Senior Specialist, Nature-Based Solutions (NbS)

South Pole is an energetic, global company offering comprehensive sustainability solutions and services. With offices spanning all continents across the globe, we strive to create a sustainable society and economy that positively impacts our climate, ecosystems and developing communities. With our solutions, we inspire and enable our customers to create value from sustainability-related activities.

Navigating the evolving landscape of nature-based methodologies requires a rare blend of technical carbon accounting and commercial strategy. In this role, you will provide technical expertise on carbon asset development within the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and domestic compliance markets like the Australian ACCU Scheme, leading feasibility assessments and carbon stock modeling using FullCAM. If you are a smart, ambitious and dynamic sustainability professional with a strong passion to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, the below position may be right for you!

Job summary:

As a senior member of the NbS team, you will provide technical expertise and strategic guidance on carbon asset development within the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and emerging domestic compliance markets including the Australia ACCU Scheme. You will be responsible for evaluating the feasibility of nature-based projects and ensuring they meet the highest international and domestic standards. The ideal candidate will bridge the gap between technical carbon accounting and commercial strategy, helping the organization navigate the evolving landscape of nature-based methodologies. 

Main tasks & responsibilities:

• Project Feasibility & Development: Lead (pre-)feasibility assessments and technical design for NbS projects globally, ensuring alignment with major VCM standards and/or domestic schemes.

• Carbon Modeling & Analysis: Lead carbon stock modeling and sequestration estimates, specifically utilizing FullCAM for Australian project assessments and other relevant modeling tools for international VCM projects.

• Forestry System Oversight: Provide deep technical guidance on various forestry systems, including reforestation, avoided deforestation, and managed timberlands, ensuring they meet rigorous certification requirements.

• Methodological Oversight: Track and analyse methodological shifts in the VCM and ACCU Scheme, specifically regarding "high-integrity" nature-based credits, to ensure project portfolios anticipate future market trends.

• Stakeholder & Advisory Management: Manage advisory mandates for corporate and public sector clients across Asia Pacific, delivering high-quality technical reports on nature-based carbon removals and avoidance projects.

• Technical Cross-Coordination: Collaborate with GIS and Remote Sensing teams to integrate advanced monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) tools into project lifecycles.

• Commercial Strategy: Work with Finance and Deal Structuring teams to provide technical inputs for long-term financial models and identify viable commercial models for project implementation.

Requirements:

Essential Profile Requirements

• Education: A Master's degree in Forestry, Environmental Science, Geography, Biology, or Climate Policy.

• Forestry Expertise: Major Plus: Proven experience in forestry systems and land management, preferably with on-the-ground experience in Latin America, Asia, Africa, or Australia.

• Modeling Skills: Proficiency in carbon accounting models, with specific experience using FullCAM for Australian carbon projects and familiarity with GIS tools like QGIS or ArcGIS.

• VCM & ACCU Knowledge: Deep understanding of the principles underpinning NbS for certified carbon credit generation and jurisdictional standards.

• Work Style: A strong appetite to learn, with the ability to operate autonomously in a fast-paced, dynamic, and international team environment.

• Communication: Excellent skills in conveying complex technical information to diverse audiences

Desirable Profile Requirements

• ACCU Knowledge: Demonstrable knowledge of, or direct exposure to, the Australian ACCU Scheme and its various nature-based methodologies.
• Advanced Analytics: Experience with cloud computing for environmental data (e.g., Google Earth Engine, Python, or R) and use of AI tools.
  

Please apply directly on our careers page for a faster application process: https://careers.southpole.com/jobs