Are you an experienced in peatland conservation and restoration and do you also have a keen interest in carbon finance? Do you have experience working with international partners to conceptualise, develop, implement and monitor conservation, restoration and sustainable development programmes in the context of climate action? Are you looking for an opportunity to apply your skills, knowledge and expertise to improve nature and people’s lives at local and global scales?
This is the job you have been looking for!
Full-time/Part-time: Fulltime, 36 hours per week
Reporting to: Programme Head Wetland Carbon
Location: Global Office, Ede, The Netherlands; other locations can be considered for exceptional candidates
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience
About us
At Wetlands International, we are dedicated to safeguarding and restoring wetlands so that these unique habitats are treasured and nurtured for their beauty, the life they support and the resources they provide. We work to conserve and restore diverse wetland systems in all parts of the world, ranging from coastal wetlands such as mudflats and mangroves to freshwater systems all the way up to the mountains, including peatlands, marshes, rivers and floodplains. To make a global difference and ensure sustainable wetland management across land and seascapes, we inspire and mobilise society to act and influence levers of change.
Healthy wetlands store vast amounts of carbon in their soils and biomass, but they can become a huge source of emissions upon degradation. Peatlands, although covering only 3% of the world’s terrestrial area store twice the amount of carbon present in all forests. Their degradation causes no less than 5% of global emissions: more than the aviation and shipping sector combined. Their conservation and restoration require unprecedented public and private funding, including from carbon markets.
Our wetland carbon programme aims to unlock carbon finance for wetlands while ensuring socio-environmental integrity. Our portfolio of landscape carbon projects combined with knowledge and advocacy initiatives is rapidly growing. The work is collaborative, done in and through strategic public and private partnerships and with cutting-edge networks.
In this context, we have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Technical Officer, Peat Carbon Developer
Your role
As Peat Carbon Developer you support and build the capacity of our enthusiastic team of colleagues from across our network of offices and partner organisations to unlock carbon finance. You translate scientific knowledge about peatland carbon cycling, conservation and restoration into carbon impact, applying and shaping the carbon standards. This work involves scoping potential sites to protect and restore peatland carbon stores while enhancing biodiversity and community resilience. You will guide feasibility, design, implementation, and monitoring of holistic landscape-scale peatland carbon projects, while ensuring high quality, managing risks and
enabling the team to seize opportunities.
Your role will include for example:
• Building the capacity of and supporting the global Wetlands International network and their local partners to initiate, develop, implement and monitor holistic landscape scale peatland carbon projects;
• Ensuring high quality and risk management of our peatland carbon proposals and projects by supporting and monitoring adherence to the best carbon methodologies and standards;
• Acting as a knowledge broker to ensure implementation of best practices and innovations in peatland conservation and restoration through working with our global technical experts and knowledge partners;
• Collating and disclosing best practice for peatland carbon project development to influence standards, sectors and actors, in close collaboration with our regional offices;
• Project management of selected carbon projects, including coordination, financial administration and team planning.
Your Profile
The Peatland Carbon Developer is a purposeful and creative analyst and initiator with the professional insights, active networks, and carbon accounting experience to swiftly initiate integrated wetland carbon projects. You are a knowledge broker and excel at building the capacity of others, while being aware of cultural differences. You have solid project management skills and experience, married with enthusiasm for and knowledge of safeguarding and restoring peatlands. You proactively recognize opportunities and act upon them and readily move ideas into action. You navigate and adapt well in dynamic and changing environments and have a “learning by doing” attitude.
You will have a relevant educational background and at least 5 years of professional experience with peatland carbon cycling, conservation and restoration and a keen interest in carbon finance and carbon accounting according to e.g. Verified Carbon Standard. You have knowledge of key issues, debates, trends and key global processes related to mobilising integrated carbon projects. A proven ability to translate complex science on carbon emission and sequestration into practical guidance and recommendations will be appreciated.
• See Terms of Reference (ToR) Senior Technical Officer (STO)
How to apply
To apply for this vacancy, please send us a resume and an application letter indicating your motivation to Jozefa van der Veen, HR Officer hr@wetlands.org. Please mark in the subject: “Application – Peatland Carbon Developer”. Questions about the vacancy and/or procedure can also be sent to this email address.
Deadline for the application is 31st of January 2023.
Interviews will take place in the week commencing 13 February 2023