Certification & Compliance Officer

Role Overview: As a Certification & Compliance Officer specializing in FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) compliance, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the sustainability and traceability of latex processing operations and smallholder supplier networks for international market access. Your primary responsibilities will revolve around overseeing certification processes, maintaining traceability systems, conducting internal audits, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Key Responsibilities: - Lead and manage all documentation, systems, and policies related to FSC and EUDR compliance. - Coordinate third-party audits, prepare for field verifications, and implement corrective actions as necessary. - Act as the main point of contact for Certification Bodies such as INDOCERT, Control Union, PBN, and SCS Global. - Implement and maintain traceability systems to track latex from smallholder suppliers to processing units as required under EUDR. - Monitor and update group member registers, risk assessments, traceability logs, and internal audit schedules. - Train smallholder farmers, collection agents, and internal staff on FSC and EUDR compliance. - Conduct internal audits, farmer visits, and inspections to ensure adherence to standards. - Prepare reports and submissions for regulatory authorities and certification bodies. - Track, report, and address any non-compliances in collaboration with field teams and farmer networks. Qualifications Required: - Hold a Bachelors or Masters degree in Agriculture, Forestry, Environmental Science, Rural Development, or a related field. - Minimum of 3 years of experience in certification, audit, or sustainability roles, particularly with FSC, PBN, Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade, or EUDR-related projects. - Proficiency in FSC Standards, EUDR traceability requirements, MS Excel, document management, and field audit tools. - Strong communication skills in English and Malayalam. - Willingness to travel to plantation sites and farmer clusters. - Preferred qualifications include FSC or organic certification training certificates, experience in agroforestry or rubber plantation operations, and knowledge of GIS/mapping tools for farm boundary marking. (Note: Omitted additional details of the company as they were not present in the provided job description.),