Circa £75k plus benefits
Location and working hours flexible
About VCMI
The Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) is a task force dedicated to ensuring the integrity and credibility of voluntary carbon markets worldwide through creating a Code of Practice that governs the use of carbon credits.
By creating and advocating for clear norms and standards, we aim to provide a path for companies to accelerate credible net zero climate action. To achieve our goals, we must attract participation from corporates, governments, non-profits, and civil society organizations; and we must clearly communicate a shared aspirational vision that resonates emotionally and powerfully among stakeholders.
We launched the draft Code of Practice for public consultation in early June and it was road tested by a group of over 60 companies. Looking ahead, we will refine the document by incorporating corporate and public feedback, seek to grow adoption of the standards amongst global organisations and assess the potential for widening the scope of the Code.
About the role
We are seeking a professional with a background in corporate climate target setting, carbon markets and Monitoring Reporting and Verification to join our Technical team.
Reporting to the Technical Director, the successful candidate will play a crucial role in developing and finalising key products, including the VCMI Claims Code and accompanying assurance framework.
Key outputs of the Technical team will include:
- A fully operational Expert Advisory Group providing rigorous analysis and opinions to the VCMI Steering Committee
- A series of briefing documents outlining options on key issues covered in the VCMI Claims Code
- A finalised VCMI Claims Code accompanied by a User Guide and reporting template
- An assurance framework that enables robust verification of claims made under the VCMI Claims Code
- Guidance on other forms of Beyond Value Chain Mitigation
This is a new role, arising from the expansion of our team. As such, the job description is flexible, and you will have the opportunity to directly influence the specifics of the work you are responsible for above and beyond the core requirement of the role. This is a global role so will require international travel and a willingness to flex hours to communicate with partners.
The person we are looking for
You will be able to demonstrate;
- Knowledge and experience of corporate climate target setting, building certifiable standards and/or carbon markets
- An ability to synthesize complex and often conflicting ideas and present them clearly in both written and spoken form
- A willingness to listen and understand competing perspectives and retain an objective position when assessing and summarising them
- Experience of managing advisory groups and contractors providing external analysis
- Experience in managing small teams
- A genuine interest in how carbon markets and other forms of beyond value chain mitigation can accelerate and deepen greenhouse gas mitigation
- Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.
- Spoken and written fluency in English
- A proven ability to be a team player but also to work independently under your own initiative and meet challenging deadlines
The ideal candidate would also be able to demonstrate
- Knowledge of Monitoring, Reporting and Verification, assurance and auditing processes
- The Paris Agreement’s Article 6 mechanisms
- Corporate GHG accounting and reporting
- Experience serving on the Secretariat of a governance body or international initiative
- Experience working across multiple regions and culture
How you will make an impact
- Contribute directly to the finalising the VCMI Claims Code of Practice which will enable companies to use 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 development and rollout of the VCMI assurance programme which will enable scrutiny of corporate climate claims and provide confidence to investors, consumers and other stakeholders
- Lead work on defining high integrity use of carbon credits by financial institutions
- Develop work on other forms of Beyond Value Chain Mitigation
- Represent VCMI in public fora and meetings with stakeholder
Our Employment Offer
- 28 days annual leave
- Private Medical Insurance
- Contributory Pension scheme
- Personal Wellbeing Allowance
- Personal Development Allowance
- Total 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
We understand how difficult it can be to judge an organization’s culture from the outside, especially when the details are still evolving in the early stages of a start-up.
Here are some links to material that has inspired us and hopefully gives you a sense of the working environment we’re looking to create.
How to apply
To apply, please send a copy of your CV along with a cover letter to recruitment@vcmintegrity.org.
Role posted: 24/11/22
