Certification Head (Sustainability, Organic & Social Compliance Programs)

Organization: EFRAC, Kolkata, India

Location: Ideally Kolkata but flexible

Coverage: Pan India

Reporting: CEO – EFRAC

Work Model: 6 days/week | Leadership role with extensive client engagement

ROLE OBJECTIVE

EFRAC is seeking an experienced Certification Head to lead the sales and operational management of sustainability, organic certification, and social compliance audit programs.

The role requires strong industry exposure and proven experience in both business development and operational oversight of certification and audit programs including:

• NOP (USDA Organic)

• NPOP (India Organic)

• GLOBALG.A.P

• RSPO – Supply Chain Certification (SCC)

• ISCC – International Sustainability & Carbon Certification

• Regenera – Regenerative Agriculture Programs

• SMETA / Sedex

• 2nd Party Compliance Audits

The candidate will be responsible for building certification business, managing client relationships, and overseeing the delivery of certification and audit programs while ensuring operational discipline and revenue growth.

EFRAC aims to strengthen its certification and sustainability services portfolio across agriculture, food supply chains, and responsible sourcing ecosystems.

As part of the QIMA group, EFRAC will conduct field inspections and audit activities in India, while the final certification and issuance of certificates will be undertaken through QIMA's global certification framework.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Business Development & Revenue Generation

Develop and expand EFRAC's certification and sustainability services business across agriculture, food supply chains, and export sectors.

Generate mandates for:

• Organic Certification (NOP / NPOP)

• GLOBALG.A.P Certification

• RSPO Supply Chain Certification

• ISCC Certification Programs

• Regenerative Agriculture Programs (Regenera)

• Social Compliance Programs (SMETA / Sedex / Buyer Audits)

Acquire farms, producer groups, exporters, processors, packhouses, traders, and supply chain operators.

Develop recurring certification mandates and long-term compliance programs.

Deliver measurable revenue contribution for the certification vertical.

2. Client Engagement & Market Development

Build relationships with key stakeholders including:

• Exporters and sourcing companies

• Food processors and agri exporters

• Agricultural producer groups / FPOs

• Sustainability and compliance heads

• Retail supply chain compliance teams

Develop certification mandates driven by international buyer requirements and sustainability commitments.

Position EFRAC as a credible partner for certification, sustainability verification, and supply chain audits.

3. Extensive Client Interaction

This role requires frequent client engagement and market presence.

Candidate must:

• Conduct extensive client meetings across agriculture and export supply chains

• Maintain strong relationships with exporters, processors, farms, and sourcing organizations

• Leverage existing network to generate certification and audit business

The role requires frequent travel and strong field engagement.

4. Revenue Ownership & Pipeline Management

Deliver assigned annual revenue targets for certification and audit programs.

Develop and maintain a structured sales pipeline for:

• Organic certifications

• Sustainability certifications

• Social compliance audits

• Supply chain certification programs

Ensure disciplined proposal follow-up, commercial negotiations, and predictable billing cycles.

QUALIFICATION

Minimum Qualification: Graduate (Agriculture / Food Technology / Environmental Sciences / Life Sciences / Business)

Preferred Qualification: Postgraduate in Agriculture / Sustainability / Food Technology / Business Management

Relevant certification or sustainability program exposure preferred.

EXPERIENCE

Minimum 12–15 years of relevant experience in certification, sustainability programs, or compliance audits.

Candidate must have experience in both:

• Certification / audit operations

• Business development for certification services

Experience handling programs such as:

• NOP / NPOP

• GLOBALG.A.P

• RSPO

• ISCC

• SMETA / Sedex

• Buyer-driven social compliance audits

Candidates should have strong familiarity with agricultural certification systems and sustainability compliance frameworks.

PREFERRED SOURCE ORGANIZATIONS

Recruiters should preferably target candidates from organizations involved in organic certification, sustainability certification, or social compliance audits, such as:

• Certification Bodies

• Organic Certification Agencies

• GLOBALG.A.P Certification Bodies

• Sustainability Certification Providers

• Social Compliance Audit Organizations

Candidates from organizations handling NOP, NPOP, GLOBALG.A.P, RSPO, ISCC, or SMETA programs will be particularly relevant.

PROFILES THAT ARE NOT SUITABLE

Recruiters should not submit profiles from unrelated sectors, including:

• General commodity trading sales

• Fertilizer / agri-input sales roles without certification exposure

• Textile or consumer goods testing sales roles

• Consulting roles without certification operations experience

The role requires direct exposure to certification or compliance audit ecosystems.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

• Must have direct experience managing certification or audit programs

• Must have experience selling certification services to agriculture, food, or export sectors

• Must have an active network among exporters, processors, producer groups, and supply chain companies

• Must be capable of generating certification and audit business

• Must be comfortable with extensive client meetings and travel

SKILLS REQUIRED

• Strong B2B sales capability in certification / sustainability services

• Excellent spoken and written English

• Good computer literacy (Excel, CRM tools, reporting systems)

• Strong proposal preparation and commercial negotiation capability

• Ability to manage both operational and commercial aspects of certification programs

WORK DISCIPLINE

• 6 working days per week
• Leadership role requiring both market development and operational oversight
• Regular pipeline and performance reviews with Sales Head
• Strong accountability for certification revenue growth

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Strong commercial and leadership mindset
• Ability to build certification business and partnerships
• Strong relationship management capability
• High ownership and execution focus
• Commitment to sustainability and compliance ecosystems