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 helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve livelihoods and protect 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 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 smallholders, 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 Innovations Team is looking for a Director, VCS Program Development to lead the creation and implementation of our strategy covering the development of new VCS methodologies and program updates.

A day with Verra’s Innovations Team might include…

• Working with the Policy & Markets Team to develop a strategy around potential tightening of VCS additionality requirements, based on emerging regulatory and market risks and opportunities;
• Developing a plan to address an emerging technical or programmatic issue, e.g. digital monitoring, reporting, and verification;
• Strategizing with project developers and investors about innovative ways to streamline, enhance transparency, impact, and credibility of the VCS Program; and
• Considering, together with your team, how to prioritize, potentially competing for opportunities to strengthen the VCS Program and build confidence in the market.

Specific functions you will be responsible for...

• Leading VCS Program development strategy to catalyze climate mitigation impact, in particular addressing existing or new areas where Verra is uniquely positioned to have the most impact at scale.
• Creatively connecting ideas and proposals from internal and external stakeholders to evolve the VCS Program and maintain its position as the most trusted and used standard in the voluntary carbon market.
• Identifying the implications of new or emerging initiatives from within or outside of Verra.
• Working with Verra leadership and your team to identify VCS Program development issues that need to be put in front of the Verra Board.
• Ensuring that the VCS Advisory Group has the right membership and is used effectively to assess and support powerful innovations to the Program.
• Collaborating with methodology and program development managers for all other Verra programs (the CCB Standards, SD VISta, and the Plastic Standard) to ensure strategic alignment.
• Leading and supporting a growing team responsible for VCS Program development and methodologies.
• Representing Verra at relevant industry conferences, workshops, and events.

You bring with you...

• A strong creative problem-solving approach and the ability to think big-picture.
• At least 10 years of professional experience working for a standards organization (preferred), in the carbon market, or an NGO, government, project developer, and/or validation/verification body.
• Understanding of project development and an appreciation for the challenges and opportunities faced by practitioners in this arena.
• Technical background and proven understanding and work on GHG accounting, methodologies, standards, and carbon crediting programs.
• The expertise to synthesize inputs from diverse stakeholders while keeping in mind the big picture.
• Strong project management and attention to detail, experience handling opposing priorities, and cross-team collaboration experience.
• Self-starter with the ability to excel in a professional environment with limited supervision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• A relevant university degree; a master’s degree would be helpful.
• 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...

• Directly influencing the contributions of the VCS Program, and the projects and programs verified against it, to climate change mitigation.
• Finding effective ways to ensure the quality of projects and credits under Verra programs.
• Working with a dynamic, committed, and focused team of professionals.
• Mentoring Verra junior staff and supporting their development.

You will know you are successful, if...

• You are seen as an invaluable and reliable member of the team by your peers and manager.
• You encourage and support colleagues to take advantage of opportunities that without your intervention would not have been possible.
• Verra stakeholders consistently express positive feedback regarding your ability to collaborate to find workable solutions to challenges they face.
• VCS remains the world’s leading and most trusted carbon accounting and crediting standard.

You will join a team...

• From diverse locations and backgrounds, including carbon market experts, project developers, consultants, climate negotiators, 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 the values Verra has established for itself, and 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 $98,000-112,000. 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:

• Top-tier 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.