Standards Specialist

Job Description

Fair Trade USA’s Standards define program requirements based on Fair Trade principles. We seek a detail oriented and dynamic Standards Specialist to support the revision of Fair Trade USA Standards, compliance criteria, and implementation guidelines. The Specialist will support Fair Trade USA’s emerging seafood program as well as the team’s work in agricultural commodities. The Specialist will work across the supply chain, on Standards related traceability and chain-of custody as well as those that apply at the producer or fisher level.

The Specialist contributes to writing clear, unambiguous standards in line with the objectives of Fair Trade, facilitating stakeholder outreach processes on standard content, facilitating public consultations, and ensuring balanced decision-making in determining the final standards. The Specialist also manages website updates, research projects, and will be responsible for developing templates, training materials and other documents as requested. Additionally, the role will support work with external partners related to seafood standards and certification.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support Standards revisions to ensure they are impactful, inclusive, credible, and aligned to the objectives of Fair Trade.
• Track, interpret and summarize feedback on Fair Trade USA Standards and associated documents, especially during public consultation periods and other major outreach phases.
• Contribute to the development of policies, tools and guidance to accompany Standards to ensure accurate interpretation and implementation.
• Advise internal and external stakeholders on interpretation questions.
• Contribute to internal and external communications on standards.
• Support collaborative work with seafood certification and ratings programs, including benchmarking against other standards and codes and supporting joint research projects.
• Ensure the Standards content on the Fair Trade USA website is up to date, managing content and quality control.
• Monitor the websites of other standards setting organizations for news and updates, and send summaries to applicable teams.
• Research and create summary reports on social and compliance related issues covered in Fair Trade USA’s Standards
• Conduct research and other activities as necessary.

• Two to three years of experience working in an analytic, stakeholder engagement, technical writing or international development capacity; preferably in the social and environmental seafood arena.
• Detail-oriented, logical, systematic, methodical, and highly organized.
• Strong English verbal and written communication skills and capacity for communicating and collaborating respectfully and effectively with non-native English speakers.
• Ability to synthesize and present complex information in a simple, meaningful way.
• Demonstrated interest in and ability to learn and understand a broad range of social, labor, economic, environmental and trade issues related to agriculture, seafood, and factories.
• Ability to work in a flexible, yet fast-paced and deadline-oriented environment, able to meet deadlines and share progress regularly.
• Experience collecting feedback from a broad audience using a variety of tools (email, webinars, strategic conference calls, etc.) preferred
• Fluency in Spanish strongly desired.
• A passion for Fair Trade USA’s mission, vision, and accomplishments.

About the Organization

Fair Trade USA, a four-time winner of Fast Company Magazine's Social Capitalist award, promotes sustainable development and corporate social responsibility. We are an entrepreneurial, non-profit organization and the leading independent third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the U.S. Our unique market-based model for sustainability links millions of farming families in the developing world to more than 1,000 leading US companies through more direct, equitable trading partnerships. Fair Trade allows farming families to improve their living standards and cultivate hope for the future while protecting the environment. At the same time, we strengthen global supply chains and make sustainability a driver of profitability for the business community. Since 1999, Fair Trade USA has channeled over $350 million in additional income to hardworking farmers and farm workers around the world.

Fair Trade USA is a fast-paced, dynamic environment driven by a passion for doing good in the world. We seek bright, talented changemakers who are passionate about our mission. We are social entrepreneurs, flexible and adaptive to change. We value integrity, innovation, idealism and impact.