Job Description

Volunteer Opportunity: Standards Committee - Voting Member

Location: Remote

Language : English

About the Non-GMO Project & Standards Committee

The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization offering rigorous product verification and trustworthy education that empowers people to care for themselves, the planet and future generations. We are looking for members of our community to join our Standards Committee (SC) and help us continue to maintain the most meaningful third-party non-GMO Standard on the market. 

Our Standards Committee represents a broad range of stakeholder interests including farmers, intermediate supply chain members, brands, and consumers. SC Members use expertise garnered through life, professional, and academic experience to shape the content of the Non-GMO Project Standard so that it may continually improve. The SC is governed by the Standards Oversight Committee (SOC), a committee of the Non-GMO Project’s Board of Directors. Please see the Terms of Reference for additional context.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Non-GMO Project embraces the pursuit of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our work as critical to our mission. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, national origin, color, gender (including gender identity), sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, family, marital or parental status, religious affiliation, creed, the presence of any physical, mental or sensory impairment, immigrant status, age, personal appearance, veteran status or any other protected class in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws. We collectively uphold this commitment. We celebrate our inclusive work environment and welcome members of all backgrounds to apply.

What We’re Looking For 

• A person with extensive professional or lived experience in Canada or Mexico
• A reliable volunteer committed to preserving and building the Non-GMO supply chain through standards development
• A person with an understanding of the food, feed, cosmetic, or other related industry who can visualize how Non-GMO Standard requirements could impact that industry and its stakeholders
• A representative of one of the following stakeholder categories and whose experience within that stakeholder category was gathered in Canada or Mexico:
  • Retailers and Distributors
  • Input and Ingredient Processors
  • Livestock Producers
  • Crop Producers
  • Seed Producers
  • BIPOC-led or Owned Organizations
  • Women-led or Owned Organizations

Standards Committee Responsibilities :

• Regular and Special Revisions . The SC oversees the regular Standard revision in addition to any special Standard revisions occurring in the interim.
• Standard Maintenance and Evolution . The SC ensures that the Standard continues to be a mechanism for the preservation of existing Non-GMO products and the development of new Non-GMO products.
• Standard Rigor . The SC ensures that the content of the Standard maintains a balance of meaningfulness and achievability and provides the rigor expected by consumers.
• Standard Relevance . The SC ensures that the technical elements of the Standard keep pace with or precede new GMO releases to the market.

Individual Areas of Responsibility 

• Model your alignment and interpretation of the Project’s Guiding Values and .
• Follow the Project’s Code of Conduct as outlined in the Terms of Reference .
• Express yourself by contributing your opinions informed by your unique lived experience and expertise to all discussions.
• Actively participate by engaging with preparatory materials prior to each meeting, attending and contributing to meetings, and collaborating with fellow meeting attendees to accomplish the agenda items.
• Thoughtfully review and analyze public comments collected during Standard revision periods, while also considering the actions that should be taken to address them.
• Review, provide feedback on, and recommend language for Standard drafts.
• Reach consensus on the intentions and interpretations of new Standard language to support the development of audience-specific informational materials.
• Vote to approve elevation of new Standard versions to the SOC.

Who You Are

• You are a passionate, curious, critical thinker. Someone who is detail-oriented, self-aware, and an advocate for your opinion and experience
• You have a personal awareness of what it means to live your values, and understand how your personal values overlap with the organizational values of the Project
• You are committed to and engaged with issues of social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusiveness
• You enjoy the process of sifting through large quantities of data, fitting puzzle pieces together, and exploring how each puzzle piece interacts with and influences the others
• You have a love of the nuance and complexity of language
• You are oriented toward teamwork, with a commitment to reaching general agreement within a group
• You have a talent for picking up on patterns, systems, and interactions
• You are able to participate fully in meetings held remotely, in English

Experience You Bring 

We place a high value on lived experience coupled with professional experience.

• Experience working on a team to accomplish a common goal
• Experience navigating differences of opinion to come to general agreement within a group
• Experience sifting through large quantities of text data
• Experience with chain of custody models or avoiding GMOs is preferred
• Experience with certification schemes, conformity assessment, or standard-setting is preferred
• A minimum of 5 years of educational, professional, or personal experience within at least one of the stakeholder categories with which you identify

About Your Application

To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume. Your cover letter should address your interest in working with the Non-GMO Project and any particular skills or strengths you feel would qualify you for this role. To learn more about our organization, please visit our website ().

Reasonable Accommodations 

If you’re a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to accommodations@nongmoproject.org . 

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