Remote Technical Director, Certification & Accreditation

X4 Engineering; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work (US)

15% annual bonus

Medical, dental, vision

Job summary

X4 Engineering is seeking an experienced Technical Director to lead the technical and accreditation function of a North American certification business. The role requires senior leadership across accreditation governance, auditor competence and certification processes within a lean, distributed team.

The successful candidate will lead technical strategy, maintain accreditation programs, and act as a senior authority for accredited and unaccredited schemes.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in a certification body.
• Strong understanding of accreditation requirements and third‑party certification processes.
• Experience with ANAB or equivalent accreditation audits.
• In‑depth knowledge of ISO/IEC 17021 and auditor qualification requirements.
• Experience across multiple management‑system standards rather than a single scheme.
• Excellent communication, analytical and organizational skills.
• Experience leading technical teams and external resources.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across the certification portfolio.
• Maintain and support accreditation program including audits.
• Act as senior technical authority for schemes.
• Ensure activities align with standards and procedures.
• Oversee auditor qualification, competence, and performance.
• Manage technical reviewers, SMEs, auditors and resources.
• Develop and improve technical procedures and work instructions.
• Lead internal audits and management reviews.
• Manage accreditation findings and corrective actions.
• Maintain management systems documentation and updates.
• Support accreditation and recognition across markets.
• Provide technical input into new standards and opportunities.
• Collaborate with operations, sales, marketing and leadership.
• Provide training and updates to auditors and colleagues.
• Attend external audits when required.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and scalability.

Skills

Technical leadership

Accreditation knowledge

Auditor competence

Stakeholder management

ISO/IEC 17021 knowledge

Audit leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

Audit management

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Technical Director to lead the technical and accreditation function of an established, accredited third-party certification business in North America.

This is a senior technical leadership position with responsibility for maintaining accreditation, technical governance, auditor competence and certification processes across a broad portfolio of management-system standards.

The organization operates with a lean, highly experienced team, supported by specialist contractors, technical reviewers and subject matter experts. The successful candidate will therefore need to be comfortable leading through a distributed model while remaining hands-on and accountable for technical outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and oversight across the certification portfolio.
• Maintain and support the organization's accreditation program, including preparation for and management of external accreditation audits.
• Act as a senior technical authority for accredited and unaccredited certification schemes.
• Ensure certification activities remain aligned with applicable standards, accreditation requirements and internal procedures.
• Oversee auditor qualification, competence, commissioning and ongoing performance.
• Manage technical reviewers, SMEs, auditors and internal technical resources.
• Develop, maintain and improve technical procedures, processes and work instructions.
• Lead internal audit and management review activities relating to the certification program.
• Manage accreditation findings, corrective actions and follow-up activities through to completion.
• Maintain the organization's management systems documentation and ensure relevant updates are communicated effectively.
• Support the development and maintenance of accreditation and recognition across relevant market segments.
• Provide technical input into new standards, schemes and business opportunities.
• Work collaboratively with operations, sales, marketing and program leadership.
• Provide training and ongoing technical updates to auditors and internal colleagues.
• Attend external accreditation audits and selected client/witness audits where required.
• Identify opportunities to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and scalability of the technical function.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for an experienced technical leader from an accredited third-party certification body.

Ideally, you will have:

• Experience in a Technical Director, Technical Manager, Head of Technical, Certification Manager or closely related leadership position within a certification body.
• Strong understanding of accreditation requirements and third-party certification processes.
• Experience managing or participating in ANAB or equivalent accreditation audits.
• Strong knowledge of ISO/IEC 17021 and auditor competence/qualification requirements.
• Experience overseeing auditor qualification, technical review and certification activities.
• Experience across multiple management-system standards rather than a single certification scheme.
• Experience leading technical teams and/or external technical resources.
• Strong ISO 9001 and/or AS/EN 9100 knowledge; aerospace Lead Auditor credentials would be advantageous.
• Experience with standards such as ISO 27001, ISO 20000, ISO 42001, IATF 16949 or other relevant schemes would be beneficial.
• Experience managing corrective actions, accreditation findings and management-system improvements.
• Excellent communication, analytical and organizational skills.

The Right Personality

This role will suit someone who is dynamic, adaptable and improvement-focused.

The organization has an established and mature accreditation system, but operates differently from a large traditional certification body. The successful candidate will need to be comfortable working with a lean internal team, external contractors and specialist technical reviewers.

You should be someone who:

• Enjoys taking ownership rather than simply following established processes.
• Is comfortable operating in a changing and sometimes ambiguous environment.
• Can challenge existing approaches constructively.
• Looks for ways to improve technical processes and the wider business.
• Can influence and lead without relying on a large internal team.
• Is equally comfortable operating strategically and getting into the detail when required.

Working Arrangement

• Fully remote position within the United States.
• No regular office attendance required.
• Domestic travel required, with occasional international travel possible.
• Proximity to a major airport is advantageous.
• The role involves working with colleagues and technical resources across different locations and time zones.
• Up to $160,000 base salary
• 15% annual bonus
• Medical, dental and vision benefits
• 401(k)
• Paid time off
• Professional development and training opportunities
• Additional employee wellbeing and financial benefits

This is an opportunity to take genuine ownership of the technical and accreditation function within an established certification business, with the autonomy to influence how the organization develops and evolves.