About the Soil Association
Soil Association is the UK’s leading sustainability certification body, providing certification across a range of organic and sustainable schemes covering food, farming and forestry.
The organisation operates in more than 70 countries and manages thousands of clients across supply chains spanning organic food, farming, beauty, textiles, sustainable forestry and high-integrity carbon schemes in emerging nature markets.
Its teams include auditors, inspectors, technical specialists, commercial professionals and marketing experts, working to deliver high-quality certification services in the UK and internationally.
About the Opportunity
The Soil Association is seeking an experienced Forestry Senior Certification Officer to support the development of sustainable forest management across Africa.
Job Title: Forestry Senior Certification Officer – Africa
Organisation: Soil Association
Job Location: South Africa / Kenya, Africa
Salary: £21,653–£22,320 per year
Working Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week
Work Arrangement: Largely home-based / remote team
Closing Date: 6 October 2026
The organisation is one of the foremost FSC and PEFC Certification Bodies delivering forest management and chain of custody certification across the continent.
This opportunity is aimed at an ambitious and qualified forester with experience in forest management and international forest certification schemes.
The successful candidate will join a supportive remote-based team while contributing to sustainable forestry and certification activities across Africa.
Key Responsibilities
The role will involve supporting the delivery and development of forestry certification activities across Africa, with a particular focus on:
- Sustainable forest management.
- FSC certification schemes.
- PEFC certification schemes.
- Forest management certification.
- Chain of custody certification.
- Working with a range of forestry and certification stakeholders.
- Managing and prioritising multiple tasks on a daily basis.
- Maintaining strong professional relationships with stakeholders.
- Contributing effectively as part of a remote-based team.
- Supporting international certification activities across the African region.
Candidate Requirements
The successful candidate should have:
- Professional experience as a forester.
- Experience in forest management.
- Experience with international forest certification schemes.
- An interest in sustainable forest management in Africa.
- Knowledge or experience of implementing FSC and PEFC certification schemes.
- Excellent communication skills.
- The ability to prioritise and manage a wide range of tasks.
- Strong stakeholder relationship-building skills.
- A proven ability to work effectively as part of a team.
- Good computer literacy.
- Experience working with databases.
- Willingness and ability to travel internationally.
The role is largely desk-based and home-based, so candidates should be comfortable working remotely while collaborating with colleagues across the wider organisation.
Working Environment
The successful candidate will work largely from home as part of a supportive remote-based team.
Although the position is primarily desk-based, international travel will be required, making the role suitable for a forestry professional who is comfortable combining remote technical and certification work with travel across the region and internationally.
Salary and Benefits
The position offers a salary of £21,653 to £22,320 per year.
Additional employment terms and benefits are provided through the Soil Association’s recruitment process.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit their CV and Cover Letter through the Soil Association’s online application process:
Applications are reviewed as they arrive, and the organisation reserves the right to close the vacancy early.
Applicants should check their junk or spam folder if they do not receive a confirmation email after submitting their application.
Candidates will subsequently receive an email confirming whether they have progressed to the interview stage.
For queries regarding the vacancy, contact:
Email: recruitment@soilassociation.org
Closing Date
6 October 2026
Job Reference: NS1684503SouFSCOA
This is an opportunity for an experienced forestry professional to contribute to sustainable forest management and FSC/PEFC certification across Africa while working as part of an international remote-based team.
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