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Winrock International · 1 month ago

Technical Lead, Sustainability Services (Palm oil and soy focus)

United States

Full-time

Remote

Mid, Senior Level

$115K/yr - $120K/yr

7+ years exp

Winrock International is seeking a Technical Lead in the Sustainability Services Unit with expertise in greenhouse gas emissions reduction in food and agriculture. This role involves engaging with private sector clients to assess investments for emission reduction and leading evaluations of peatland restoration projects.

Agriculture

No H1B

Responsibilities

Lead project review and communications with clients to scope the quality of peatland restoration projects and address relevant technical aspects and their methodologies

Manage the analysis of climate projects at the intersection of agriculture, forestry, and greenhouse gas emissions, at the farm and corporate level, ensuring timely production of high-quality deliverables

Provide effective supervision including setting performance expectations, conducting regular performance evaluations, and providing ongoing feedback and coaching

Perform calculations using greenhouse gas and activity data. Support critical thinking and innovative approaches, new analyses, and new analytical methods

Lead the development of guidance on carbon inset approaches to peatland restoration projects within palm supply chains and contribute to critical thinking on the analyses and analytical methods related to food systems and regenerative agriculture

Prepare technical analysis reports, presentations, and other communication materials related to carbon accounting and project risk analysis, translating technical topics into terms that are meaningful to more diverse audiences

Maintain day-to-day client communications. Provide accurate, consistent, and coherent technical guidance and explanations to clients and donors

Provide training to counterparts/stakeholders in the use of methods and internationally accepted best practices

Create decision-support tools for the measurement and monitoring of GHG emissions and ecosystem services in the land use and forestry sectors

Develop and implement statistically sound approaches to project design and data analysis for carbon projects, including use of field data, new statistical tools, and models. Recommend and implement new approaches that strengthen Winrock International’s reputation for sound science and expand the visibility of Winrock International as a leading developer of measurement and monitoring methods

Develop project work plans, budgets and reports, including tracking and monitoring programs as assigned to ensure they are fulfilling deliverable and performance requirements at a high quality, on time, and on budget

Qualification

GHG accountingPeatland restorationCarbon quantification methodologiesFood systems expertiseMonitoringVerification (MRV)Statistical analysisTeam managementMicrosoft OfficePublic speakingAnalytical capabilityProposal developmentGeospatial technologiesEnglish fluency

Required

Bachelor's degree in agriculture or environment-related field required

Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in food systems and GHG accounting for land use required

Experience developing, mentoring, and managing teams of technical staff

Experience managing technical aspects of GHG accounting in the agriculture field

Proficiency in using Microsoft Office software, including Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint

Strong written and verbal communication skills are required, including effective public speaking and the ability to communicate complex issues both verbally and in written form

Fluency in English required

Strong analytical capability and problem-solving abilities required

Ability to contribute to project operations and workflow effectively, to track and meet deadlines for multiple tasks, and work effectively under pressure

Understanding of carbon quantification methodologies (e.g., for carbon credits/offset credits), carbon credit or other sustainability product certification standards, carbon credit project development, monitoring reporting and verification of GHG emissions impact

Ability to foster and maintain good working relationships with clients and partners, including non-profit organizations, the private sector, foundations, and multilateral organizations

Experience leading complex technical projects with a diverse team of staff and consultants

Must be authorized to work in the United States

Preferred

Master's degree in climate change, food and environment, or a related discipline

Additional years of experience are strongly preferred

Field or research experience with forest carbon or palm production GHG accounting, land use change models, and GHG profiles of agricultural commodities from Southeast Asia preferred

Knowledge of monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) approaches within palm supply chains to ensure GHG reduction measurements are repeatable, scalable, and GHG protocol compliant

Knowledge of one or more of the additional soft commodities is a plus: vegetable fats & oils; spices; cereals & grains; cocoa; coconut; soybeans; and coffee

Working understanding or experience with preparing submissions or reporting against key climate corporate leadership standards (e.g., Verra, GHG Protocol, Science-Based Targets Initiative's standards)

Experience developing proposals for a variety of funders is desired

Knowledge of geospatial technologies, tools and methodologies is a plus