Opportunity

Pollination is a specialist climate change investment and advisory firm, accelerating the transition to a net zero, nature positive future. Our people are the key to unlocking change. Brought together from across industries, we are global leaders in finance, investment, technology, business, law and policy. We combine our diverse expertise to connect dots and see around corners where others can’t. With strong relationships at the highest levels of government and the private sector, we shift barriers and catalyse transformative partnerships. Our clients span governments, businesses and public and private capital. Using our broad experience, we help navigate the climate transition, and design and invest in breakthrough ideas that deliver financial returns.

We are looking for a dynamic full-time Director – Natural Climate Solutions Technical Specialist to join our global team in the U.S., located in Washington DC or Chicago. In this role, you will work alongside a friendly and experienced team to advise corporates, financial institutions and governments on all aspects of the transition to net zero and building climate resilience. Working as a team, you will drive value for clients in a wide range of sectors. challenging problems in the world. 

Responsibilities:

• Providing in-depth technical advice on greenhouse gas methodologies and voluntary carbon market standards for natural climate solutions and carbon project accounting 
• Advising on the design and development of innovative natural climate solutions projects through all phases of project lifetime, including REDD+, forest conservation, agriculture, blue carbon, and soil carbon initiatives, ensuring that projects align with international standards and methodologies 
• Assessing and, where applicable, developing baselines to establish robust benchmarks for carbon projects while ensuring the accuracy and credibility of data as well as adherence to relevant regulatory and market requirements  
• Conducting rigorous due diligence into all elements of carbon projects including climate impacts, social outcomes (including community engagement and benefit-sharing approaches), biodiversity outcomes, monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV), certification strategy, and design 
• Designing and delivering market-leading advice to clients in a wide range of sectors and industries to support their transition to a net-zero emissions future, including commercial and strategic analyses; investment, systems, and policy analyses; market reviews and benchmarking, which anticipates the audience and their commercial objectives, as well as operationalizing carbon markets strategies 
• Conducting analyses to develop evidence-based outputs, including by sourcing and processing policy, commercial, environmental, financial, and social data and leveraging Pollination’s expertise to develop new insights for clients  
• Managing project delivery across multiple projects, including pitch delivery and pricing, project scoping and design, resource planning and allocation, inclusive team leadership, project problem solving, and delivery within commercial expectations  
• Helping clients to manage internal engagement, including having regular contact with senior clients, managing meetings and other client contact, and communicating the conclusions of key pieces of analysis  
• Supporting the development of problem-solving strategies and assets across client groups or sectors, including developing Pollination IP and thought leadership  
• Supporting staff development, including managing performance, providing regular feedback, nurturing talent, and developing capability  
• Supporting Pollination’s business development strategies, identifying opportunities, developing pitches, and managing opportunity pipelines  

Qualifications:

• 8+ years professional experience in project development, non-profit, investment, strategy, policy, sustainability, finance, economics or a closely-related field, along with significant subject matter expertise (via academic or professional experience) in environmental markets, carbon project implementation and natural climate solutions 
• Strong familiarity with nature-based greenhouse gas methodologies for REDD+, forest conservation, agriculture, blue carbon, and soil carbon, including a deep understand of Verra Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR)and the Architecture for REDD+ Transaction’s The REDD+ Environmental Excellence Standard (ART TREES) 
• Professional experience with nature-based carbon project implementation and experience in reviewing or developing baselines and forest reference levels, preferably within a jurisdictional or landscape context; direct field experience desirable 
• Experience drafting PDDs, monitoring reports, and other key documents 
• Thorough knowledge of carbon market mechanisms, carbon offset standards (particularly Gold Standard, ART TREES, American Carbon Registry, Climate Action Reserve, and / or compliance market methodologies), and international climate policies 
• Exceptional communication and writing skills with strong attention to detail  
• Strong cultural competency 
• Ability to travel more than 20% 
• Proven ability to design and deliver to deadlines, and to manage prioritization within and between workstreams and manage stakeholder expectations across competing priorities  
• Strong collaboration and teamwork skills, including a highly inclusive leadership style and the ability to work with a distributed global team across various levels of seniority  
• Ability to build and leverage diverse technical and industry relationships and networks  
• Passion to help quickly build a growing team and ability to manage change in an organization, including by seeking and generating buy-in, building culture, and supporting stakeholders to engage with the program of work at hand  
• Drive to find strategic solutions that help our clients deliver net zero and build climate resilience  

You must be based in Washington, D.C., Chicago, or willing to relocate. Pollination follows a hybrid work model in the U.S. with staff expected to work from the office at least 3 days per week to benefit from in-person interactions with colleagues. This is a permanent, full-time role.

Apply online on their website.