Finance and Carbon Market Specialist: Forest Carbon, Markets and Communities

Terra Global Capital Overview:

• Founded in 2006, based in San Francisco with the mission to facilitate the market for land-use carbon offsets
• Exclusively devoted to agriculture, forestry and other land-use carbon markets
• Technical innovator; first to submit methodology for mosaic avoided deforestation (REDD) to VCS
• Only firm with integrated, in-house team of technical, development and carbon finance experts
• Partners with NGOs, governments and private sector to collaboratively develop and monetize carbon credits
• Expertise in developing A/R, agroforestry, REDD, IFM and agricultural projects Focused on developing cost-effective rigorous carbon accounting and innovative financing structures

Position Overview:

Terra Global Capital is seeking qualified Finance and Carbon Market Specialist candidates for the Forest, Carbon, Markets and Climate program (FCMC). FCMC's 2 major deliverables include assisting countries with ambitious REDD+ plans by building capacity within those countries to achieve long-term net emissions reductions from forests and land use and contribute to the evolving REDD+ framework.

Responsibilities:

• Reporting day-to-day to the FCMC COP, collaborate across other FCMC technical areas and lead the development of Finance and Markets activities under FCMC
• Manage the development of scopes of work and their deliverables for Finance and Markets related activities including:
  o Respond and help shape USAID's Finance and Markets desired work
  o Generate new and innovative work ideas to promote Finance and Markets for REDD+ and other forest carbon activities under FCMC
  o Develop and gain approval for SOWs and related budgets, source STTA to perform approved work, and overall manage delivery of high quality work to USAID
• Manage relationship on Finance and Markets activities with USAID Finance and Markets point person, under direction of COP
• Bring new relationships to USAID with Finance and Markets related organizations to support developing capacity in this new area
• Technical activities will include:
  o Analyses on payments for carbon and other ecosystem services frameworks to finance REDD+ activity;
  o Assessments, report and analysis targeted at developed country and REDD host country stakeholders to increase and promote Finance and Markets
  o National level REDD+ financial plans that detail important sources of domestic and international financing
  o Identify work that can catalyze private investment, leverage existing funds (like FCPF, Green Fund) and identify new sources of funds for REDD+ that can be promoted through FCMC work
  o Regional level strategies for accessing revenue for REDD+ actions
  o Policies and actions for countries to implement their REDD+ financial plans
  o Support for development of operational platform, such as carbon market registry design, as needed to support finance and markets
  o Methods and manuals on opportunity cost analysis and other means of value-placement on carbon reduction
  o Training (materials and facilitation) on finance and carbon markets to diverse audiences
• Establish and maintain productive and positive relationships with USAID, international government officials, multilateral and donor organizations, and local partners;

Qualifications:

Educational requirements include at least a Master's degree in finance, economics, business administration, environmental finance, or a relevant environmental field with a substantial business background or related field of study, PhD preferred;

• A minimum of 5 years experience of a managerial or technical nature in forest carbon, payment for environmental services, carbon markets (voluntary or regulatory), and/or NRM project finance;
• A minimum of 5 years experience in private sector finance related activities, with a demonstrated understanding of markets, multiple financing structures (equity, debt, bonds, project), and derivatives
• Experience working with USAID's or other donor organizations
• Experience supervising complex field operations in closed and/or transitional or developing countries preferred;
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills;
• Training experience and exceptional verbal and written communication skills, especially in working across cultures preferred;
• English proficiency required with advanced proficiency in Spanish preferred.

Location: In Washington, D.C. with periodic international travel

To Apply:

Interested Candidates please send CV and Cover Letter no later than August 1st.