Certification Body Relations & Operations Manager

ISCC - International Sustainability and Carbon Certification; Köln; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Great Team Environment

Free language classes

Job summary

ISCC - International Sustainability and Carbon Certification is seeking a Certification Body Relations & Operations Manager for our Cologne headquarters. You will lead CB onboarding/offboarding, contract administration, and ongoing account management within CBM’s Cooperation and Support pillar.

You will coordinate cross-functional teams, maintain CB records with dashboards and data analyses, and continuously improve SOPs and processes to ensure efficient operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g. business, management, sustainability)
• 3–5 years of professional experience in account management or operational support
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities
• Experience with contract management and data/reporting tools
• Knowledge of ISCC requirements or similar schemes is advantageous
• Excellent English (C1); German is a plus

Responsibilities

• Lead CB onboarding and offboarding, contract administration, and ongoing account management
• Coordinate cross-functional teams and ensure timely responses and documentation
• Maintain CB records, dashboards, and data to support account management
• Develop and improve SOPs and administrative processes for CB cooperation
• Manage CB accounts, arrange meetings, and coordinate follow-ups
• Identify recurring issues and drive process improvements

Skills

Account management

Stakeholder management

Contract negotiation

Data dashboards

ISCC knowledge

English (C1)

German (C1)

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM systems

Dashboard software

MS Excel

Job description

Your tasks

ISCC – International Sustainability and Carbon Certification is one of the leading certification systems for sustainability, traceability and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Our activities and impact are expanding, and our teams have been growing exponentially over the past three years. To further strengthen our Certification Body Management team, we are looking forward to welcoming you as Certification Body Relations & Operations Manager at ourISCC headquarters in Cologne. In this role, you will lead certification body (CB) onboarding, offboarding, contract administration and ongoing account management within CBM’s Cooperation and Support pillar. The role serves as a consistent point of contact throughout the CB lifecycle, coordinates operational follow-up across relevant teams, maintains reliable CB records and data, and improves the processes and tools that support effective CB cooperation. If you are passionate about sustainability and would like to join a culturally certified Great Place to Workcompany with highly motivated and diverse teams making a real difference, we look forward to your application! Your main duties will be:

• Management of CB contracts, including negotiations, amendments, extensions, cooperation transfers, internal approvals, and coordination of the signing process
• Coordination of CB onboarding and offboarding, including induction, system access, guidance, and alignment with relevant internal teams
• Management of CB enquiries and operational support requests, ensuring timely responses, appropriate follow-up, and complete documentation
• Management of assigned CB accounts, including bilateral meetings, stakeholder communication, issue resolution, and coordination of follow-up actions
• Maintenance of accurate CB records and documentation, including the development and effective use of dashboards and data analysis to support account management
• Development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of SOPs, guidance documents, and administrative processes to ensure consistent and efficient operations
• Consolidation of CB feedback, identification of recurring issues, and coordination of internal action plans and process improvements

Additional duties can be:

• Providing back-up support for CB communications and engagement activities
• Supporting CB oversight and engagement activities in collaboration with relevant internal teams
• Supporting in-depth analyses of CB performance and audit quality, including the preparation and validation of relevant data
• Contributing to workload planning, improved handovers, and cross-functional coordination

Your profile

Professional background

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. business administration, management, sustainability, supply chain management, or a comparable discipline)
• At least 3–5 years of relevant professional experience in account management, operational support, certification administration, contract management, or a comparable stakeholder-facing role
• Strong experience in customer service, operational support and external relationship management, with a demonstrated ability to provide reliable service while managing stakeholder expectations
• Demonstrated experience managing external accounts or partners, coordinating cross-functional activities, and resolving operational issues
• Strong contract negotiation and administration skills, with sound judgement regarding approvals, delegated authority, and escalation
• Experience maintaining operational data and using dashboards or trend analysis to support planning and decision-making
• Knowledge of ISCC requirements or comparable certification schemes is an advantage
• Excellent English language skills (at least C1, written and spoken);German language skills are a plus

Methodological & personal skills

• Strong organisational and case-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
• Clear and confident communication skills, including the ability to manage challenging discussions and resolve operational conflicts professionally
• Structured, independent, and reliable working style, with a strong focus on service quality and accurate documentation
• Sound judgement and decision-making capability, including the ability to identify risks and escalation
• Demonstrated ability to improve administrative processes, clarify responsibilities, and coordinate effective cross-team collaboration
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail

Why us?

We are an international and diverse team of passionate and experienced experts, joining forces for a sustainable future! We believe that our team is our core asset and we support our people as best we can.

To help you build your future and thrive with us, we offer:

Great Team Environment

• Various team events throughout the year (Celebrating Diversity, Summer Team Event, Christmas Party)
• Close collaboration with our sister companies Meo Carbon Solutions GmbH, GRAS Global Risk Assessment Services, 4C Services, ClimatePal, and TYC
• The opportunity to work independently and shape processes

Individual learning and development plan

• Professional onboarding to help you have an ideal start with us
• Frequent feedback sessions to ensure a high quality of communication and mutual reflection
• Many free language classes
• Access to several trainings as well as