Program Officer or Senior Program Officer, Plastics Policy and Markets

Job Title:                  Program Officer or Senior Program Officer, Plastics Policy and Markets

Location:                  Flexible: remote (some overlap with Eastern Time business hours required)

Start Date:               Immediately

Reports to:              Director, Plastics and Sustainable Development Policy and Markets

This role may be performed from anywhere with an internet connection. There is no requirement to attend a physical office. Staff members will need to be available for occasional meetings during Eastern Time business hours.

Verra is a global leader helping to address the world's most intractable environmental and social challenges. As a purposeful non-profit organization, Verra is committed to helping reduce and remove greenhouse gas emissions, improve livelihoods and protect natural resources across the private and public sectors. We support climate action and sustainable development with standards, tools and programs that credibly, openly and robustly assess environmental and social impacts and enable funding for sustaining and scaling up projects that verifiably deliver these benefits. We work in any arena where we see a need for clear standards, a role for market-based mechanisms, and an opportunity to generate significant environmental and social value.

Verra manages a portfolio of standards, including the:

• Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) -- the world's leading carbon crediting program, with more than 1,700 registered projects in 80 countries, and accounting for two-thirds of all voluntary carbon market transaction volume.
• Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta) -- a flexible framework for assessing and reporting on the sustainable development benefits of project-based activities.
• Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards -- to identify projects that simultaneously address climate change, support local communities and smallholders, and conserve biodiversity.
• Plastic Waste Reduction Program -- to enable robust impact assessment of new or scaled-up waste recovery and recycling projects around the globe.

Given significant developments in the global environmental and social context, governments and private-sector actors are increasingly engaging in a variety of activities that provide opportunities for Verra's standards. This includes a growing focus on reducing plastic waste, which Verra's programs are well placed to support, and which motivates Verra's interest in hiring a Senior Program Officer/Program Officer, Plastics Policy and Markets.

A day with Verra's collaborative Legal, Policy, and Markets team might include…

• Developing a presentation for an industry conference about the rationale for and operation of Verra's Plastic Program.
• Finding opportunities to engage effectively with the private sector and government representatives to embrace Verra's standards in assessing sustainability impacts.
• Working with your team to identify issues and opportunities that need to be put in front of the senior management to improve the adoption of Verra’s plastic program.
• Developing collateral and other promotional materials to engage a range of external stakeholders.
• Participating in team meetings to agree on work plans, review progress on key projects, brainstorm ideas and execution strategies.

Specific functions you will be responsible for leading...

• Identifying the relevant government and private sector entities and supporting the development of strategies to engage them towards promotion and use of Verra’s plastics program.
• Supporting in assessing and influencing international policy development (e.g., the emerging global plastics treaty) and servicing the team’s engagement in major initiatives aimed at scaling up the plastics program.
• Mapping out the sectoral actors from time to time and developing engagement content for them, including for governments, private-sector entities, producers, brokers, investors, and other credit buyers, to enable their participation in Verra's plastics program.
• Collaborating effectively with internal staff and supporting external stakeholder engagement and management to help with the scale up and evolution of the plastics program.
• Tracking, monitoring, and acting upon global plastics policy and market developments.
• Identifying relevant conferences, workshops and events for the team to participate in and developing specific pre and post event engagement strategies for participating stakeholders.

You bring with you...

• At least 3-5 years (Senior Program Officer) or 1-3 years (Program Officer) of relevant professional work experience, including policy advocacy and government engagement, market and private-sector relations, and partnership development, with significant thematic experience in plastics.
• Technical knowledge of, and experience working with, environmental and social standards, including knowledge of Verra's Plastic Waste Reduction Standard would be an advantage.
• A track record of successfully formulating and carrying out complex strategies. An ability to think creatively and in a solution-oriented manner is crucial.
• Strong organizational skills and discipline to prioritize and work efficiently and effectively under deadlines with limited supervision.
• Outstanding social skills; capable of maintaining a professional approach and demeanor in high-pressure situations and providing support and guidance to other Verra team members.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Fluency in English is essential.

In this role, you will grow and expand your expertise by...

• Promoting the programs of a rapidly growing organization that aims to be a leader in environmental and social markets worldwide.
• Providing well-informed, dynamic, and effective messaging on plastics and sustainability in all jurisdictions where Verra conducts business.
• Collaborating closely with a dynamic, committed, and focused group of highly committed professionals constantly looking for ways to fight climate change and promote sustainable development solutions around the world.

How will you know you're successful?

• Verra's plastics program becomes more widely understood and used.
• The team functions more smoothly because of your support and is able to effectively collaborate both with other internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Your team as well as other teams within Verra are regularly informed about relevant developments.
• Verra's work in this area is implemented effectively, timely, and within budget.

You will join a team ...

• From diverse locations and backgrounds, including plastics and sustainability experts, ex-government representatives, auditors, and more.
• Committed to driving finance to advance climate action and sustainable development through high-quality standards and programs.
• That embodies the values Verra has established for itself, which include Teamwork, Results, Integrity, Balance, and Exploration.

Compensation at Verra

To help us attract and retain top talent, Verra pays employees competitively to the market. In return, we expect each employee to, at a minimum:

• Meet expectations in terms of work effort and performance;
• Take the initiative to build the skills and knowledge needed to do their job effectively; and
• Embody Verra’s values.

For this position, the salary range is USD $55,454 - $68,966, depending on experience.

We will recognize employees who go beyond expected performance with salary increases and/or promotions, but the bar for earning those rewards is high.

Salary is one component of Verra’s total compensation package which also includes:

• Top-tier health, vision and dental care, and life insurance;
• Verra contributions to each employee’s retirement plan;
• Verra contributions as required by national labor laws in countries where staff are located;
• Paid Time Off (PTO) comprising 22-30 days plus ten floating holidays, sabbatical after five years of service, and other leave allowances; and
• Funds to support professional development.

How to Apply

To apply, please send us the following:

• Cover letter (not to exceed one page)
• Resume/CV (not to exceed two pages)

*Please add app.bamboohr.com to your contact list to ensure you receive emails from us*

Verra provides equal opportunity for all job applicants and employees and is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination. We conduct our recruitment and hiring without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, and local law.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.