Verification Manager (Cashmere) (gn)

Join our motivated team in Hamburg as an

Expert (gN) for verification management for „The Good Cashmere Standard®“ of the Aid by Trade Foundation

This position in the Standards&Outreach department is initially limited to 2 years with the possibility of permanent employment

The Aid by Trade Foundation brings together various partners from business, politics, science and NGOs with its initiatives Cotton made in Africa (CmiA), Regenerative Cotton Standard (RCS) and The Good Cashmere Standard (GCS) and builds demand alliances for the purchase of sustainably produced raw materials in the spirit of a „social business“.

The Good Cashmere Standard is an independent standard for sustainably produced cashmere developed by the Aid by Trade Foundation and first implemented in 2020. It was created to improve cashmere goat husbandry, the lives of farmers and farming communities in Innner Mongolia, China, and the environment in which they live in.

1. You are responsible for the continued development of the GCS standards system, including developing relevant standard-related documents and position papers as well as coordinating regular standard revisions.
2. You are responsible for the selection and qualification of the commissioned assurance provider (control body) and for the training and further qualification of the auditors.
3. You coordinate the development of a suitable software solution for the verification management – from self-assessments of partners to verification reports, to the creation of continuous-improvement plans following the verification cycles.
4. You oversee the entire verification process and ensure that the defined processes are adhered to, and verification quality is maintained.
5. You analyse and evaluate incoming data and verification reports and summarize key information into reports for the AbTF management and boards as well as external stakeholders.
6. You are the contact person for internal and external inquiries regarding GCS verification.
7. You will work closely with AbTF’s MEL expert and the GCS representative based in China on the evaluation of data and results from the verification rounds in order to jointly draw conclusions for project priorities and other support measures provided by AbTF.
8. Further activities include supporting the organisation of workshops and conferences on the GCS.

Must-have

1. University degree or equivalent higher education qualification in agricultural, natural, social or economic sciences or a comparable qualification & first professional experience (at least 2 years)
2. Experience with audits and/or with sustainably produced (agricultural) raw materials
3. Ability to manage complex tasks and set priorities
4. Team player with an independent and careful working style, goal orientation and decision-making ability
5. Affinity for numbers and digital solutions
6. Fluent German and business-fluent English
7. A high intercultural competence
8. Willingness to travel internationally, incl. China (3-5 business trips per year)
9. Work permit for Germany

Nice-to-have

1. Salesforce knowledge
2. Knowledge of Chinese is an advantage
3. Practical experience in livestock farming, ideally sheep or goat husbandry

1. A meaningful task at the interface between development cooperation and social business
2. A motivated, successful team with room for your own ideas and a lot of creative freedom
3. Further training measures and 30 days of vacation
4. Christmas bonus, travel allowance (“Deutschland-Ticket”), BusinessBike Leasing as part of deferred compensation
5. The position is 39 hours per week with at least 2 office days per week (working from home is possible for the other workdays). The position is initially limited to two years, with the possibility of becoming permanent.