Manager, Natural Climate Solutions

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

• Providing guidance and technical support to a team member reviewing NCS project registration and verification requests.
• Conducting the second (peer) review of a project request.
• Assessing a recommendation from a team member to approve a project request.
• Making a recommendation about action to take in respect of a validation/verification body (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: 

• Managing a team of colleagues and contractors that ensures the integrity and quality of projects registered in the VCS Program.
• Assessing project reviews conducted by colleagues and approving or rejecting the associated project registration and verification requests.
• Supporting professional development and promotion within your team, ensuring that the team continues to develop its skills and experience.
• Supporting ongoing efforts to track VVB performance and improve the quality of their audits.
• Serving as an 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 7 years of relevant professional experience, including at least five years in the development, implementation, or assessment of NCS projects or related standards programs (e.g,. project developer, auditor, consultancy, standards organization).
• Expertise in GHG accounting and methodologies for NCS projects, including key NCS-specific topics such as leakage, non-permanence risk, and community engagement.
• People management and organizational skills, including prioritizing and working efficiently and effectively under deadlines.
• Culturally aware with the ability to work with stakeholders and partners from different countries and cultures.
• Good written and verbal communication skills. Fluency in English is essential. Fluency in other languages 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:

• NCS project reviews are completed on time and to a high standard.
• Your team thrives under your leadership.
• 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.
• Your supervisees, other internal Verra staff and Verra stakeholders consistently express positive feedback regarding your ability to collaborate to find workable solutions to challenges they face.