Conservation X Labs · 11 hours ago
Finance Innovations Consultant
United States
Full-time
Remote
Senior Level
7+ years expConservation X Labs is dedicated to solving critical conservation challenges through innovative solutions. They are seeking a Finance Innovations Consultant to develop a Financial Innovation Plan for the South America Fire Test Fund, aimed at reversing forest degradation in the Amazon through targeted financial strategies and stakeholder engagement.
Environmental Consulting
Responsibilities
Synthesize financial innovation elements of the Fire Test Fund Strategy and other relevant sources (including interviews with key partners and stakeholders) to identify priority financial mechanisms and target actors linked to reducing destructive fire:
Define a short list of priority financial instruments to pilot (e.g., fire suppression and prevention credits for avoided emissions, biodiversity credits, fire-free transition facilities, municipal risk financing bundles, fire-free producer accelerators) and assess the readiness of the financial products and markets for implementation
Segment key audiences (e.g., smallholders, Indigenous communities, medium/large landowners, municipal governments) and articulate context-specific motivations, constraints, and financial needs
Identify and interview key players in the financial ecosystem for fire, including fire credit providers, private sector investors, carbon/biodiversity credit buyers) to assess how catalytic philanthropic investment can be used to unlock private capital and accelerate the market
Use established financial structuring frameworks to diagnose barriers and enablers to financial mechanism adoption and effectiveness in selected contexts:
Assess economic drivers, market failures, barriers, and incentive structures that currently favor land clearing and fire use, as well as how financial interventions may overcome them
Identify existing financial flows, capital sources, and market infrastructure that can be leveraged, including ways that we may unlock private and government investment, such as first loss guarantees and blended capital
Evaluate risk factors, transaction costs, and MRV requirements for different instrument types
Outline feasible financial intervention pathways aligned with the Fund's prevention, incentives, technology, and LIFT pilot approaches. For example:
Blended finance vehicles (first-loss capital, credit guarantees, concessional tranches)
Payment for ecosystem services and results-based financing models
Carbon and biodiversity credit mechanisms (including fire suppression credits)
Micro-incentive and seasonal compliance payment structures
Market-based instruments (corporate procurement standards, tax abatements, green labels)
Ensure interventions are culturally grounded, feasible in low-capacity contexts, include participatory approaches with affected populations, and not dependent on national policy reform
Articulate how financial innovation efforts will be implemented, tested, and learned from during the initial phase, including details appropriate for an operational plan:
Explicitly outline the approach to community consultations / input / participatory engagement to ensure accountability to affected/targeted populations
Provide recommendations on specific organizations and partners (financial institutions, platform providers, impact investors, MRV providers) to implement the financial innovation strategy for each of the ecoregions and LIFTs
Identify how financial mechanisms interface with technology platforms (early warning, decision support), behavior change interventions, and LIFT pilot geographies
Create this strategy consistent with the Test Fund's operational principles to be adaptive, iterative, and evidence-based; provide flexibility for accelerated execution and operational efficiency; identify force multipliers; demonstrate regional legitimacy; and provide transparency and credibility
Develop high-level indicators in collaboration with the Fund's M&E team
Qualification
Required
7+ years of experience in conservation or climate finance, development finance, impact investing, blended finance, carbon/biodiversity markets, or related fields
Demonstrated track record designing and structuring financial instruments (biodiversity & carbon credits, PES, results-based financing, credit facilities, market-based mechanisms)
Deep understanding of economic incentives and how financial mechanisms drive behavior change
Experience working in or on Latin American conservation, climate, or development contexts
Fluency in English; Spanish or Portuguese highly preferred
Excellent written and analytical skills
Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable frameworks
Preferred
Understanding of fire ecology, land management practices, and integrated fire management
Familiarity with South American land tenure, agricultural economics, and conservation finance landscapes
Network of contacts in impact investing, carbon/biodiversity markets, or environmental finance
Experience with participatory approaches and community-based conservation
Background in behavioral economics and incentive design
Company
Conservation X Labs
Conservation X Labs is a technology and innovation company that works in the field of conservation.
11-50 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Conservation X Labs has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2023 (2)
2022 (1)
2020 (3)
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageTotal Funding
$0.22MKey Investors
National Science Foundation
2019-02-05Grant· $0.22M
Leadership Team
Alex Dehgan
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Recent News
2025-10-03
2025-04-08
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