Senior Program Officer, REDD Projects

Verra Mobility • Washington, DC

3h • Remote

About The Position

Shape the future of climate action by ensuring the integrity of REDD projects that protect forests and reduce global emissions: Verra is the world leader in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) project certification, and we anticipate a surge in REDD project reviews as the transition to our newest Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) REDD methodology is implemented. As a member of the Certification team, you would ensure that REDD projects validated and verified to the VCS drive real-world impact.[JB1] [HB2] [JB3] Learning from project reviews will enable you to support enhancements to the requirements and Verra’s internal processes.

Requirements

• At least five years of relevant professional experience in developing REDD projects and/or in assessing or conducting due diligence of REDD projects.
• Strong technical understanding of key concepts of emissions reduction and removal quantification and other carbon market concepts applied to REDD (e.g., additionality, baseline, counterfactuals, deforestation risk modelling, leakage, non-permanence, uncertainty analysis, etc.); expertise in VCS REDD methodologies would be an advantage.
• Interest in maintaining high-quality projects through careful review of project requests and documentation.
• Culturally aware with the ability to work with stakeholders and partners from different countries and cultures, and an understanding of the realities faced by people implementing REDD projects.
• Strong attention to detail, project management and organizational skills, including the ability to prioritize and work efficiently and effectively under deadlines.
• Self-starter with the ability to excel in a professional, team-oriented environment and work independently.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Fluency in English is essential, and proficiency in additional languages, such as Portuguese and Spanish, would be an advantage.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge and experience in jurisdictional REDD and nesting and basic GIS tools for viewing and analyzing spatial data would be assets.
• Work experience with standards organizations, project developers, and/or validation/verification body; knowledge of the VCS certification process would be an asset.
• Fluency in English is essential, and proficiency in additional languages, such as Portuguese and Spanish, would be an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Conducting thorough reviews of project documentation to ensure accuracy, compliance, and quality of VVB performance and integrity of projects requesting registration and issuance of units (and labels) with the VCS Program.
• Communicating with VVBs and project proponents and supporting REDD stakeholder engagement broadly (and specifically in collaboration with the Market and Client Relations team).
• Supporting a smooth transition of currently registered REDD projects to Verra’s newest REDD methodology (VM0048).
• Working with the team to understand challenging project situations, integrity thresholds, and longevity of projects.
• Collaborating internally with the Auditing and Accreditation Team on project quality and VVB performance. This role may also entail onsite audits of VVB site visits.
• Collaborating with the VCS Program development, technology solutions, audit and accreditation, and sustainable development teams to ensure alignment and incorporation of updates to our tools, systems, and processes resulting from the implementation of VM0048 and other REDD methodologies, and the Jurisdictional and Nested REDD framework.
• Training and onboarding new staff and external contractors when necessary.

Benefits

• Health, vision, and dental care, and life insurance
• Verra's 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 of vacation, 7 days of annual sick leave, holidays, sabbatical after five years of service, and other leave allowances

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees