Working at VCMI

Join our team and help us create a positive impact on the future of the planet

Why join VCMI?

Our People Strategy is very simple

  • Hire intelligent, driven, skilled people who share our values and passion
  • Set them clear and challenging goals
  • Provide a supportive environment
  • Give them autonomy
  • And get out of their way

Over the past four years, VCMI has become a trusted voice in the carbon markets ecosystem. Our work focuses on shaping markets that genuinely contribute to tackling the climate crisis, while holding a clear line on integrity.

Joining VCMI means being part of an organization designed for impact, not scale. We operate with the credibility and reach of a much larger institution, without the hierarchy and bureaucracy that slow good ideas down.

The people who thrive at VCMI are those who step forward rather than wait to be invited. They take ownership, back their judgement, and see ideas through. In return, we offer the autonomy, responsibility, and visibility that come with being trusted to make a real difference.

Our Offer

  • 28 days annual leave
  • Private medical insurance
  • Generous employer pension contribution
  • Personal wellbeing allowance
  • Personal development allowance
  • Remote-first, flexible working

Why we might not be the right choice for you

We want people at VCMI to thrive. That means being honest about where we are — and who tends to succeed here. VCMI may not be the right environment if:

  • You prefer tightly defined roles and stable boundaries.
    We work with a simple structure and high trust. Roles evolve, priorities shift, and you will sometimes operate at the edge of your comfort zone — and we expect people to lean into that, not away from it.
  • You prioritize individual recognition over collective success.
    We care deeply about personal growth, but team outcomes always come first. Progress here is built through collaboration, support, and shared ownership.
  • You are most effective when supported by large systems and established authority.
    We operate without those safety nets. Progress here depends on judgement, adaptability, and choosing carefully where to focus your effort.
  • You are looking for a predictable career ladder.
    Our size means we cannot promise linear progression. What we do promise is accelerated growth, meaningful responsibility, and support — wherever your longer-term path leads.
  • You are most comfortable working within established processes.
    In many cases, we will ask you to design the process. Ambiguity is part of the role, and judgement matters as much as execution.

Our Culture

“Culture” is simply how things are done here. It matters to us because it shapes how we work, how we make decisions, and how we treat one another.

It’s impossible to capture everything that means in a few lines. But here are a few of the foundations our culture is anchored in:

  • The team always comes first.
    We believe collective intelligence beats individual brilliance. Progress is shared, not owned.
  • Performance and humanity are not in conflict.
    We care deeply about outcomes — and about the conditions that allow people to sustain them.
  • Judgement matters more than hierarchy.
    Influence here comes from contribution, not position.
  • Growth is expected.
    We learn, adapt, and improve continuously through challenge, support, and honest conversation.
  • How we achieve results matters.
    We care about integrity, responsibility, and the impact of our choices on others.

We’ve been hugely inspired by this incredible TED Talk by Margaret Heffernan.

If you feel the same, we’d love to hear from you. Check out our current vacancies below.

Current Vacancies

Senior Manager

SENIOR MANAGER – WORKSTREAM LEAD – DEMAND ACTIVATION, THE COALITION TO GROW CARBON MARKETS

Salary: Up to £75k GBP. Based on experience. Local market rate if based outside UK.

Contract: Fixed term until end of 2026, with possibility of extension.

Location: Remote, up to a maximum of +/- 3 hours London. Must have right to work in country of hire. This role does not come with the possibility for visa sponsorship.

Hours: Full time. 37.5 hours per week

About The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets

The Coalition to Grow Carbon Markets (“the Coalition”) is a government-led initiative specifically designed to strengthen corporate demand for high-integrity carbon credits. The Coalition brings together eleven ambitious governments committed to unlocking corporate demand for high-integrity carbon credits through coordinated leadership: Canada, Indonesia, France, Kenya, Panama, Peru, Singapore, Switzerland, the UK, New Zealand and Zambia.

Coalition members are working to develop or continue pursuing internationally consistent policies, guidance, incentives and regulations to boost corporate confidence and investment in carbon credit markets, working with like-minded nations to create connected markets that can mobilise more finance, more quickly.

The Coalition Secretariat is hosted by the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI).

The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) is a multi-stakeholder initiative that supports high-integrity voluntary carbon markets as a tool to accelerate global climate action. VCMI works with governments, businesses, and civil society to ensure voluntary use of carbon markets contributes effectively to the goals of the Paris Agreement.

 The role

The Coalition Secretariat is seeking an experienced professional to join as Workstream Lead: Demand Activation. This role is responsible for leading the Secretariat’s coordination and delivery of the Coalition’s work to operationalise the Shared Principles and strengthen corporate confidence in carbon credit markets.

The workstream is delivered in partnership with GFANZ, WBCSD, and other organisations, and is closely engaged with the Coalition’s Business Advisory Group. The post-holder will serve as the day-to-day lead for this workstream, liaising with delivery partners, designing and facilitating structured engagement with governments and the private sector, and translating Coalition direction into concrete, high-impact deliverables.

The successful candidate combines expertise in demand-side carbon market measures with strong programme leadership skills and an ability to manage complex, multi-partner delivery. They bring significant experience in building and managing partnerships and are skilled at designing and facilitating engagement processes. They are comfortable navigating the intersection of technical expertise and political positioning, and can work effectively across government, business, and civil society.

The Secretariat is a lean, high-trust team that punches well above its weight – offering the autonomy and ownership of a start-up alongside the credibility of a government-backed initiative. The role-holder will need to be resourceful in getting things done, operating at pace in a collaborative environment where no two days look the same. Flexibility is essential: this is a small team where everyone rolls up their sleeves and reaches beyond their job description when needed. If you thrive on variety, ownership, and getting things done without a large support structure around you, this role is for you.

 Core responsibilities

Workstream leadership and delivery

  • Act as Secretariat lead for the Coalition’s workstream on demand activation, facilitating information-sharing, coordinating inputs, and ensuring workstream governance is maintained in line with the Coalition’s Terms of Reference
  • Drive workstream strategy and planning, coordinating across delivery partners to ensure coherent, timely delivery of workstream outputs
  • Track delivery against agreed plans, support resolution of implementation challenges, and escalate risks proactively to maintain pace
  • Lead preparation and facilitation of targeted workshops with stakeholders on workstream issues
  • Prepare Coalition contributions for major workstream milestones and announcements, including at international events such as Ecosperity, London Climate Action Week, and COP31
  • Contribute to broader Secretariat coordination, stakeholder engagement, and communications functions, including inputs to Coalition reports and event preparation

Technical expertise and engagement

  • Provide technical expertise on claims frameworks, GHG accounting standards, corporate target-setting, carbon credit use, and demand-enabling policy and regulatory approaches, and maintain a forward-looking view of market developments to translate these into actionable insight for the Secretariat and Coalition members
  • Support Country Members to identify and communicate demonstrable progress in translating the Shared Principles into national action, through specific guidance, policy, regulatory or incentive measures
  • Build and maintain trusted relationships across businesses, international organisations and standard setters
  • Review and quality-assure Coalition materials to ensure technical robustness, internal consistency, and credibility with government and market audiences
  • Represent the Coalition Secretariat in technical and senior-level external engagements, including public-facing events

Partnerships and stakeholder engagement

  • Lead the Coalition partnerships strategy and relationships, ensuring clear roles, expectations, and effective collaboration
  • Oversee the expansion and ongoing engagement of the Coalition’s broader supporter network, identifying priority organisations to involve, strengthening participation over time, and ensuring stakeholders are effectively mobilised around key programme moments
  • Design and deliver structured engagement with business and other external stakeholders, including peer exchange and government-business dialogue on buyer priorities, shared challenges, and good practice to ensure programme outputs are informed by practical market perspectives and grounded in meaningful partnership with the private sector

 What success looks like

  1. Clear, credible outputs and actions that operationalise the Shared Principles
  2. Strong, effective partnerships delivering aligned and timely outputs
  3. Increased corporate engagement with Coalition and its activities
  4. Strong external positioning of the Coalition on demand activation at key moments

Profile

Essential

  • Substantive experience in corporate climate action, including working knowledge of claims frameworks, GHG accounting standards, corporate target-setting, and/or the policy and regulatory levers that unlock demand for carbon credits
  • Proven experience delivering complex, multi-stakeholder programmes or projects, ideally involving governments, international organisations, and/or private sector bodies
  • Significant experience in partnership and stakeholder management, including designing and facilitating structured processes – such as advisory groups, roundtables, working groups, or consultations – that produce meaningful outputs
  • Ability to work through partners and influence without direct authority, while maintaining accountability for delivery
  • Strong judgement, with the ability to navigate the intersection of technical detail and political context
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, including the ability to translate technical complexity into clear, audience-ready outputs for ministers, policymakers, and business leaders

Desirable

  • Familiarity with multi-government or coalition-based initiatives and the governance dynamics they involve
  • Experience working across different time zones and in remote, international team settings
  • Knowledge of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement

How to apply

To apply, please complete this form by attaching a copy of your CV, a short cover letter and complete the application questions to clearly demonstrate how you meet the above selection criteria for this role by no later than midnight BST on 7 May 2026.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis; early applications are advised.

Role posted: 29 April 2026

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