Working at VCMI

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

“By joining VCMI, you’ll not only become a valuable member of a collaborative and supportive team, but you’ll be undertaking vital work to develop and advocate for clear norms and standards in voluntary carbon markets. When done well, VCMs can be transformational – providing a meaningful contribution to global emissions reductions and essential finance to where it’s needed most, all while helping companies achieve ambitious climate goals. As a record number of businesses set net zero targets, it is imperative that any claims made accurately reflect real action to cut and remove emissions. The importance of the work we do with our partners cannot be overstated at this critical time. We can’t wait for you to join us.”

Mark Kenber profile picture
Mark Kenber Executive Director, VCMI

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

We believe passionately in what we’re trying to achieve – our work could have significant implications for the future of the planet.

This is an exciting stage in our development as we move from being a proof of concept idea to a fully incubated entity. Joining us now means being able to directly influence the way we work beyond your own role and help develop our organisational culture.

We treat our people as individuals and respect them for who they are. We believe that teams with diverse skills, backgrounds and ways of thinking create a more stimulating workplace and deliver higher quality results.

To achieve this, we recruit globally and embrace flexible working, recognising that optimal work/non-work balance is unique to you and that your personal wellbeing is the foundation of performing at your best.

Our offer

  • 28 days annual leave
  • Private Medical Insurance
  • Contributory Pension scheme
  • Personal Wellbeing Allowance
  • Personal Development Allowance
  • Flexible Working Policy 

Why we might not be the right choice for you

We want our people to enjoy their time at VCMI by allowing them to be themselves and placing them in situations where they will thrive. However, that means different things to different people. We may not be a great fit if:

  • You prefer very clear boundaries around your role and responsibilities. 
    We are a small team with a simple structure that relies on flexibility and agility. You’ll sometimes be asked to stretch upwards, responsible for deliverables at the edge of your comfort zone, but you’ll also be expected to “muck in” with a high level of self-sufficiency. Your job description will evolve as the project proceeds.
  • Personal achievements are more important to you than collective efforts. 
    We want everyone to grow and succeed, but the team results always come first. This may mean at times we’ll ask you to prioritise a colleague’s deliverable over your own. Achieving our goals won’t be down to one or two superstars. It will be because we collaborate as a team, support one another, and see the best in each other.
  • You want a clear long-term career path within an organisation. 
    Our size means we cannot promise to promote everyone that joins us, but we do promise to create an environment that helps everyone grow whatever their personal goals. We know and accept that for some of our people the career ladder will lead them to other organisations. We’ll be proud of our contribution to their growth.
  • You would prefer a role with well-established processes and solutions.  
    You are likely to be the first person doing your job at VCMI. There will be an absence of explicit work instructions and process. In fact, we’ll be asking you to create these and determine the best way to deliver on our objectives.

Our Cultural Roadmap 

Our culture deeply matters to us, but we understand how difficult it can be to assess from the outside, particularly for a young, fast-moving organisation. We want our cultural values to be more than nice words – they describe the attitudes, behaviours, and ways of working that we think will enable us to be successful as a group and develop as individuals.

Capturing the entirety of our culture in a job description is hard to do but we have some core beliefs that we build around.

  • Results-Driven, People-Focused: We’re serious about delivering results, emphasizing outcomes and performance within a supportive and positive culture.
  • The Team Comes First: We succeed as a team. Individual wins are great, but what we achieve together matters more.
  • Wellbeing as a Foundation: Personal well-being is essential for peak performance. Staying healthy and balanced enables us to do our best work.
  • Coaching for Growth: Coaching drives our continuous improvement. We learn, innovate, and take risks together, fostering a supportive environment for growth.
  • Quiet Leadership: Leading here means guiding and inspiring, not commanding. We all have a voice and a chance to steer.
  • Guided by Pro-social Behaviours: We act with kindness, collaboration, and responsibility, prioritizing positive impact on the wider community and each other.
  • Diverse Team, Individual Value: We believe in the power of a global team, enriched by the diversity of its individuals. Encouraging everyone to be their authentic self is at the heart of our culture.

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

Technical Associate – Markets and Standards 

Salary: circa £50,000 plus benefits
Location: Flexible, Global
Hours: 37.5 hours per week, flexible pattern

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) is looking for a dynamic and dedicated individual to join our team as an Associate within the Markets and Standards team. The candidate will contribute to the development of key products aimed at advancing climate action and finance through a high-integrity voluntary carbon market. The ideal candidate will have a good understanding and experience in corporate climate strategy and sustainability frameworks, as well as strong analytical and organisational skills. Experience within the carbon markets is also desired, but not a requirement.

Reporting to the Technical Director, the successful candidate will play a crucial role in developing and finalising key products, including VCMI claims infrastructure and evolvement in VCMI’s Claims Code which outlines guidance for corporate stakeholders on how to credibly make use of high-quality carbon credits as part of their climate strategies.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Guidance development: Support the development of guidance which will consider challenges and opportunities to engage in a high integrity VCM.The candidate will also assist the technical team with updating the Claims Code and supporting documents such as the Monitoring, Reporting and Assurance (MRA) Framework to align with guidance and provisions developed for stakeholders. In particular, the candidate will be expected to review and research current guidelines on climate target setting, carbon credit use, and reporting for corporates.
  • The candidate shall help to coordinate meetings and follow up actions with key stakeholders such as the Expert Advisory Group. Additionally, collaborate with corporate stakeholders to foster collaboration and build strategic partnerships.
  • Contribute to the development the VCMI claims infrastructure and customer/claimant journey. This includes working closely with the technical consultants to manage ongoing improvements to the VCMI Claims Reporting Platform, as well as working closely with the VCMI Engagement team to ensure internal processes are aligned for a smooth customer/claimant experience.
  • Market trends and insights: Analyse carbon market trends and evolving regulations relating to corporate disclosures and best practice, providing insights to integrate into VCMI’s guidance.
  • Collaboration and teamwork: Work collaboratively across all teams within VCMI to contribute to the organisation’s overall goals and outputs.

THE PERSON WE’RE LOOKING FOR WILL HAVE

  • A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as environmental science, environmental economics, or sustainable finance.
  • A good understanding of key corporate climate action frameworks and standards such as GHG Protocol, the Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi) and CDP.
  • Experience of managing and coordinating stakeholder groups and external contractors.
  • A minimum of 2-3 years of experience in one of the following areas:
  • Environmental data verification and assurance. Experience/skills desired: Familiarity with internationally recognized sustainability assurance standards and accounting frameworks (e.g. ISO 14064, GHG Protocol, ISAE 3000, Environmental Management Systems), or experience in setting up accreditation programmes working closely with national/regional accreditation bodies.
  • Climate data management tools/software as a service (SAAS) with a focus on climate/carbon solutions (e.g. Resource Advisor, Salesforce Net Zero Cloud, Watershed, Greenly, Ecovadis, etc). Experience/skills desired: Analytical skills and experience with corporate climate/carbon data and strategy development. Experience engaging directly with clients/corporates is a plus.
  • Climate/sustainability consulting. Experience/skills desired: Experience in climate/carbon management and/or carbon accounting frameworks. Experience working and engaging directly with clients/corporates.
  • Carbon credit programs or standards or carbon credit retailer. Experience/skills desired: A good understanding of the voluntary carbon market, demonstrated by previous engagement in voluntary carbon market initiatives or projects. Experience in compliance markets is also relevant.
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, both written and spoken in English.
  • Proficiency in data management and ability to synthesize large amounts of data.
  • Ability to analyse market trends and reports to provide insights for the development of VCMI guidance and standards.
  • A genuine interest in how the carbon markets can help to accelerate the transition to global net zero and the role of high quality carbon credits as a key tool to tackle climate change.
  • A self-starter with strong organizational skills. A proven ability to be a team player but also to work independently under your own initiative and meet challenging deadlines. VCMI seeks candidates with a positive, collaborative attitude to working with colleagues across teams, including actively contributing to discussions and providing constructive feedback.
  • A willingness to listen and understand competing perspectives and retain an objective position when assessing and summarising them.

In addition, the ideal candidate would also be able to demonstrate:

  • A good understanding of either the voluntary or compliance carbon markets, demonstrated by previous engagement in compliance or voluntary carbon market initiatives or projects.
  • An understanding of existing and emerging sustainability disclosure frameworks (e.g. ESRS/CSRD, IFRS/ISSB, SEC).
  • Knowledge of more than one language.
  • Experience working across multiple regions and cultures.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE AN IMPACT

  • Contribute directly to development of VCMI guidance and to the expansion of the VCMI Claims Code of Practice which will enable companies to engage in the voluntary carbon markets with high integrity and so channel additional finance to where it is most needed for greenhouse gas mitigation and sustainable development.
  • Contribute directly to the evolution and improvement of VCMI’s claims infrastructure including improving the user experience of our tools and platforms (e.g. Claims Reporting Platform, Claims Dashboard).
  • Develop valuable relationships with corporate stakeholders, to unlock greater climate finance for high quality carbon removal and reduction projects globally.
  • Contribute directly to the continuous improvement of the VCMI Monitoring, Reporting and Assurance Framework which will enable scrutiny of corporate climate claims and provide confidence to investors, consumers and other stakeholders.
  • Develop work on other forms of Beyond Value Chain Mitigation.
  • Represent VCMI in public forums and meetings with stakeholders.

OUR EMPLOYMENT OFFER

  • 28 days annual leave
  • Private Medical Insurance
  • Contributory Pension scheme
  • Personal Wellbeing Allowance
  • Personal Development Allowance
  • Flexible Working Policy

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please send a copy of your CV along with a cover letter to recruitment@vcmintegrity.org.

Download Job Description

Don’t see the role for you?

We’re always on the look out for highly-talented, driven people that share our values and passion. If you’re interested in future roles please email your CV and cover letter to recruitment@vcmintegrity.org

Driving integrity in voluntary carbon markets for climate resilience & a sustainable future

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