Millar Cameron is supporting with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to recruit an
Assurance Manager.
FSC is an international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible forest management through certification. FSC is globally recognized for its trusted sustainable forestry standards and the iconic FSC® certification mark, found on millions of products. The organization works to safeguard forests and the communities that depend on them by protecting wildlife, Indigenous Peoples' rights, and forest workers' welfare.
About the role The Assurance Manager plays a pivotal role within FSC’s Policy & Performance unit, leading two strategically significant and interconnected workstreams. This is a strategically important position supporting FSC’s system acceptance process and development of normative requirements within the accreditation and assurance framework - operating at the intersection of EU accreditation law, sustainability scheme governance, and normative process development.
Workstream 1: System Acceptance & Accreditation Strategy Manage FSC’s application for system review with national accreditation bodies across Europe, coordinating with relevant FSC teams and ASI, FSC’s assurance services provider. Support FSC in the analysis, coordination and resolution of findings arising from scheme reviews -including managing existing scheme review process by the German national accreditation body (DAkkS) in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders. Manage the ongoing compliance of the FSC certification system with relevant accreditation and assurance legislation across different national contexts. Coordinate with relevant FSC teams and ASI to ensure alignment of FSC requirements with ISO standards, primarily ISO/IEC17065 and ISO/IEC 17067. Develop and implement structured approaches for informing and consulting national accreditation bodies and relevant accreditation fora on changes to the FSC Normative Framework. Support internal analysis of engagement approaches across national accreditation bodies, where relevant. Prepare board papers, risk assessments and strategic memos to enable informed senior-level decision-making on accreditation strategy
Workstream 2: Normative Requirements for Assurance Provider (ASI) Lead the development and maintenance of normative requirements for ASI in accordance with FSC’s standard-setting procedure (FSC-PRO-01-001). Design and manage the requirements development process, including stakeholder consultations and expert working groups. Draft and revise requirements governing ASI’s assessment processes, reporting to FSC, and performance monitoring. Ensure that requirements are clear, proportionate, and suitable for implementation across multiple accreditation contexts. Manage the FSC–ASI relationship throughout the normative process in a transparent and constructive manner.
Skills & Experience Education MSc or equivalent from a university or technical college in a relevant field such as quality management, international relations, social sciences, or business administration.
Professional Experience At least 5 years of experience in one or more of the following: certification (standard development, auditing), quality management, or assurance. Background in certification bodies, scheme owner organisations, standard-setting bodies, or national accreditation bodies is strongly preferred. Knowledge of and experience with EU accreditation frameworks, including ISO 17065 and ISO 17067. Experience working with, or in the context of, national accreditation bodies and international accreditation fora within the EU. Proven end-to-end project management experience, ideally involving multi-year, multi-stakeholder initiatives. Experience in drafting normative or regulatory requirements is a strong asset.
Technical Skills Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, with the ability to synthesise complex regulatory, legal and technical information. Familiarity with EU accreditation law (EC Regulation 765/2008) and sustainability scheme governance models Excellent written communication: ability to produce clear, accurate board papers, memos and consultation documents. Proficiency in standard MS Office software.
Personal Attributes Persistence and resilience- ability to maintain momentum under sustained stakeholder pressure and in the face of slow-moving processes. Comfort with ambiguity- able to operate effectively in evolving, non-harmonised regulatory environments without guaranteed outcomes. Strong stakeholder management and diplomacy- capable of engaging diverse and competing interests constructively and transparently. Flexibility - readiness to adapt strategy rapidly when regulatory conditions or organisational priorities shift. Collaborative working style- oriented towards team cohesiveness and cross-functional coordination. Proactiveness and diligence -a self-starter with a strong sense of accuracy in written outputs and analytical work.
Languages Excellent English, spoken and written (essential). German and/or Spanish language skills are a strong asset
To apply for this position please provide an up-to-date CV.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Millar Cameron, we are dedicated to supporting our clients in building and supporting diverse and inclusive workplace and culture, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.