The Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) Project Origination Lead will support TNC’s corporate engagement work to advance natural climate solutions (forests, grasslands, and wetlands that sequester carbon and provide other co-benefits to nature and people) at scale in critical geographies.
The Origination Lead will be a part of the Conservancy’s Global Lands team, and will report to the Corporate Engagement Director for Global Lands. It will also work closely with international staff across the Conservancy’s corporate engagement, government relations, regional / country and other field teams.
The Origination Lead will work with a cross-functional team (including the Conservancy’s corporate partners, its field programs, and other organizations) to develop and execute landscape-scale conservation projects that will sequester carbon and generate other co-benefits. S/he will also serve as an expert in understanding the evolution of carbon markets (both regulatory and voluntary) and the impact of supply and demand changes on Conservancy strategies. Some of the Origination Lead’s time will also be spent supporting other Conservancy efforts to accelerate investment into natural climate solutions, with a focus on private sector needs and perspectives.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND SCOPE
- Work with corporate partners and other stakeholders to develop project business plans, including financial models, supply and demand analyses, cost estimates, and risk assessments, and to prepare investment memoranda.
- In many instances, this will require spending significant time onsite at project locations, gathering data and making estimates based on limited and/or imperfect information.
- Role will also work with global TNC staff to design and set up project implementation plans and management systems that will provide consistent and accurate information to corporate partners and support their decision-making and reporting needs.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Project management experience, including coordination of the work of other professionals inside and outside an organization, and ability to meet deadlines.
- Experience preparing and presenting project proposals and negotiating complex, high profile, or sensitive agreements.
- Proven analytical skills.
- Strong communication and presentation skills.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in business development, corporate strategy, consulting, investing, or entrepreneurship – including a strong understanding of how companies assess risk, return, and make investment decisions.
- Understanding of and perspective on carbon markets (voluntary and compliance) and carbon finance.
- Strong project management skills and an entrepreneurial spirit.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, respect, and integrity.
- Creativity, patience, and a willingness to embrace and learn from failures.
- Comfort with uncertainty and the ability to make inferences based on limited data.
- Interest in land management and forest, grassland, and wetland carbon science.
- Ability to work independently and with limited supervision.
- Fluency in or working knowledge of multiple languages.
- Experience working internationally and with diverse cultures and communities.
- Experience working across both interdisciplinary and multicultural teams.
- Languages needed: Must be fluent in English. Additional languages desirable.
- Significant travel expected; 25-50% of time (likely split between Europe and international).