Senior Technical Specialist

SUMMARY

The Senior Technical Specialist serves as a seasoned technical expert with comprehensive knowledge of applicable regulations, policies, and certification scheme requirements administered by OTCO, performing all duties of the Technical Specialist while providing advanced technical guidance to resolve complex certification and material review issues. This role supports consistent policy interpretation, develops best practices and educational resources, and provides training to Technical Specialists as well as Certification and Inspection staff. The Senior Technical Specialist plays a key role in maintaining certification integrity and accreditation compliance by leading internal audits, supporting accreditation planning and reporting, implementing and verifying corrective actions, and leading quality department projects and regulatory updates. The Technical Specialist collaborates with all team members in the Quality and Accreditation department in addition to Certification Management, Partnerships and Programs, and Communications and Marketing teams and other teams providing exemplary customer service and leadership. The Senior Technical Specialist promotes operational consistency, technical excellence, and exemplary customer service while actively engaging with technical teams and stakeholders across the organic industry.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities of the Senior Technical Specialist include, but are not limited to, the following:

Technical Resource:

• Provide expert-level technical guidance and support to address complex questions and scenarios.
• Must represent OTCO in ACA and/or EOCC working groups.
• Complete material reviews including performing material review quality checks against relevant regulations.
• Implement proactive development and best practices in policy and educational areas as appropriate.
• Recommend interpretations for policies and procedures.

Training:

• Train Technical Specialists.
• Train Certification and/or Inspection staff.

Accreditation Activities:

• Lead regulation notice changes.
• Assist with accreditation planning including internal audits, sampling, unannounced inspections, SCTAs, and other accreditation activities as requested.
• Lead internal audits and verify corrective actions are implemented successfully, as applicable.
• Assist with accreditation reporting.

• Assist with implementing corrective actions arising from external audit findings, as applicable.

Other Activities:

• Lead Quality departmental projects.
• Serve as a Document Control Representative.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of Quality Department procedures and consistently follow established processes.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, Sustainability, Food Sciences, Chemistry, Biology, or a related field

• Two years of experience as a Technical Specialist or equivalent.
• Two years of experience in making certification decisions. This includes final reviews and materials reviews.
• Expert knowledge and experience in at least 3 NOP scopes.
  • Expert level knowledge includes a wide range of operation types and complexities within the individual scopes.
• Intermediate level of knowledge and training in two additional services. This level includes the ability to successfully perform internal audits.
  
• Effective verbal communication and public presentation skills.
• Project management skills.
• Demonstrated leadership.
• ISO 17065 and ISO 19011 training.

PREFERRED SKILLS/EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

• Experience with internal auditing.
• Spanish language fluency.
• Knowledge of OTCO’s internal learning platform.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This position primarily works indoors. This is a fully remote work position.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

N/A

TRAVEL

This position may require limited travel.

AAP/EEO STATEMENT

Oregon Tilth provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, genetics or genetic information, marital status, protected veteran status, disability, political belief, expunged juvenile record, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.