Certification Program Manager

Pennsylvania Certified Organic (PCO) is excited to announce a position opening for a Certification Program Manager (CPM) to join our team. The CPM leads a designated certification review subteam and oversees a portion of PCO's annual certification workflow, ensuring effective and consistent implementation of certification under the USDA National Organic Program and other organic standards. As a key people leader, the CPM guides and supervises team members, translating certification policies and priorities into actionable workflows while fostering a culture of compassion and mission alignment across PCO staff.

PCO is a growing non-profit organization that works with farmers and food producers across the US. PCO provides organic certification services to more than 1600 operations, employs approximately 40 staff, and sub-contracts with around 50 inspectors. Our staff are dedicated to our vision: A world where agriculture systems prioritize health, ecological balance, fairness and care, and we are committed to a work culture of purpose, caring, and results.

This position is fully remote with moderate travel. This position will remain open until filled. For more information on our benefits, .Class:
Full-time, Exempt

Location:

Remote

Reports to:

Certification Deputy Director Reports:
Certification Specialists;
Certification Program Assistant Manager

Position Summary:

The Certification Program Manager (CPM) leads a designated certification review sub-team and oversees a designated portion of PCO’s annual certification workflow, ensuring effective and consistent implementation of certification under the USDA National Organic Program and other organic standards. As a key people leader, the CPM guides and supervises members of the team, aligning individual performance and team operations to meet organizational goals.

They translate certification policies and priorities into actionable team workflows and monitor performance against targets. In this capacity, they are responsible for executing certification policies and positions to attain organizational objectives, all the while fostering a culture of compassion and alignment with the organization's mission among PCO staff. This includes providing direct supervision to Certification Specialists.

Primary

Duties & Responsibilities:

Team Leadership Provide proactive leadership to the Certification Review Team; ensuring staff are supported, valued, and empowered to meet individual and team goals. supports hiring, training, and ongoing management of personnel to achieve organizational results and ensure that PCO staff are cared for and valued. Drive any necessary culture change and performance improvement through hands-on coaching, mentoring in staff performance through coaching, mentoring, and professional development, supporting both individual and organizational outcomes.to

deliver team and individual goals. Conduct regular performance reviews, provide ongoing feedback and manage any other personnel people issues in conjunction with the Certification Deputy Director and HR Oversee all aspects of team management, including onboarding training, workflow planning, and performance monitoring to ensure certification decisions are timely, consistent and aligned with PCO’s mission and strategic goals. Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high performing team culture rooted in compassion, accountability and continuous learning.

Change Management & Adaptive Leadership Support the implementation and refinement of the team-based certification service model, including documenting lessons learned and building sustainable processes. Lead the team through periods of change with clear communication, empathy, and an orientation toward learning and improvement. Identify and communicate operational impacts of evolving regulatory requirements or internal process changes. Collaborate across departments to align change initiatives with broader organizational goals.

Facilitate opportunities for staff feedback and engagement during transitions and actively incorporate insights into change strategies. Participate in industry working groups, task forces, listserv discussions, and other relevant training/events to stay current on rule making, industry developments, and trends.

Certification & Compliance Implement and monitor strategies aligned with annual work plan goals; support team workflow processes and prioritization of client files, including assigning and performing reviews when appropriate. Manage team…