Director, Verra Registry (Remote - Worldwide)

Job Title: Director, Verra Registry

Location: Remote - Worldwide

Start Date: Immediately

Reports to: Chief Program Management Officer

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 programs, 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's standards drive large-scale investment towards high-impact activities that tackle some of the most pressing environmental and social issues of our day. All projects registered under Verra's programs are listed on the Verra Registry, which is publicly available and is the central repository for all information and documentation relating to Verra projects and credits.

Position Summary

Verra is looking for a Director, Verra Registry, to oversee the Verra Registry operations. The Verra Registry was launched in April 2020 and is the cornerstone for the implementation of Verra's standards and programs. It facilitates the transparent listing of information on certified projects, issued and retired units, and enables the trading of units. It is the central repository for all information and documentation relating to Verra projects and credits. The Verra Registry also ensures the uniqueness of projects and credits in the system. The Director, Verra Registry role will include the management of the Registry team and oversee all aspects of day-to-day operations. The Director will be responsible for meeting operational KPIs and performance expectations of all internal and external stakeholders. The role will also require development and improvement of Registry platform and play a key role in identifying and implementing digital transformation needs of the platform and associated processes.

A day with Verra's Registry Team might include:

• Providing guidance and technical support to team members managing various registry administration processes.
• Providing guidance and support to team members on managing various inputs received from the external stakeholders.
• Supervising team members to ensure that Verra's service level commitments are met and required level of support within the expected timelines is provided to external stakeholders.
• Assessing a recommendation from a team member on project listing, registration, verification, and other related requests received from external stakeholders.
• Reviewing recommendations from a team member about suggested improvements to the registration process, data management and functionality of the registry.

Specific functions you will be responsible for leading: 

• Ensure that the Registry Administration team has the necessary skills, experience and capacity to expand the depth and breadth of its services.
  • Maintain and deepen relationships with Verra stakeholders to gather and assess market intelligence that could impact demand for Registry services including instrument issuances, transfers, and retirements.
  • Identify new Registry services opportunities.
• Work closely with other Verra departments on strategic initiatives to ensure the continued improvement of Verra's services.
• Work with the PMT, LPM, Finance and PDI teams on the implications of the market-related information gathered from accountholders for current and future Verra standard frameworks.
• Supervise the Registry Team, ensuring that the team is highly responsive to accountholders and is managing the day-to-day operations in an efficient and effective manner.
• Provide guidance, support, and mentorship to the Registry leadership team (e.g., leading weekly team meetings and one-on-one check-ins with team members, guiding team members on handling complex requests from Registry accountholders, making final decisions on unique requests from accountholders, etc.).
• Work closely with the Chief Program Management Officer to ensure the operational excellence of the Verra Registry.
• Manage a continual improvement process for the Registry platform and operations, including liaising with the Registry software provider, Verra departments and stakeholders to develop and implement functional updates and add new capabilities to meet emerging opportunities and new program needs.
• Represent Verra in relevant international and domestic conferences and events.

You bring with you:

We are seeking candidates who excel at managing effective teams, building relationships with key stakeholders, developing actionable insights, and making strategic decisions.

• At least ten years of relevant professional experience, with at least five years leading teams, managing complex business processes and managing/improving customer service and/or stakeholder satisfaction. Experience deploying IT infrastructure to solve complex business operations and managing Registry administration would be an advantage.
• Experience working in a standards settings organization with demonstrated understanding of climate change mitigation, carbon crediting would be advantageous.
• Strong skills and experience in assessing, improving and implementing business processes to provide increased efficiency and improved customer experience. Experience in business process modeling and project management would be advantageous.
• Strong team management skills, including assessing needs, training and promoting professional development, and ability to work across teams.
• Culturally aware with the ability to work with stakeholders and partners from different countries and cultures.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• A relevant university degree; a master's degree would be advantageous.
• Fluency in English is essential. Fluency in other UN languages would be an advantage.

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 energy and industrial 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 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.

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.
DepartmentProgram ManagementEmployment TypeFull-TimeMinimum Experience