Nature Based Solutions Methodologies Lead

at  CQuest Capital

C-Quest Capital LLC (CQC) is a leading global carbon project developer, social impact investor, and climate finance specialist. Our mission is to transform the lives of families in the most vulnerable communities in developing countries by providing access to clean and sustainable energy solutions and improving the health and well-being of women and children. We do this through investing in carbon reduction and removal programs, which provide clean and efficient energy appliances, small-scale agriculture, and forestry services to vulnerable populations. We generate carbon credits from our projects and make revenue from the sale of these credits through our dedicated commercial division.
CQC’s carbon programs have improved the lives of over 20 million people in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Central America. Our ambition is to reach over 175 million people by 2035. We have successfully raised substantial funding to be able to make our ambition a reality.
CQC is headquartered in Washington DC, USA, with subsidiaries in India, Australia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and operations across the globe.
Follow our journey at www.cquestcapital.com
Background: CQC is rapidly expanding its portfolio of nature-based carbon removals projects across a range of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Within the NbS portfolio, we have launched a series of pilots working closely with communities and smallholders on assisted natural regeneration, afforestation, agro-forestry and regenerative agriculture. To support the ongoing development and implementation of a number of NbS trials, pilots and programmes across the Global Portfolio, CQC is looking for an individual with deep technical carbon project experience to lead the technical assessment and on-going monitoring and reporting of agriculture and forest carbon projects across the portfolio.
The Role: CQC is hiring a Nature Based Solutions Methodologies Lead (AFOLU - Agriculture, Forestry & Other Land Use) to support the feasibility, evaluation, design, and monitoring of nature-based carbon offset projects across the global portfolio. The role will bring experience of the carbon project development process; validation & verification cycles and advanced technical expertise to support the development of carbon and biodiversity assets. They will also help to build and grow CQC’s in-house capacity on the evaluation, planning and ongoing monitoring and assessment of its NbS portfolio. The successful candidate will work directly with the Head of Nature-based Solutions and closely with CQC’s Chief Scientist and lead AFOLU experts within the Carbon & Sustainability Accounting Team (CSAT) on the planning and execution of land-use and GHG related assessments, monitoring, and audits at different project stages, types and locations across sub-Saharan Africa in compliance with guidelines from the leading GHG crediting programmes.

SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Advanced degree in the field of climate or ecosystem sciences, agriculture, forestry, environmental management, environmental engineering, natural resources conservation and management, climate, and carbon mitigation-related fields.
• Extensive experience in AFOLU projects for climate mitigation, natural resources conservation and management, forestry, sustainable agriculture or land management, conservation, or related fields.
• Hands-on experience in methodologies for carbon project development and certification in the AFOLU sector of the Voluntary Carbon Market, including familiarity with carbon standards like CDM, Verra, Gold Standard, CCB, in particular the development and validation of project design documents.
• Experience with a complete validation & verification cycle of an AFOLU project
• Understanding and ability to design in-field feasibility assessments and manage carbon and ecological data sets.
• Experience in proximal sensing, remote sensing, GIS tools is advantageous.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills and the ability to clearly articulate when reporting data.
  Location & Travel: Candidate can be located remotely, preferably in Europe, Africa or India. The job will require international travel to project sites.
  Compensation: Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
  Supervision: Dual reporting line to the Head of Nature-based Solutions and Head of CSAT.