Agriculture Carbon Specialist in Arlington, Virginia

Agriculture Carbon Specialist

The Nature Conservancy is dedicated to achieving high environmental and climate integrity in our carbon projects, as well as unlocking new Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) pathways, geographies, business models, and innovative financing mechanisms. As part of the multidisciplinary Global Carbon Markets (GCM) team, the Agriculture Carbon Specialist supports field programs worldwide in planning, designing, and implementing high-integrity carbon projects. This position requires a strong technical background in developing high-integrity NCS agriculture carbon projects, accompanied by project management skills.

The Agriculture Carbon Specialist will collaborate with TNC staff and partner organizations to bring promising ideas to fruition, helping to address the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and equitable development. The Agriculture Carbon Specialist will also provide technical support to guarantee that projects meet TNC's criteria for high-quality, high-integrity carbon credits. They will manage the feasibility assessment and design of TNC carbon projects, assuming key responsibilities that include project planning and tracking, project-specific team leadership, budget design and management, time management, and project closure, among other tasks.

Additionally, the Agriculture Carbon Specialist will also engage with Validation and Verification Bodies (VVBs) to support the validation and verification processes, facilitating the exchange of findings and response rounds with the VVBs and the carbon standard. The Agriculture Carbon Specialist will be responsible for coordinating relevant internal processes to ensure adherence to TNC's requirements for carbon projects across the Conservancy.

They may serve as an advisor to TNC's Carbon Project Review Committee to evaluate and ensure adherence to TNC's guidelines for high-quality carbon credits. This position involves domestic and international travel (up to 25% of the person's time within a year). They will approach all work with a spirit of collaboration and respect for colleagues and partners across geographies, cultures, and subject matter expertise.

The location for this position is flexible for countries where TNC has existing staff/offices. Candidates who do not meet all the desired qualifications but have a passion for addressing climate change through the power of nature are encouraged to apply. This is a two-year term position with opportunity for extension based on budget and performance.

This is an exceptional career opportunity for a highly motivated and capable individual seeking to join the world's leading conservation organization. The Agriculture Carbon Specialist will be responsible for:

• Technical Advisory & Carbon Accounting:
  Provide expert technical guidance on soil carbon accounting principles, including analytical support and problem-solving skills to estimate credible baselines, demonstrate additionality, leakage management, and durability assessment across the full project lifecycle-from feasibility and design to development and implementation.
• Technical Analysis, Modeling & Reporting:
  Apply expertise in soil sampling, laboratory analysis, and biogeochemical modeling to quantify GHG fluxes and carbon outcomes; integrate findings with NCS soil carbon accounting methodologies and high-quality carbon standards into clear, decision-ready outputs, including feasibility assessments, project design documents (PDDs), and technical recommendations.
• Project Evaluation & Screening:
  Assess and rank prospective projects through review of Project Idea Notes (PINs) and technical criteria; contribute to internal governance processes (e.g., CPRC) to evaluate project quality, risks, and alignment with high-integrity carbon standards.
• Investment Due Diligence & Impact Assessment:
  May support the evaluation of external carbon project opportunities by assessing alignment with Impact Fund criteria and strategy, conducting technical due diligence, and providing recommendations on project integrity, risks, and expected impact.
• Standard & Methodology Selection:
  Guide project teams in selecting and applying the most appropriate high-quality carbon standards and methodologies to ensure project integrity and maximize the impact of carbon credits.
• Capacity Building & Training:
  Facilitate knowledge transfer and build internal and external stakeholder capacity through technical training, presentations, and ongoing support for TNC global, regional, and local teams.
• Tool Development & Optimization:
  Design, develop, and support the creation of essential applications, guidelines, templates, and tools to streamline and enhance the evaluation, feasibility assessment, design, and development phases of NCS carbon credit projects.
• Validation & Verification Support:
  Provide comprehensive support for project validation and verification, including the preparation of required documentation (e.g., Project Description Documents, Monitoring…