Program Operations Specialist

ROLE: Program Operations Specialist

DEPARTMENT: Standards & Verification

LOCATION: Bellingham, Washington (Remote/Hybrid Available)

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Full-time, Non-exempt

PROFESSIONAL LEVEL: Mid-level

STARTING SALARY RANGE: $27.40 - $33.65/hr, $57K - $70K annually

ABOUT THE STANDARDS & VERIFICATION TEAM

The Standards & Verification team at the Non-GMO Project tends the roots of our organization’s work — caring for the systems that ensure our programs remain credible, relevant, and alive to change. We see our standards (Non-GMO Project Standard and the newly launched Non-UPF Standard) as living frameworks: grounded in science, shaped by collaboration, and continually evolving to reflect new knowledge and needs across the food system.

We stay attuned to developments in the world of GMOs, food processing, and emerging technologies; we support our third-party certifiers (Technical Administrators) and tend the infrastructure of normative documents and quality systems that sustain trust in our work. Our team is a diverse community of scientists, researchers, legal professionals, and quality and technical specialists who thrive where rigor meets practicality. Together, we’re dedicated to ensuring that our Non-GMO Standard remains North America’s most trusted certification for GMO avoidance, while establishing the Non-UPF Standard as its counterpart for ultra-processing transparency — the next step toward a food system that nourishes life.

ABOUT THE NON-GMO PROJECT AND NON-UPF VERIFIED

At the Non-GMO Project, we are passionate about both what we do and how we evolve through our everyday actions. As a mission-driven nonprofit, we’re committed to advancing food integrity through rigorous product verification, trustworthy education, and expanded programming that includes Non-UPF Verified and the Food Integrity Collective.

Our culture is grounded in collaboration and care — for each other, for the planet, and for future generations. We believe in the power of individual and collective choices to shape a more transparent, regenerative food system and a healthier world for all.

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 under applicable laws. We celebrate our inclusive work environment and welcome members of all backgrounds to apply.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

The Non-GMO Project runs two product verification programs: our long-established Non-GMO Project Verified program, and our newer Non-UPF Verified program, which helps shoppers identify foods made without ultra-processing. We're looking for a Program Operations Specialist to help both programs run smoothly and grow well.

This is a project management role at heart. You'll keep multiple workstreams moving at once — coordinating the people doing the technical work, tracking what's due and what's stuck, and making sure the right conversations happen at the right time. You'll also help build the governance structures and processes that a growing program needs, and connect with outside experts to deepen what we know about how food is made.

The work is dynamic and broad in scope. Some of what you take on is already defined; some of it you’ll help to co-create. This might be the role for you if you like bringing order to work that's still taking shape, and you thrive on being the person who makes complicated collaborative efforts land. If you're interested in joining a team of unapologetic nerds with a fondness for impromptu Jeopardy! matches, then the Program Operations Specialist role within the Standards & Verification team may be for you!

WHO YOU ARE

• Organized in a way other people can feel. You track commitments, close loops, and keep work visible so nobody has to wonder where things stand.
• Curious about food production and biotechnology. You may already have experience/education in these areas, or an abiding interest and thirst to learn more.
• Comfortable engaging with complex material and driven to achieve fluency. You are excited to read and absorb our Non-GMO and Non-UPF Standards and master the technical understanding of our certification programs.
• A strong communicator. You write clearly, summarize complexity without flattening it, and adjust how you explain things depending on who’s listening.
• Collaborative and relational. You build trust across teams and with people outside the organization, and you’re comfortable coordinating work you don’t directly control.
• A self-starter. You see what needs doing before you’re asked and you’re willing to build the process rather than wait for one.
• Adaptable. You’re at ease with ambiguity and shifting priorities, and you can hold the big picture while managing details.
• Self-reflective. You reflect on your contributions individually and with the team, sit with this honestly, and grow from this reflection.
• Committed and engaged with issues of social justice, diversity, equity, inclusiveness, and belonging.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Project Management

• Plan, organize, monitor and report on strategic technical initiatives across both verification programs, coordinating with individuals and task teams doing the work.
• Maintain momentum by anticipating obstacles and opportunities and adapting plans accordingly.
• Look for places where the two programs can share resources or approaches rather than duplicate effort.
• Provide regular status updates to the Director of Standards & Program Integration and serve as a connection point among project stakeholders.
• Support — and over time take on full project management of — revisions to our Standards.
• Track and support technical workstreams focused on specific ingredient categories.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Reach out to and coordinate with subject matter experts outside the organization to continue expanding internal knowledge on food processing.
• Schedule meetings, capture notes, track follow-up items through to resolution, and maintain those relationships over time.
• Build and maintain a reference library of sector-specific food processing information.
• Organize and share what you learn so colleagues working on related efforts can use it.

Technical Guidance and Related Collateral

• Help create and maintain a development plan and schedule for materials that support technical understanding and implementation of our standards (i.e. “technical guidance”).
• Keep guidance development efforts coherent across the different teams and working groups, including internal partners and external consultants.
• Contribute directly to drafting, design, and review of guidance materials where it makes sense.

Operational Support

• Provide direct support to the Director of Standards & Program Integration: tracking open action items, following up on communications, planning and facilitating meetings, and coordinating across functions.
• Develop standard operating procedures.
• Support relationships with stakeholders consulting on standards development and with brands participating in pilots.
• Contribute to evolving the program structure for Non-UPF Verified.

Universal Accountabilities

• Quality Standard. Execute work through effective and engaged processes in order to deliver the highest quality outcomes.
• Duty of Care. Act in the best interest of the organization using sound judgment and discretion in day-to-day decision making while adhering to policies and procedures.
• Risk Management. Employ sound judgment and discretion to understand and take calculated risks with appropriate mitigation strategies in place.

EXPERIENCE YOU BRING

We place a high value on how you approach this work, along with your lived and professional experience.

• Experience coordinating or managing projects with multiple contributors and moving deadlines — roughly three years, though we're more interested in what you've done than in how long you've done it.
• Experience writing for a professional audience: summaries, process documentation, meeting notes, or guidance materials.
• Comfort working with project tracking tools. We use Smartsheet, Salesforce, Sharepoint, and the Google suite; if you've used comparable systems, we'll get you up to speed.
• Experience coordinating with people outside your own organization — partners, consultants, technical experts, or similar.

Strongly preferred, but not required

• Familiarity with food manufacturing, ingredient sourcing, or supply chains.
• Experience with certification, standards development, or third-party verification.
• Experience supporting governance processes such as committees, working groups, or advisory bodies.

CURRENT BENEFIT PACKAGE

Medical coverage

• 100% employer-paid base Aetna HSA medical plan
• Choice of Aetna or Kaiser plans with upgrade options at your own cost
• Vision & dental options
• 50% employer-paid dependent coverage (transferable to upgraded plans)
• $500 annual contribution to Medical or Limited Purpose FSA
• $500 annual contribution to Dependent Care FSA

Time away & well-being

• 11 paid holidays + your birthday off
• 8 paid care days for health, family, or personal needs
• Accrued paid vacation starting at 10 days/year (increasing annually)
• 36-to-40-hour workweek and flexible schedules

Growth & rewards

• Annual training & development budget
• Annual variable pay (individual bonus)
• 401(k) with 3% company match

Work from anywhere, comfortably

• $500/year work-from-home benefit
• Flexible schedule and remote-first culture

Mission & values

• Engage in meaningful, mission-oriented work in a values-focused environment

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.

We are committed to reviewing every application and to creating an equitable process for all candidates. Just as we value transparency in the food system, we bring that same care to how we hire: we use AI to summarize applicants' experience, organize applications, and help assess how your application aligns with this role. A person on our team reviews this information alongside your full application, and every hiring decision reflects human judgment. If you'd prefer that AI not be used in reviewing your application, just email us at careers@nongmoproject.org and we'll make sure to implement your request.

We know that great candidates can come from unexpected places. Even if you don’t meet every qualification listed, we encourage you to apply. We value lived experience, unconventional pathways, and perspectives that challenge our own. If you’re drawn to the work and the mission, we’d love to hear from you.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

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