{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"3d843d60916dfcba061fedf5","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/3d843d60916dfcba061fedf5","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/3d843d60916dfcba061fedf5","title":"Technical Director – Certification","description":"The OpportunityWe 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 ResponsibilitiesProvide 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 ProfileWe 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 PersonalityThis 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 ArrangementFully 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.Compensation & BenefitsUp to $160,000 base salary15% annual bonusMedical, dental and vision benefits401(k)Paid time offProfessional development and training opportunitiesAdditional employee wellbeing and financial benefitsThis 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.","company":"X4 Engineering","rawCompany":"x4 engineering","city":"Denver","state":"CO","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-08-22T10:54:56.329Z","occupations":[{"code":"11-3051.01","title":"Quality Control Systems Managers","slug":"quality-control-systems-managers"},{"code":"11-9199.02","title":"Compliance Managers","slug":"compliance-managers"},{"code":"11-3131.00","title":"Training and Development Managers","slug":"training-and-development-managers"}],"industries":[{"code":"541380","title":"Testing Laboratories and Services","slug":"testing-laboratories-and-services"},{"code":"541330","title":"Engineering Services","slug":"engineering-services"},{"code":"541690","title":"Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services","slug":"other-scientific-and-technical-consulting-services"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Technical Director – Certification","description":"The OpportunityWe 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 ResponsibilitiesProvide 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 ProfileWe 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 PersonalityThis 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 ArrangementFully 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.Compensation & BenefitsUp to $160,000 base salary15% annual bonusMedical, dental and vision benefits401(k)Paid time offProfessional development and training opportunitiesAdditional employee wellbeing and financial benefitsThis 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.","datePosted":"2026-08-22T10:54:56.329Z","dateModified":"2026-08-22T10:54:56.329Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"X4 Engineering","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Denver","addressRegion":"CO","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"3d843d60916dfcba061fedf5"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/3d843d60916dfcba061fedf5"}}