Director, Natural Climate Solutions (Remote - Worldwide)

Job Title: Director, Natural Climate Solutions

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

Start Date: Immediately

Reports to: Senior Director, VCS Program Management

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.

Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) projects hold the promise of both protecting and restoring critical ecosystems, and as the leading standard for these types of projects, Verra is seeking a Director, Natural Climate Solutions (in the Program Management Team) who will lead a team focused on technical and operational excellence. Specifically, the Director will oversee the team handling project registration and verification requests, coordinating closely with validation/verification bodies, and ensuring the integrity of all NCS projects.

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.

A day with Verra's Program Management Team might include:

• Providing guidance and technical support to team members reviewing NCS project registration and verification requests.
• Assessing a recommendation from a team member on technical findings regarding a project review.
• Reviewing recommendations from a team member about suggested improvements to a methodology, and deciding whether these should be put forward for consideration.
• Determining the appropriate action to take in respect of a VVB that has been performing poorly.
• Attending a VVB on-site assessment at a project location, to assess the VVB's performance and make recommendations for improvement.

Specific functions you will be responsible for leading:

• Recruiting, managing and retaining a high-performing NCS team that ensures the integrity and quality of NCS projects registered in the VCS Program.
• Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the project review process to ensure projects are processed on time and to the requisite quality standards.
• Planning regular trainings for the team on NCS, quality management, new procedures and related topics.
• Supporting ongoing efforts to track VVB performance and improve the quality of their audits.
• Supporting the professional development of and promotion within the NCS team, ensuring that the team continues to develop its skills and experience.
• Contributing to draft revisions and approvals of VCS methodologies and program rules and procedures relevant to the NCS sector, to maintain those programs' robustness, workability and impact.
• Serving as a NCS subject-matter expert to the team, and Verra more broadly.
• Representing Verra at relevant industry conferences, workshops, and events.

You bring with you:

• A degree, preferably a master's, in forestry, environmental science, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of relevant professional experience, including at least five years in the development and/or implementation of NCS-related programs or projects.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, including prioritizing and working efficiently and effectively under deadlines. Experience in quality management and business process expertise preferred.
• Expertise in GHG accounting in the NCS sector, including how to address key NCS-specific topics including leakage, non-permanence risk and community engagement.
• Culturally aware with the ability to work with stakeholders and partners from different countries and cultures.
• Self-starter with the ability to excel in a professional environment with limited supervision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Fluency in English is essential. Fluency in other languages beyond English would be an asset, with a preference for Spanish, Portuguese, French or Bahasa Indonesia.

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

• Working at the cutting edge of programs designed to drive finance towards high-impact land-use management activities that tackle some of the most pressing environmental issues of our day.
• Working on challenges and opportunities faced by practitioners of activities aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving livelihoods.
• Finding effective ways to ensure the quality of projects and credits under Verra programs.

You will know you are successful, if:

• All NCS project reviews are completed on time and to a high standard.
• Your team is the right size and has the requisite skills and support to conducts its work.
• You are seen as a leader, a go-to resource by your peers, and a reliable and capable team member by your manager.
• You build on your appreciation and respect for the challenges and opportunities faced by users of Verra's programs and are able to ensure the quality of projects certified under Verra programs effectively.
• Verra stakeholders consistently express positive feedback regarding your ability to collaborate to find workable solutions to challenges they face.
• The team thrivesy under your leadership.

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 USD $103,154 - $117,356, 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.