Senior Program Officer, Auditing and Accreditation (Remote - Worldwide w/ significant overlap with U.S. business hours)

Job Title:                 Senior Program Officer, Auditing and Accreditation

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

Start Date:              Immediately

Reports to:             Senior Manager, Quality Assurance

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 reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving livelihoods, and protecting 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 2000 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 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 a new wave of project development, Verra is seeking a Senior Program Officer to support the oversight of Validation and Verification Bodies (VVBs) performance and the quality of their audits under Verra programs. This is a new position in the Auditing and Accreditation Team within Verra’s Program Management Department. You will work with a team of managers and colleagues responsible for VVB quality control, quality assurance, and training.

A day with Verra’s Program Management Team might include…

• Keeping track of upcoming VVB’s validation and/or verification audits and identifying whether Verra should perform a site visit.
• Accompanying a VVB on a project site visit, to assess their work and identify areas for improvement, as part of Verra’s performance observation audits.
• Working with colleagues to systematically track and analyze the quality of audits conducted by VVBs under the VCS Program and Verra’s sustainable development programs.
• Synthesizing findings from Project Review Reports for development of bespoke training for VVBs and other stakeholders.
• Making recommendations related to VVBs that have been underperforming.

Specific functions you will be responsible for leading…

• Supporting the selection, planning and implementation of performance observation audits of upcoming VVB’s validations and/ or verifications, including:
  • Tracking and reviewing notifications of upcoming VVB audits to identify suitable performance observation audits.
  • Identifying appropriate Verra staff to conduct performance observation audits.
  • Coordinating all audit planning logistics between Verra staff, VVBs, project proponents, including communications, travel logistics.
  • Preparing and updating performance audit procedures, checklists, and tools
  • Registering performance observation audit findings in Verra’s VVB performance system.
• Conducting performance observation audits to assess the quality of VVB audits to Verra standards.
• Systematically collecting/entering data required for input/helping produce VVB performance monitoring scorecards.
• Providing professional and timely responses for inquiries received through the Verra Auditing and Accreditation email inbox.
• Contributing to the development of standard operating procedures for Verra’s Auditing and Accreditation Team processes.
• Other responsibilities to be defined with the growth and expansion of the Auditing and Accreditation team functions.

You bring with you…

• Eight plus years relevant professional experience, with at least three years working with VVBs or accreditation bodies, ideally doing GHG project certification or sustainable development project certification. A relevant university degree; bonus points for candidates with an advanced degree.
• Demonstrated experience in climate change mitigation, carbon crediting programs/standards, sustainability science, and/or the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Strong understanding of the standards and principles of auditing and the auditing techniques of examining, questioning, evaluating, and reporting to determine a quality system's adequacy and deficiencies.
• Knowledge of Verra’s standards, ISO 17029, ISO 14065, ISO 14064, and social auditing accreditation standards; preference given to candidates with relevant professional training and/or certifications.
• Attention to detail, and the ability to efficiently and accurately allocate cognitive abilities to focus on a specific task or number of tasks.
• Demonstrated ownership of projects/initiatives from planning to completion.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize and work efficiently and effectively under deadlines.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills.
• Cultural awareness with the ability to work with stakeholders and partners from different countries and cultures.
• Fluency in English is essential; preference will be given to candidates with fluency in additional UN languages.
• Enthusiasm for and the ability to travel internationally (up to 50 % of the time), conducting audits in sometimes remote and difficult conditions.

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

• Support and training from Verra’s Program Management department team members on conducting performance observation audits of VVBs conduct validation and verification audits to Verra’s programs.
• Working with VVBs to identify effective ways to improve the auditing process for validations and verifications of VCS and Verra’s other sustainable development programs.
• Working within an innovative auditing program that is critical to driving finance towards high-impact activities.

You will know you are successful, if...

• The quality of conducted by VVBs regularly meets rigorous quality standards.
• Verra develops a clear means of keeping VVBs accountable for the quality of their work, and all aspects of VVB work (e.g., procedures, reports, site visits) are regularly assessed.

You will join a team:

• From diverse locations and backgrounds, including carbon market experts, project developers, consultants, policymakers, 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 Verra’s values, 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 between $61,827 -$75,529 USD.  The compensation band is based on a U.S. base salary range and shares the min and max base salary for the position. This position is eligible for remote work.

The final compensation offered will be contingent upon role, level, and location. Our Talent team can share the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

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 employee retirement plans;
• Verra contributions as required by national labor laws in countries where staff are located;
• Paid Time Off (PTO), comprising 22-30 days plus 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.

Keywords

Senior Program OfficerAuditingAccreditationValidationVerificationQuality AssurancePerformance Observation AuditsCarbon CreditingSustainable DevelopmentClimate Change MitigationISO StandardsProject ManagementCommunication SkillsCultural AwarenessInternational Travel