate will meet the following requirements:

GENERAL

• The Technical Advisor & Lead Auditor position must not be involved in any activities with COABC COR Certification Bodies or COR certified operators. There can be no present involvement or past involvement within the last 2 years.

COMPETENCIES

The following competencies are required for the position:

• Auditing and quality system management knowledge
• Strong communication skills: verbal and written
• Knowledgeable in principles of organic agriculture, accreditation processes and quality control systems
• Technical understanding and knowledge: organic accreditation/certification/inspection, production standards and generally accepted practices, COR/BCCOP/ISO as applicable
• Be a team player and have the ability to work with diverse groups
• Critical thinking
• Ethical conduct

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

The following experience and/or training is required for the position:

• Experience or professional training in organic auditing, certification, or inspection
• Knowledge and experience in assessment-management skills
• Knowledge of evaluation methods. Have expertise in interviewing techniques, report writing and conducting opening and closing meetings. These activities must comply with ISO 17011 and ISO 19011
• Knowledge and understanding of the Canadian Organic standards, BC Certified Organic Program, Canada Organic Regime, and ISO standards. Accepted experience may include practical experience in production, processing, inspection, and certification management would be a major asset relative to conformity assessments
• Knowledge and understanding of COR and BCCOP requirements including accreditation criteria and procedures
• A post-secondary degree or diploma would be an asset.
• Experience in volunteer boards of incorporated societies or non-profit organizations would be an asset

To apply please submit a cover letter, a resume, proposed compensation rate, and 3 references.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Application deadline: 2021-10-15

Expected start date: 2021-11-01

Job Types: Part-time, Contract

Work remotely:

• Yes