Ziquala Cluster Site Coordinator
s reputation at site level
Role description
Job title Ziquala Cluster Site Coordinator
Reports to Operations Lead
Department Operations
Summary The Site Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating Maritu’s field operations in Ziquala Woreda, with a strong focus on cooperative management, EU Organic and NOP certification support, certification status maintenance, traceability, farmer training, harvest coordination, quality control, and stakeholder engagement.
This is a hands-on field-based role suited for a dynamic and practical person who can work in a challenging rural environment, support beekeepers and cooperative leaders, maintain disciplined certification records, and help Maritu build a reliable, traceable, and scalable organic honey supply chain. The Site Coordinator will serve as Maritu’s main representative at site level and will work closely with the cooperative, local government, technical partners, inspectors, certification consultants, community members, and Maritu’s management team.
Responsibilities 1. EU Organic and NOP Certification Support
• Support Maritu and the cooperative to prepare for, obtain, and maintain EU Organic and NOP certification status.
• Coordinate field-level implementation of all certification requirements, including organic production rules, hive management practices, input restrictions, contamination prevention, buffer zone management, harvest handling, storage, and traceability.
• Work closely with certification consultants, inspectors, internal auditors, cooperative leaders, and Maritu management to ensure that all site-level certification requirements are properly understood and implemented.
• Maintain accurate certification files, including beekeeper profiles, apiary location records, hive records, inspection records, training records, input-use declarations, harvest records, non-compliance reports, corrective action records, and traceability documents.
• Support preparation for external audits, inspections, certification assessments, and follow-up visits.
• Ensure that corrective actions from internal or external inspections are implemented on time and properly documented.
• Monitor risks that could affect certification status, including chemical contamination, pesticide exposure, non-organic inputs, poor record-keeping, uncontrolled sourcing, mixing of certified and non-certified honey, and weak harvest controls.
• Immediately report any certification risks, suspected non-compliance, or traceability gaps to Maritu management.
2. Internal Control System and Certification Status Maintenance
• Support the establishment, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Internal Control System required for EU Organic and NOP certification.
• Conduct or support regular internal inspections of cooperative members, apiary sites, storage points, harvesting practices, and aggregation processes.
• Ensure that all cooperative members understand and comply with organic production standards and Maritu’s certification protocols.
• Maintain an updated list of approved beekeepers, approved apiary sites, hive records, and certified production areas.
• Track compliance status of each beekeeper and follow up on any corrective actions or exclusion decisions.
• Prevent unauthorized honey sourcing from non-approved members, non-certified areas, or unverified suppliers.
• Support clear segregation between certified, in-conversion, and non-certified honey where relevant.
• Help ensure that certification status is maintained year-round, not only during audit periods.
3. Cooperative Coordination and Support
• Support the effective day-to-day coordination of the cooperative and its members in collaboration with cooperative leaders.
• Assist the cooperative to strengthen basic governance, member registration, meeting records, decision-making processes, and accountability systems.
• Support cooperative leaders to maintain clear records on members, hive ownership, production, harvest volumes, sales, payments, training participation, and certification compliance.
• Promote transparency, trust, and good communication between cooperative members, cooperative leadership, Maritu, certification partners, and local stakeholders.
• Help identify operational or governance challenges within the cooperative and propose practical solutions to Maritu management.
4. Training, Farmer Support, and Technical Follow-Up
• Organize and support practical training for beekeepers on organic beekeeping standards, EU/NOP requirements, improved hive management, colony care, seasonal management, harvesting, post-harvest handling, hygiene, quality control, and traceability.
• Ensure cooperative members understand prohibited practices, restricted inputs, contamination risks, documentation requirements, and their responsibilities under organic certification.
• Provide regular follow-up support to cooperative members to improve adoption of organic and good beekeeping practices.
• Coordinate with technical experts, trainers, government extension workers, certification consultants, and partner organizations to deliver training and field support.
• Monitor challenges faced by beekeepers, including drought, forage shortage, pests, disease, swarming, absconding, pesticide exposure, and poor harvesting practices.
• Share field observations and practical recommendations with Maritu to improve future training, technical assistance, certification compliance, and scale-up plans.
5. Harvest Management, Traceability, and Quality Control
• Support planning and coordination of honey harvesting activities across approved cooperative members and certified or in-conversion apiary sites.
• Ensure harvesting is conducted at the right time and in line with organic certification, quality, hygiene, and traceability requirements.
• Coordinate collection, aggregation, weighing, batch coding, documentation, storage, and handover of honey to Maritu or designated logistics teams.
• Maintain clear records of honey volumes by beekeeper, apiary location, date, hive type, batch, certification status, and delivery point.
• Support traceability from hive/apiary level to collection, storage, transportation, processing, and final sale.
• Ensure certified honey is not mixed with non-certified or unverified honey.
• Identify and report any quality risks, adulteration concerns, moisture issues, storage problems, contamination risks, or handling gaps.
6. Data, Documentation, and Reporting
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date field records required for certification, traceability, production planning, buyer verification, and impact reporting.
• Collect and report data on farmer participation, hive distribution, colony status, harvest volume, training attendance, certification compliance, production trends, field risks, and stakeholder activities.
• Submit regular weekly and monthly updates to Maritu management using agreed reporting templates.
• Support digital or paper-based traceability systems, including member codes, hive records, apiary maps, batch records, internal inspection forms, and site-level documentation.
• Ensure that all certification and traceability records are complete, organized, and available for management review, buyer due diligence, and certification audits.
7. Stakeholder and Partner Engagement
• Serve as Maritu’s primary field-level contact with cooperative leaders, woreda offices, kebele administrations, local communities, extension workers, NGOs, certification consultants, inspectors, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Support coordination of meetings, field visits, trainings, inspections, partner missions, buyer visits, certification audits, and government engagements.
• Maintain strong working relationships with local government and community structures to support smooth implementation and certification compliance.
• Represent Maritu professionally and protect the company’s reputation at site level.
• Communicate field-level risks, community concerns, stakeholder issues, certification challenges, and implementation bottlenecks to Maritu management.
8. Scale-Up and Field Operations Support
• Work with Maritu management to identify opportunities for scaling organic honey production, increasing cooperative participation, improving productivity, and strengthening traceability.
• Support site assessments, beekeeper selection, apiary mapping, hive distribution, training planning, certification expansion, and production forecasting.
• Help develop practical field systems that can be replicated as Maritu expands to additional communities or cooperatives.
• Contribute to building a disciplined, transparent, certifiable, and commercially viable supply chain that supports both farmer income and premium market access.
• Perform any other work-related duties assigned by Maritu management
Experience • Minimum 4–5 years of relevant experience in field coordination, cooperative management, agriculture, beekeeping, rural development, organic certification, internal control systems, supply chain coordination, community mobilization, or related work.
• Experience supporting EU Organic, NOP, organic agriculture, certification audits, internal control systems, traceability, or agricultural value chain compliance is strongly preferred.
• Experience working directly with farmers, cooperatives, rural communities, government offices, certification bodies, inspectors, or development partners is strongly preferred.
• Experience in beekeeping, honey production, organic agriculture, quality control, or agricultural supply chains is an advantage.
• Experience working in remote, low-resource, drought-prone, or challenging environments is highly desirable.
• Proven ability to manage field-level documentation, reporting, compliance follow-up, coordination, and community relationships.
Education • Bachelor’s degree or diploma in Agriculture, Animal Science, Beekeeping, Cooperative Management, Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Agribusiness, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Training or certification in organic agriculture, EU Organic, NOP, internal control systems, traceability, quality management, or cooperative development is an advantage.
• Practical field experience may be considered in place of advanced academic qualifications where the candidate demonstrates strong capability.
Skills • Strong understanding of organic certification systems, internal control systems, compliance monitoring, and traceability.
• Strong field coordination, community engagement, and stakeholder management skills.
• Good understanding of cooperative operations, farmer support, and rural livelihoods.
• Strong record-keeping, reporting, documentation, and filing skills.
• Practical understanding of harvest management, quality control, contamination prevention, and batch-level traceability.
• Good communication skills in Amharic; knowledge of the local language or context is a strong advantage.
• Basic English communication skills are an advantage.
• Ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, smartphones, WhatsApp/Telegram, and basic digital reporting tools.
• High integrity, attention to detail, and respect for confidential company, cooperative, and certification information.
• Strong problem-solving ability and willingness to work independently with limited supervision.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently within Ziquala Woreda and surrounding areas.
How To Apply
Application requirements Interested applicants should submit:
• Updated CV.
• Brief cover letter explaining relevant commercial, marketing, or sales experience.
• Examples of previous sales growth, marketing campaigns, customer acquisition, brand development, or business development work, where available.
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
hiwothiwiamanuel@gmail.com
Skills (mandatory):
Adaptability, Communication, Attention to detail, problem solving skill, analytical skill;
Work experience:
3-5 years
Apply Now!
Reports to Operations Lead
Department Operations
Summary The Site Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating Maritu’s field operations in Ziquala Woreda, with a strong focus on cooperative management, EU Organic and NOP certification support, certification status maintenance, traceability, farmer training, harvest coordination, quality control, and stakeholder engagement.
This is a hands-on field-based role suited for a dynamic and practical person who can work in a challenging rural environment, support beekeepers and cooperative leaders, maintain disciplined certification records, and help Maritu build a reliable, traceable, and scalable organic honey supply chain. The Site Coordinator will serve as Maritu’s main representative at site level and will work closely with the cooperative, local government, technical partners, inspectors, certification consultants, community members, and Maritu’s management team.
Responsibilities 1. EU Organic and NOP Certification Support
• Support Maritu and the cooperative to prepare for, obtain, and maintain EU Organic and NOP certification status.
• Coordinate field-level implementation of all certification requirements, including organic production rules, hive management practices, input restrictions, contamination prevention, buffer zone management, harvest handling, storage, and traceability.
• Work closely with certification consultants, inspectors, internal auditors, cooperative leaders, and Maritu management to ensure that all site-level certification requirements are properly understood and implemented.
• Maintain accurate certification files, including beekeeper profiles, apiary location records, hive records, inspection records, training records, input-use declarations, harvest records, non-compliance reports, corrective action records, and traceability documents.
• Support preparation for external audits, inspections, certification assessments, and follow-up visits.
• Ensure that corrective actions from internal or external inspections are implemented on time and properly documented.
• Monitor risks that could affect certification status, including chemical contamination, pesticide exposure, non-organic inputs, poor record-keeping, uncontrolled sourcing, mixing of certified and non-certified honey, and weak harvest controls.
• Immediately report any certification risks, suspected non-compliance, or traceability gaps to Maritu management.
2. Internal Control System and Certification Status Maintenance
• Support the establishment, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Internal Control System required for EU Organic and NOP certification.
• Conduct or support regular internal inspections of cooperative members, apiary sites, storage points, harvesting practices, and aggregation processes.
• Ensure that all cooperative members understand and comply with organic production standards and Maritu’s certification protocols.
• Maintain an updated list of approved beekeepers, approved apiary sites, hive records, and certified production areas.
• Track compliance status of each beekeeper and follow up on any corrective actions or exclusion decisions.
• Prevent unauthorized honey sourcing from non-approved members, non-certified areas, or unverified suppliers.
• Support clear segregation between certified, in-conversion, and non-certified honey where relevant.
• Help ensure that certification status is maintained year-round, not only during audit periods.
3. Cooperative Coordination and Support
• Support the effective day-to-day coordination of the cooperative and its members in collaboration with cooperative leaders.
• Assist the cooperative to strengthen basic governance, member registration, meeting records, decision-making processes, and accountability systems.
• Support cooperative leaders to maintain clear records on members, hive ownership, production, harvest volumes, sales, payments, training participation, and certification compliance.
• Promote transparency, trust, and good communication between cooperative members, cooperative leadership, Maritu, certification partners, and local stakeholders.
• Help identify operational or governance challenges within the cooperative and propose practical solutions to Maritu management.
4. Training, Farmer Support, and Technical Follow-Up
• Organize and support practical training for beekeepers on organic beekeeping standards, EU/NOP requirements, improved hive management, colony care, seasonal management, harvesting, post-harvest handling, hygiene, quality control, and traceability.
• Ensure cooperative members understand prohibited practices, restricted inputs, contamination risks, documentation requirements, and their responsibilities under organic certification.
• Provide regular follow-up support to cooperative members to improve adoption of organic and good beekeeping practices.
• Coordinate with technical experts, trainers, government extension workers, certification consultants, and partner organizations to deliver training and field support.
• Monitor challenges faced by beekeepers, including drought, forage shortage, pests, disease, swarming, absconding, pesticide exposure, and poor harvesting practices.
• Share field observations and practical recommendations with Maritu to improve future training, technical assistance, certification compliance, and scale-up plans.
5. Harvest Management, Traceability, and Quality Control
• Support planning and coordination of honey harvesting activities across approved cooperative members and certified or in-conversion apiary sites.
• Ensure harvesting is conducted at the right time and in line with organic certification, quality, hygiene, and traceability requirements.
• Coordinate collection, aggregation, weighing, batch coding, documentation, storage, and handover of honey to Maritu or designated logistics teams.
• Maintain clear records of honey volumes by beekeeper, apiary location, date, hive type, batch, certification status, and delivery point.
• Support traceability from hive/apiary level to collection, storage, transportation, processing, and final sale.
• Ensure certified honey is not mixed with non-certified or unverified honey.
• Identify and report any quality risks, adulteration concerns, moisture issues, storage problems, contamination risks, or handling gaps.
6. Data, Documentation, and Reporting
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date field records required for certification, traceability, production planning, buyer verification, and impact reporting.
• Collect and report data on farmer participation, hive distribution, colony status, harvest volume, training attendance, certification compliance, production trends, field risks, and stakeholder activities.
• Submit regular weekly and monthly updates to Maritu management using agreed reporting templates.
• Support digital or paper-based traceability systems, including member codes, hive records, apiary maps, batch records, internal inspection forms, and site-level documentation.
• Ensure that all certification and traceability records are complete, organized, and available for management review, buyer due diligence, and certification audits.
7. Stakeholder and Partner Engagement
• Serve as Maritu’s primary field-level contact with cooperative leaders, woreda offices, kebele administrations, local communities, extension workers, NGOs, certification consultants, inspectors, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Support coordination of meetings, field visits, trainings, inspections, partner missions, buyer visits, certification audits, and government engagements.
• Maintain strong working relationships with local government and community structures to support smooth implementation and certification compliance.
• Represent Maritu professionally and protect the company’s reputation at site level.
• Communicate field-level risks, community concerns, stakeholder issues, certification challenges, and implementation bottlenecks to Maritu management.
8. Scale-Up and Field Operations Support
• Work with Maritu management to identify opportunities for scaling organic honey production, increasing cooperative participation, improving productivity, and strengthening traceability.
• Support site assessments, beekeeper selection, apiary mapping, hive distribution, training planning, certification expansion, and production forecasting.
• Help develop practical field systems that can be replicated as Maritu expands to additional communities or cooperatives.
• Contribute to building a disciplined, transparent, certifiable, and commercially viable supply chain that supports both farmer income and premium market access.
• Perform any other work-related duties assigned by Maritu management
Experience • Minimum 4–5 years of relevant experience in field coordination, cooperative management, agriculture, beekeeping, rural development, organic certification, internal control systems, supply chain coordination, community mobilization, or related work.
• Experience supporting EU Organic, NOP, organic agriculture, certification audits, internal control systems, traceability, or agricultural value chain compliance is strongly preferred.
• Experience working directly with farmers, cooperatives, rural communities, government offices, certification bodies, inspectors, or development partners is strongly preferred.
• Experience in beekeeping, honey production, organic agriculture, quality control, or agricultural supply chains is an advantage.
• Experience working in remote, low-resource, drought-prone, or challenging environments is highly desirable.
• Proven ability to manage field-level documentation, reporting, compliance follow-up, coordination, and community relationships.
Education • Bachelor’s degree or diploma in Agriculture, Animal Science, Beekeeping, Cooperative Management, Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Agribusiness, Development Studies, or a related field.
• Training or certification in organic agriculture, EU Organic, NOP, internal control systems, traceability, quality management, or cooperative development is an advantage.
• Practical field experience may be considered in place of advanced academic qualifications where the candidate demonstrates strong capability.
Skills • Strong understanding of organic certification systems, internal control systems, compliance monitoring, and traceability.
• Strong field coordination, community engagement, and stakeholder management skills.
• Good understanding of cooperative operations, farmer support, and rural livelihoods.
• Strong record-keeping, reporting, documentation, and filing skills.
• Practical understanding of harvest management, quality control, contamination prevention, and batch-level traceability.
• Good communication skills in Amharic; knowledge of the local language or context is a strong advantage.
• Basic English communication skills are an advantage.
• Ability to use Microsoft Word, Excel, smartphones, WhatsApp/Telegram, and basic digital reporting tools.
• High integrity, attention to detail, and respect for confidential company, cooperative, and certification information.
• Strong problem-solving ability and willingness to work independently with limited supervision.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently within Ziquala Woreda and surrounding areas.
How To Apply
Application requirements Interested applicants should submit:
• Updated CV.
• Brief cover letter explaining relevant commercial, marketing, or sales experience.
• Examples of previous sales growth, marketing campaigns, customer acquisition, brand development, or business development work, where available.
Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
hiwothiwiamanuel@gmail.com
Skills (mandatory):
Adaptability, Communication, Attention to detail, problem solving skill, analytical skill;
Work experience:
3-5 years
Apply Now!