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Our goal is to connect good people with good food. We advertise sustainable food jobs and training opportunities to help jobseekers and employers find each other.

Roots to Work is a project of Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming.

Certification Officer – Forestry (Maternity Cover)

Soil Association
Spear House, Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6AD

Posted: 21 Jan 2026

Deadline: 28 Jan 2026

Compensation: £28,800

Living Wage employer Disability Confident scheme

Paid Full-time Fixed term / contract

Job description

Location: Bristol, with hybrid working (40% working in office), United Kingdom.

Salary: £28,800 Per Annum.

Type: Full-time (37.5 hours), Fixed term (12 months)

About Us

Soil Association Certification Ltd exists to accelerate the just transition across food, farming and land use, as a global leader in sustainability certification. We deliver trusted solutions with nature, for people and planet through the certification of high integrity holistic standards. These assurance schemes cover a wide range of sectors including food, forestry, farming, landscape restoration carbon markets, beauty and wellbeing, textiles and catering.  

We are recognised and trusted by consumers and businesses around the world, operating in over 60 countries delivering FSC and PEFC certification, and you will also find the Soil Association organic symbol on over 70% of organic products in the UK.

About the Opportunity 

The Forestry team is responsible for FSC and PEFC certification activities in over 60 countries for both Forest Management and Chain of Custody. We are a friendly tight-knit team who help each other out and often work across several portfolios. This means there are loads of challenges, rewards and opportunities. Most of the work is office based, with some international travel. We are seeking an individual with experience in certification to manage and promote FSC and PEFC certification according to the relevant accreditation requirements for each scheme in collaboration with the portfolio team.

About You 

• You will be educated to degree level or equivalent ideally in Forestry, Wood Science, Ecology, Environment or a related discipline with substantial administrative and experience of client/customer management.
• You will have knowledge and/or practical experience in the forestry and/or wood processing industry.
• You will have fluency in English.
• An understanding of the principles of FSC and/or PEFC certification is desirable.

Our Benefits 

• We offer a range of financial and lifestyle benefits to all our employees, including:  
• 27 days annual holiday increasing to 30 days with length of service plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time) 
• Pension scheme with ethical investment options and employer contribution increasing with length of service 
• Free membership of the Soil Association and discounts on organic produce 
• Volunteer days to give back to the local community or support green initiatives 
• Family friendly policies and flexible working  
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Sociable and engaging workplace of professionals that share a passion for healthy, sustainable lifestyle and produce 

We know the value of diversity in nature and want it in our organisation. We recognise that diverse backgrounds and experiences will bring a fresh perspective to our work. If you're not sure about applying, please get in touch with us for a chat. 

Thank you for your interest in supporting our work at the Soil Association.

Application information

Certification Officer – Forestry (Maternity Cover)

Click ‘apply now’ to submit your CV and Cover Letter application form. Please note we look at applications on arrival and reserve the right to close this vacancy early. 

Please check your junk/spam folder if you do not receive a confirmation email upon submitting your application. All candidates will subsequently receive an email to confirm whether they have made it through to interview stage. 

For any queries, please contact recruitment@soilassociation.org.

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