Job Title: Program Officer/ Senior Program Officer, Media Relations
Location: Remote - Worldwide (with significant overlap with US business hours)
Start Date: Immediately
Reports to: Senior Manager, Media Relations
Verra is a global leader helping to tackle the world’s most intractable environmental and social challenges. As a mission-driven non-profit organization, Verra is committed to helping reduce 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, transparently, 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 1600 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.
With the rapid growth in carbon markets driving inquiries from media new to the field, Verra is seeking a Program Officer / Senior Program Officer to help reporters understand the role that carbon finance plays in meeting the climate challenge. This primarily involves fielding inquiries from reporters – some routine and others requiring you to research individual projects and methodologies, often in tandem with Verra staff to investigate existing projects and methodologies.
A day with Verra’s collaborative Communications Team might include…
- Answering media inquiries that range from the simple to the highly complex, often requiring extensive research.
- Logging reporter contact info and interactions in media database with the goal of broadening Verra's press list
- Draft talking points for a media briefing to support the development of proactive messaging on the future of carbon finance
Specific functions you will be responsible for leading...
- Managing the media inbox, which entails:
- Monitoring inquiries,
- Answering those inquiries you can – first in cooperation with Verra staff, but gradually more on your own,
- Escalating those inquiries as needed to senior communications staff, then using their guidance to conduct your own research, and
- Logging all inquiries and the status of responses received;
- Helping to develop and manage Verra’s online press room.
- Establish and maintain constructive relationships with reporters, which includes:
- Understanding individual reporters’ areas of interest, keeping them abreast of new developments, and pitching them stories.
- Help reporters understand the full context in which we operate (recognizing that you may be learning this at the same time).
- Collaborate with relevant team members to educate the media about Verra, with a specific focus on carbon offsetting and other environmental and social markets.
- Manage, where relevant, consultants and contractors in the conduct of the above functions.
- Conduct other duties as assigned.
You bring with you...
- A strong desire to help meet the climate challenge by supporting pragmatic, non-ideological solutions.
- A background in journalism or media relations.
- A willingness to assist reporters with complex and complicated queries, as well as to conduct additional research on their behalf.
- A rudimentary understanding of environmental impact assessment and carbon finance, or a desire to learn.
- The ability to communicate effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Basic understanding of research methodologies.
In this role, you will grow and expand your expertise by...
- Gaining an intimate understanding of carbon finance, which will become increasingly important as the world moves to net zero emissions in the coming decades.
- Becoming an integral part of the world’s leading environmental and social standard setter.
- Having the opportunity to advance as the need to communicate these complex strategies increases.
You will know you are successful if...
- You establish yourself as a trusted source of information for reporters trying to understand this sector.
- Able to answer inquiries, understand and explain the broader context in which we operate.
You will join a team...
- From diverse locations and backgrounds, including carbon market experts, project developers, consultants, climate negotiators, researchers, auditors, and more.
- Committed to driving finance at scale to projects and programs that advance climate action and sustainable development through high-quality standards and programs.
- That embodies the values Verra has established for itself, and 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 $57,555 – $72,207, 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:
- 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 eleven 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.