Job Title: Senior Program Officer, Forest Carbon Innovation
Location: Remote – Worldwide (working with significant overlap with US business hours)
Start Date: January 2023
Reports to: Manager, Forest Carbon Innovation
Verra is a global leader helping to address the world’s most intractable environmental and social challenges. As a passionate 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 conserve biodiversity.
- Plastic Waste Reduction Program – to enable robust impact assessment of new or scaled-up waste recovery and recycling projects around the globe.
Verra is looking for a Senior Program Officer, Forest Carbon Innovations, to support our technical work to advance forest-related activities that generate climate and other environmental and social benefits.
The focus of this role is on improved forest management (IFM), afforestation, reforestation and revegetation (ARR), and agroforestry activities implemented to generate carbon credits through the VCS Program. (Note: REDD activities will typically not be included in this scope of work).
A day with Verra’s Program Development and Innovations Team might include...
- Testing a new tool or concept related to an update for IFM, ARR, or agroforestry activities by running a growth and yield model to assess impacts on forest carbon stocks
- Working collaboratively with the Forest Carbon Innovation manager and key external stakeholders to develop, test, justify and propose changes which streamline and strengthen the VCS Program’s requirements and procedures.
- Researching methodologies and scientific literature, synthesizing findings
- Collaborate with Program Team staff to revise existing, and/or develop and launch new, forest-related standards, tools and programs;
- Support the Program Team in drafting standards language as appropriate; and
- Represent Verra at nature-based solutions and forest carbon related conferences, workshops and events.
Specific functions you will be responsible for leading...
- Interacting with external stakeholders via email, video calls, and in-person meetings to respond to forest carbon-related questions about VCS rules, methodologies and project development. Such stakeholders include project and methodology developers, validation/verification bodies, and credit buyers. Track and share outcomes in Verra’s client record management software, SuiteCRM. colleagues and external stakeholders and stakeholders to identify, prioritize and develop forest carbon related program updates.
- Work with colleagues to update VCS Program rules and procedures to help maintain the robustness, workability, and impact as developments occur in the forest carbon space. This will require preparing updates for the public and Verra’s Board to explain proposed changes, gathering feedback and drafting final updates.
- Analyzing the effects of proposed changes to VCS Program rules or methodologies using forest carbon models, geospatial analysis, policy analysis and/or economic analysis. Where the analysis is outside the scope of the Verra team’s expertise, this will involve managing consultants to implement the work.
- Supporting colleagues exploring emerging opportunities through research, data collection, and stakeholder engagement.
You bring with you...
- At least five years of relevant technical experience focused on forest carbon, GHG accounting, forestry focused remote sensing, or forest economics.
- A relevant university degree (e.g., forestry, environmental sciences, natural resource economics). A master’s degree would be advantageous.
- Technical writing experience.
- Demonstrated understanding of the analysis of forestry and land management through experience in the field and/or written work such as research publications.
- Demonstrated skill using Microsoft Office/Microsoft Teams/SharePoint/OneDrive, CRM database, and project tracking software.
- Strong attention to detail and project management and organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize and work efficiently and effectively under deadlines.
- Cultural awareness and the ability to work with stakeholders and partners from different countries and cultures.
- Ability to work collaboratively with a problem-solving mindset.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Fluency in English is essential.
In this role, you will grow and expand your expertise by…
- Working at the cutting edge of programs crafted to drive finance towards high-impact forest-based activities that take on some of the most pressing environmental issues of our day.
- Growing your network of professionals working on forest carbon and related sustainable development initiatives, including corporate buyers, NGOs, project developers, and others.
- Working with a multifaceted, committed, and focused team of professionals.
You will know you are successful, if…
- You are seen as a go-to resource for testing and analysis of new forest carbon concepts and a reliable and capable member of the Program Development and Innovation team.
- Verra stakeholders consistently express positive feedback regarding your ability to collaborate to find workable and credible solutions to challenges they face.
- Verra’s Program Development and Innovation team successfully helps to scale up forest carbon sequestration activities.
You will join a team…
- From diverse locations and backgrounds, including carbon market experts, ex-government representatives, auditors, and more.
- Committed to implementing innovative solutions that drive finance to projects and programs that advance climate action and sustainable development.
- 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, we pay employees competitively in 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 efficiently; and
- Embody Verra’s values.
For this position, the salary range is $59,108 to $72,207:
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)
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.