Senior Director or Director of Communications

Job Title:           Senior Director | Director of Communications

Location:           Remote - Worldwide (working with significant overlap with US business hours)

Start Date:        Immediately

Reports to:       Chief Legal, Policy, and Markets Officer

Verra is a global leader helping to address the world's most intractable environmental and social challenges. As a mission-driven 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. Verra manages a portfolio of standards, including the:

• Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) – the world's leading carbon crediting program, with more than 1,800 registered projects in 80 countries that account for two-thirds of all voluntary carbon market transaction volume, and over one billion credits issued to date.
• 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 environmental and social actions growing rapidly and attracting growing public and media attention, Verra is looking for a Senior Director or Director of Communications to lead and coordinate the team responsible for effectively communicating Verra’s activities.

A day with Verra might include:

• Convening and chairing a meeting of senior staff to discuss the content and nature of the organization’s response to a breaking news story.
• Providing guidance on the development of a style guide to ensure accurate and consistent writing across the organization.
• Giving authoritative substantive and editorial clearance to a major announcement about a project that demonstrates the impact of one of Verra’s standards.
• Deciding on a key implementation partner for a major communications initiative following the successful execution of a vendor procurement and selection process that you led.

Specific functions that the Communications Team, under your leadership, is responsible for delivering…

• Communications strategy: identify, develop, and implement strategies aimed at driving positive narratives across multiple media platforms about Verra’s areas of work, particularly in carbon offsetting, nature crediting, plastics crediting, and results-based finance for sustainable development, drawing on and, where necessary, supplementing existing messaging and materials.

• Educational materials: produce compelling content about Verra’s work and impact, including photos, videos, podcasts, and webinars, and ensure that this content reaches its intended audiences.

• Media relations: promote fair and accurate media coverage of Verra’s activities, including by establishing and strengthening relationships, responding promptly and thoroughly to queries in an accurate and accessible manner.

• Marketing: produce, and promote the consistent use of, materials to ensure an appropriate tone and image for the organization, including banners, business cards, color palettes, email signatures, flyers, logos, presentation templates, and virtual backgrounds.

• Asset management: organize, curate, and catalogue the organization’s communications assets (e.g., photos, b-roll, testimonials, talking points), while identifying gaps in our collection, and provide relevant assets so they can be used effectively at relevant moments.

• Internal communications: identify and build tools to enhance internal communications throughout a fully remote workforce, including by developing and maintaining an intranet site and producing staff newsletters.

• Public relations: serve as first point of contact for members of the public who contact Verra, including by triaging all incoming messages and directing them toward the appropriate person in the organization.

• Stakeholder relations: produce and circulate announcements and newsletters.

• Social media: position Verra as a thought and action leader in social media by developing and posting influential content and regularly sharing high-value content.

• Website: ensure the accessibility, accuracy, and appeal of Verra’s website, which underwent a first-phase redesign in 2022.

• Communications training: train staff throughout the organization in communications skills.

• Communications process management: design and continually optimize communications-related business processes with the aim of enabling the scale, efficiency, and replicability of activities.

You bring with you...

• Significant relevant professional work experience (preferably 12+ years at the Senior Director level; 8+ years at the Director level) in the communications functions set out above, including at a minimum a demonstrated understanding of the role of environmental and social markets (e.g., carbon markets) in accelerating action on climate change and sustainable development. Work experience in carbon markets, climate change, and/or sustainable development would be a strong asset.
• Very strong organizational skills and discipline to be able to prioritize and work efficiently and effectively under deadlines in an independent manner.
• Excellent networking and interpersonal skills, maintaining a professional approach and demeanor in high-pressure situations, and ability to work with stakeholders and partners from different countries and cultures.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Fluency in English is essential. Fluency in other languages would be an advantage.
• Experience effectively managing staff, consultants, strategic partnerships, and budgets.

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

• Leading a team to deliver a broad range of communications functions for both small, short-term projects and long, large-term projects. The ability to make an impact is enormous.
• Working at a fast-paced, environmentally focused non-profit organization.
• Expanding your network of professionals working on climate and sustainable development, including government officials, private-sector actors, NGOs, and others.
• Learning from a diverse group of climate and sustainable development leaders with vision and other passionate professionals at Verra.

You will know you are successful, if...

• You effectively build, lead, and manage a team of professionals dedicated to communicating Verra’s work to global audiences.
• The content you create and distribute resonates, reaches its target audiences, and helps Verra make measurable progress toward its goals.
• You lead your team to achieve deliverables across the finish line on schedule.

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.
• Embodying the values Verra has established for itself: 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 starting salary range is USD 110,255-117,356 (Director) to USD 153,892-164,026 (Senior Director), 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 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.