Director of Project Development

Graphyte

5d•Remote

About The Position

Graphyte is a climate tech company focused on delivering low-cost, high-durability carbon removal by compressing and burying agricultural and timber biomass. The company sells carbon credits to buyers seeking permanent, verifiable removal. Graphyte is currently operating its first site and aims to scale its operations. The core challenge lies in execution, moving from proven science to widespread implementation. This role is crucial for initiating Graphyte's projects, which begin at the local level. It involves identifying and evaluating new project opportunities, securing land, building trust with landowners and communities, obtaining necessary permits, and establishing local agreements for land, biomass supply, and logistics. The Director of Project Development will work collaboratively with another Director, dividing project portfolios, and coordinating closely with engineering, finance, and operations teams to ensure projects stay on track. This is a senior individual contributor position reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer, offering significant ownership from the outset, including responsibility for named sites with financing timelines and establishing Graphyte's presence in new regions.

Requirements

7-10 years of experience developing physical infrastructure or industrial projects (renewables, waste, agriculture-industrial, or similar land-intensive categories), including progressing projects from greenfield through permitting to construction readiness or FID.
Land acquisition experience: personally negotiated agreements with private landowners.
Community engagement experience in rural communities, including public processes and handling local concerns.
Permitting ownership: experience building and executing permitting strategy, especially in novel or ambiguous regulatory pathways.
Financial fluency in project development: ability to defend site economics with a finance team and produce development materials that withstand diligence.
Comfort with early-stage pace and ambiguity: ability to build processes and playbooks.

Nice To Haves

Experience with timber and agricultural regions in the southeast and western North America.
Familiarity with carbon markets, CDR, or biomass supply chains.
Experience developing projects in a novel or emerging asset category.

Responsibilities

Site origination & screening: Find and evaluate new project regions based on techno-economic criteria including biomass supply, land availability, logistics, permitting complexity, community fit, and cost-per-ton impact.
Land acquisition: Negotiate purchases, leases, options, and easements directly with landowners.
Community & stakeholder engagement: Act as Graphyte's representative in local communities, building and maintaining trust.
Permitting: Develop and execute permitting strategies across local, state, and federal jurisdictions for a novel storage category, managing consultants and counsel.
Commercial development: Structure biomass supply, hauling, and community benefit agreements to ensure projects are viable and financeable.