Company description

ABOUT THE NON-GMO PROJECT AND NON-UPF VERIFIED

At the Non-GMO Project, we’re passionate about both what we do and who we are becoming 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 care not only about what we are doing as an organization, but also who we are being and becoming through our everyday actions. 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 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.

Job description

We're looking for a Program Operations Specialist to help our two verification programs (Non-GMO Project and Non-UPF Verified) run smoothly and grow well. This is a project management role; you'll keep multiple workstreams moving at once — coordinating the people doing the technical work, tracking progress, and ensuring the right conversations happen at the right time. You'll help build governance structures and processes, and connect with outside experts to deepen what we know about how food is made.

The work is dynamic and broad. Some of what you take on is defined; some you’ll help to co-create. This might be the role for you if you like bringing order to work that's evolving, and you thrive on making 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 may be for you!

WHO YOU ARE

• Organized in a way other people can feel. You track commitments, close loops, and keep work visible.
• Curious about food production and biotechnology.
• Driven to achieve fluency with complex material. You're excited to absorb our Standards and master technical understanding of our certification programs.
• A strong communicator. You write clearly, summarize complexity, and adjust to who’s listening.
• Collaborative and relational. You build trust, and you’re comfortable coordinating work you don’t directly control.
• A self-starter. You see what needs doing and you’re willing to build the process rather than wait for one.
• Adaptable. You’re at ease with ambiguity, shifting priorities, and you can hold the big picture and details.
• Self-reflective. You honestly reflect on your contributions individually and with the team and grow from this reflection.
• Committed to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management

• Plan, organize, monitor and report on strategic technical initiatives, coordinating with individuals and task teams doing the work.
• Maintain momentum by anticipating obstacles and opportunities and adapting plans.
• 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 eventually take on full project management of — revisions to our Standards.
• Track and support technical workstreams focused on specific ingredient categories.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Coordinate with subject matter experts outside the organization to expand internal knowledge on food processing.
• Schedule meetings, capture notes, track follow-up items to resolution, and maintain stakeholder relationships.
• Build and maintain a reference library of sector-specific food processing information.
• Organize and share what you learn so colleagues can use it.

Technical Guidance

• Help create and maintain a development plan and schedule for materials supporting technical guidance.
• Keep guidance development efforts coherent across working groups.
• Contribute directly to drafting, design, and review of guidance materials.

Operational Support

• Provide direct support to the Director of Standards & Program Integration: tracking open action items, following up on communications, planning and facilitating meetings.
• 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 processes to deliver the highest quality outcomes.
• Duty of Care. Act in the best interest of the organization using sound discretion in day-to-day decision making while adhering to policies and procedures.
• Risk Management. Employ sound judgment to 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.

BENEFITS

100% employer-paid base Aetna HSA medical plan, with choice of upgrade options at your own cost
Vision & dental options
50% employer-paid dependent coverage
$500 annual contribution to Medical or Limited Purpose FSA
$500 annual contribution to Dependent Care FSA
401(k) with 3% company match
8 paid care days for health, family, or personal needs
11 paid holidays + your birthday off
Accrued paid vacation starting at 10 days/year (increasing annually)
36-to-40-hour workweek and flexible schedules
Annual training & development budget
Annual variable pay (individual bonus)

Compensation

this position is: hourly, varies DOE, $27.40 - $33.65

Location

job can be done remotely

Application instructions

Deadline

September 28, 2026