Director Sustainable Standards And Methodology

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.

Our Project Development team is at the forefront of developing and managing climate mitigation activities. By working closely with project owners and developers as well as their local communities, we manage the complete registration, verification and evaluation of carbon projects to enable the issuance of emission-reduction certificates, in line with official carbon standards. 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 part of the Project Design, Management and Evaluation (PDME) practice of the Climate Projects business line, you will be the focal point of climate projects’ communication and coordination for global climate change and sustainable standards internally and externally.

This includes internal support and creating/maintaining an excellent centre on such topics for the global projects teams. This will include leading the strategic topics of new baseline and monitoring methodologies under different global standards and initiatives.

While the implementation and actual tasks and workflows of such activities will be carried out by regions’ teams, it is expected that the candidate with her/his team will support the flow strategically and own/coordinate the topic with other relevant senior stakeholders within the Tech Strategy/Research and region’s project teams. You will also strategically decide and support any advisory topics with standard bodies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) linked to the regulatory sector, while the implementation (assessments and drafting, deliverables) of such assignments will stay within the regional projects teams.

Furthermore, you will oversee internal knowledge management and communication over South Pole’s ongoing and relevant methodologies to quantify and verify the impacts. You will be accountable for informing and updating the internal counterparts from different teams, especially project development, the portfolio management teams, Tech Strategies and the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) on the latest status of standards, carbon schemes/platforms, and applicable methodologies.

Main tasks & responsibilities:

• Team management and ensuring issues are actively communicated and discussed with the team
• On occasion, support the project heads and project managers (PMs) to perform technical checks on the projects in line with standard expectations and communicate any clarification required
• Represent South Pole towards the standard bodies, forums (PD Forum), and technical working groups on matters related to methodologies, project registration/validation, issuance/verification rules, guidelines, and tools
• Participate in formal and informal networking opportunities, as requested
• Lead, supervise and contribute when necessary to the development of baseline and monitoring methodologies and similar assignments and projects in standards including but not limited to Verified Carbon Standard, Gold Standard, Global Carbon Council, American Carbon Registry. The main implementation tasks, including drafting, assessments and deliverables, may remain with the regions’ projects teams, who need to develop such capacities for their own teams using such methodologies in future.
• Maintain a good relationship with the different standards bodies, team Heads, other Senior Leads, project owners, clients and other counterparts
• Proactively lead and support on different topics with the project leaders in the regions and portfolio, including any initiative South Pole needs to handle to shape any new platform or standard product
• Lead the communication of SP’s strategic topics with the secretariat and technical committees of the standards. Also, when for project-specific matters e.g. baseline, methodology, MRV etc., the regional technical teams need support.
• Keep the team members (collaborators) informed of their progress in the team and ensure that they stay within the time and budget agreed
• Budget control and resource management; make use of a new upcoming tool's feature to manage the budget of all tasks and activities with optimum efficiency and effectiveness
• Always coordinate our strategies with other vital internal stakeholders such as CP’s operations, Tech strategies, portfolio, Regions projects directors, public affair committee (PAC) etc.
• Contribute/Organize a pragmatic and effective global knowledge center and know-how sharing sessions regarding standard rules and updates with all regions
• While acting as the project team global focal point to the standard bodies, always inform and coordinate with the different teams within South Pole on matters related to climate policy and voluntary/compliance market regulations
• Coordinate with/support the project development team on technical/methodological topics related to project registration/verification processes of carbon schemes and sustainable standards

Requirements:

Essential -

• Very good communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work in an interdisciplinary, global team
• Excellent oral and written skills in English
• Extensive experience on carbon standard and methodology development
• University degree in any relevant engineering field such as (but not limited to) mechanical, chemical, electrical, industrial or environmental
• Leadership, strategic thinking and independence are key skills required
• Good prioritization and time management skills
• Result-oriented work approach with the ability to work quickly
• Manage complex and challenging situations in an effective manner

Desirable -

• Knowledge of energy, waste management and recycling regulations.
• A master’s degree in any environmental, electrical or management area is a plus.
• Professional experience with CCS and green H2

What we offer:

At South Pole, we care about our employees as much as we care about the planet. South Pole is not just an employer, we are a Team. South Pole does not just offer people a job, we offer you a career. By joining our team, you will find strong purpose and deep meaning in everything you do. You will have the chance to make a real difference for our clients and for the planet, working alongside a passionate team of like-minded colleagues, while building your knowledge/skills and developing your career in a fun, dynamic, international and fast-growing organisation.

We’re a planet of 7.5 billion unique and different people. We all have a contribution to make; South Pole is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status or disability. Our recruitment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.