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Assurance Director
Marine Stewardship Council
United Kingdom
Posted on Apr 11, 2026
Role Number: 8413
Our vision is for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life, with seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international, nonprofit organisation that operates the world’s most recognised certification and ecolabelling programme for sustainable fishing. Over more than 25 years, MSC has established a truly global presence, supporting positive ecological change in the world’s oceans. Today, MSC certified and labelled seafood products are available in over 100 countries, sourced from fisheries operating across all continents. Through robust standards, credible assurance and collaboration across the seafood sector, MSC works to recognise and reward sustainable fishing practices worldwide.
Central to the credibility and impact of MSC’s Program are the standards it sets and maintains, and the assurance systems that support their consistent and trustworthy application. We are seeking an experienced and authoritative Assurance Director to provide strategic leadership of MSC’s assurance and accreditation system and to safeguard the integrity and effectiveness of the MSC programme as it continues to evolve.
Reporting to the Chief Standards Officer and working closely with the Executive Committee, the Assurance Director provides strategic oversight of MSC’s global assurance and accreditation framework. This includes ensuring that assurance mechanisms protect the credibility, consistency and integrity of MSC certification, and remain aligned with international norms and recognised good practice.
The Assurance Director is accountable for the development, maintenance and effective operation of MSC’s assurance systems, including certification requirements, accreditation models and related governance. The role oversees assurance performance across the programme, manages risk and escalation, and leads continuous improvement to ensure systems remain robust, transparent and resilient in a complex and changing external environment.
A key focus of the role is maintaining confidence in MSC’s Program among fisheries, assurance providers, accreditation bodies, regulators and wider stakeholders. The Assurance Director plays a critical role in ensuring assurance processes are trusted, consistently applied and clearly governed, with strong accountability across assurance workstreams.
The role leads the Assurance team, providing clear direction, strong leadership and a culture of continuous improvement. As a senior organisational leader, the Assurance Director also contributes to MSC’s broader strategic development and collective management, working collaboratively across the organisation and with external partners to ensure assurance systems are fit for purpose now and into the future.
Operating at a senior level externally, the Assurance Director represents MSC on assurance and accreditation matters, building and maintaining credibility with key stakeholders, normative bodies and partners.
The successful candidate will bring strong knowledge of standard setting systems and international norms relevant to third-party certification and accreditation. You will have experience working within or alongside complex assurance frameworks and a clear understanding of the risks, controls and governance required to protect programme credibility. You will be a capable, confident leader with experience of managing and motivating diverse teams, combined with excellent interpersonal and influencing skills.
You will operate with a strategic and agile mindset, able to horizon scan and anticipate emerging risks and expectations, while ensuring operational delivery remains strong. An ability to communicate clearly and authoritatively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders is essential, as is sound judgement and intellectual rigour.
A genuine empathy for, and commitment to, MSC’s mission and objectives is critical.
This is a key leadership role with significant influence over the effectiveness, integrity and future development of one of the world’s most influential seafood certification programmes, and an opportunity to make a lasting contribution to the sustainability of global fisheries.
Perrett Laver has been appointed by the Marine Stewardship Council to lead the search and recruitment for this role. For further details about the opportunity and the MSC, please visit the dedicated microsite and search using vacancy code 8413: Assurance Director : Perrett Laver - Leading Global Executive Search Firm
To apply, please submit a CV and covering letter, detailing how you fulfil the role description and personal specification. The deadline for applications is Thursday 7th May 2026 at 9:00am BST.
Perrett Laver will conduct an executive search process in parallel with the public advertisement of the role.
Longlisted candidates will be invited to interview with Perrett Laver in late-May, early-June.
The Selection Panel will subsequently meet to decide upon a final shortlist for the post with formal interviews due to take place in late June.
We are committed to the principles of equality and fairness and do not discriminate on the grounds of age, ethnicity, race, colour, religion or belief, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. If you consider yourself to have a disability and need reasonable adjustments made during the recruitment and selection process, please let us know how we can help you.
To confidentially get in touch about this role, or for advice on your application please email, Valentina Serra on valentina.serra@perrettlaver.com
Should you require access to these documents in alternative formats, please contact Freya Coombes on freya.coombes@perrettlaver.com
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