Manager, Oversight, Compliance & Innovation- 12 Month Fixed Term Contract

ROLE PURPOSE

Gold Standard Foundation seeks a highly motivated individual to join our standard development team as a manager for a fixed term 12 month contract (maternity cover). This is a full-time remote position based in Germany.

WHAT WE DO

Gold Standard is a standards body and thought leader that promotes the best that can be achieved in climate and development projects. It was established in 2003 by WWF and other international NGOs as a best practice standard to ensure projects that reduced carbon emissions under the UN’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) also delivered sustainable development benefits. Today, our standard, ‘Gold Standard for the Global Goals’, allows climate and development initiatives within carbon markets, corporate supply chains, and sustainable finance to manage, measure and maximise their impacts toward the Net Zero ambition of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. Certification against the standard provides the confidence that these results are measured and verified, enabling credible impact reporting. ISEAL Code Compliant and backed by a broad NGO Supporter Network, Gold Standard has 2000+ projects underway in over 90 countries, creating billions of dollars of shared value from climate and development action worldwide.

OUR VALUES

• PIONEERING

For over 20 years, Gold Standard has shown how carbon finance can achieve its highest potential. We’ve created innovative new standards, programmes and tools that raise the bar for quality across a broader range of applications than carbon markets. We focus on those that have the most promise to contribute to our vision and mission, bringing them to market with the requisite planning and resources.

• RIGOROUS

We build on our reputation for quality and rigour with more robust measurement of outcomes, stronger safeguards and greater impact across the Sustainable Development Goals. Our objective is to make rigour simpler and more achievable at scale.

• COLLABORATIVE

We work with key partners who share our goals and complement our strengths. Our partnership strategy aims to move beyond working opportunistically as a delivery partner in favor of collaborating in long-term strategic synergy.

• TRANSPARENT

We were established to bring confidence, trust, and accountability to carbon markets. We will continue to take strides to improve transparency in our own processes, in the broader market and in non-market mechanisms.

The Gold Standard Foundation is looking to build our team with exceptional people who are excited and driven to shape and deliver this ambition and uphold our values.  In addition to these values, Gold Standard is committed to performing with excellence, and providing constructive and timely support for our growing community of assurance providers.

YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR:

1. Direct and supervise the Validation and Verification Body (VVB) approval, training, oversight processes and engagement.
2. Set up a system/processes for auditor exams, approvals and train colleagues
3. Manage help and clarification requests on VVB and assurance platform topics as Tier 2
4. Be in charge of the VVB application process; meticulously review applications, compile findings, facilitate communication with pertinent teams, and keep the list of approved VVBs on the website and internal trackers up-to-date.
5. Manage adherence to ISEAL Code requirements through frequent updates, effective coordination with internal teams, and prompt submission of any required updates to processes.
6. Support the alignment of the assurance system with internal and external standards and requirements, such as ICVCM, Corsia, Article 6, etc. and reporting thereof.
7. Manage the assurance risk register, swiftly identifying potential risks and formulating strategic mitigation plans.
8. Serve as the primary point of contact with SustainCERT, acquiring information on their Gold Standard KPIs and ongoing performance, and providing timely reports to Gold Standard management.
9. Be the key process owner in digitisation and process improvement initiatives, focusing on areas related to the key functions of oversight, compliance, the certification process, and other areas as necessary.
10. Undertake research and draft comprehensive reports on key assurance-related topics as per the instructions of the Management Team.
11. Be the face of Gold Standard at key internal and external events like conferences, workshops, representing the organization and the team as needed.
12. Supervise other team members and consultants as required.
13. Design, coordinate, and deliver trainings and draft communication about standard development, methodologies, and other GS4GG-related topics.
14. Update VVB requirement documents to prepare for Gold Standard’s New Assurance Model.
15. Collaborate with other SDI and Gold Standard team members on cross-team and cross-organizational projects and topics.

YOU WILL BRING TO THE ROLE:

Essential Skills

• Demonstrated 10+ years of working experience of, or less experience combined with a doctorate in a related field, such as forestry, environmental engineering, or comparable.

This must include:

• A good understanding of the role of a Standard system like FSC, MSC, Fairtrade etc from the perspective of a standard-setting, oversight, or monitoring and evaluation, and in-depth knowledge of how they are managed

• Ensuring compliance with the ISEAL codes of good practice

• Improving and digitizing processes

• Working abroad and in different cultural settings

• Organizing, designing and conducting trainings for technical and non-technical audiences in the areas of carbon emissions, energy, forestry and/or agriculture.

• Creating key performance indicators and monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks

• Supervision, mentorship and onboarding of colleagues

Additional knowledge and skills required:

• Wide knowledge on climate finance, environmental markets and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), preferably with focus on gender and poverty alleviation

• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with an eye for detail

• Knowledge and experience of digitization of PDF/MS Word documents and MS Excel based calculation tools is highly preferable

• Ability to work under pressure and juggle multiple tasks and projects

• Ability to set own priorities and modify them in view of the needs of the team and the organization, and set boundaries effectively

• Excellent collaboration, communication, and representation skills with the ability to work with a range of staff based all around the world

• A clear motivation aligned with Gold Standard’s mission, a positive outlook on work and a desire to make a difference in the world

• Competence in MS office tools, Jira/Confluence or related project/process management tools, training platforms.

• Fluency in English. Additional fluency in Spanish is a plus

YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND GROW BY:

• Cultivating a community of assurance providers in ever more complex ways
• Designing and contributing to a learning framework within a growing and diverse organization and a committed, expert, and dynamic team
• Finding innovative ways to solve challenging issues, by learning from other standards and using new technologies and methods.

WHAT WE OFFER:

The salary range for this role will be commensurate with qualifications and experience in the NGO sector in the country where the applicant is based. Other benefits to working at Gold Standard include:

• A mission-driven organisation working at the leading edge of climate and sustainability
• Rewarding work in a dynamic non-profit environment
• A collaborative workplace within a multicultural team
• An ambitious, agile and flexible environment

CLOSING DATE

Applications for this role will close 17th July 2024. We regret that we cannot confirm receipt of your application by email. Only successful candidates will be contacted for a completing test and/or an interview.

APPLICATIONS

Please submit a 1-page cover letter explaining why you are applying for this role with Gold Standard and your CV through our recruitment portal.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

Gold Standard provides equal opportunity for all job applicants and employees and is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination. We are dedicated to an inclusive culture and we strive to create a workplace where teams of people with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, perspectives, ideas and experiences work together.

We welcome applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, races, background, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.