Advancing High-Integrity Forest Carbon Markets at Global Scale

The Lead or Senior Program Officer, Jurisdictional REDD+ Development role at Verra sits at the center of one of the most influential areas in climate mitigation: jurisdictional REDD+ and forest carbon accounting. This position is designed for a specialist who can help shape how large-scale forest protection programs are designed, implemented, and verified across countries and regions.

At its core, the role contributes to strengthening systems that channel climate finance into forests while ensuring environmental integrity, social safeguards, and measurable impact.

Understanding Verra’s Role in Climate Action

Verra is a globally recognized non-profit that develops and manages standards for climate and sustainable development. Its frameworks enable credible carbon accounting and verification, which are essential for functioning carbon markets.

Key programs include:

• The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), one of the most widely used carbon crediting programs globally
• The Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta), focused on broader sustainability outcomes
• The Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards, which integrate ecosystem protection and community benefits
• The Plastic Waste Reduction Program, targeting measurable reductions in plastic pollution

Within this ecosystem, forest carbon initiatives—especially REDD+—are a critical pillar of climate mitigation strategy.

The Focus: Jurisdictional REDD+ and Nested Systems

A central feature of this role is work on Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR) under the Verified Carbon Standard framework. REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) is a global mechanism aimed at reducing emissions from forest loss and degradation while promoting conservation and sustainable forest management.

The JNR framework represents a more advanced approach by:

• Accounting for emissions reductions at a jurisdictional (e.g., national or state) level
• Allowing integration (“nesting”) of smaller projects within broader government-led programs
• Ensuring consistency in carbon accounting across scales
• Enabling more credible and scalable climate finance flows

The framework aligns with global integrity expectations, including recognition by the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), reinforcing its importance in high-quality carbon markets.

Core Purpose of the Role

This position is not purely technical or administrative—it sits at the intersection of science, policy, and market systems. The successful candidate will help refine and operationalize REDD+ methodologies, particularly VM0048, while ensuring alignment with the JNR framework.

Key responsibilities include:

1. Methodology Development and Improvement

• Enhancing REDD+ and JNR requirements
• Refining forest carbon accounting approaches
• Ensuring methodological consistency across standards

2. Technical Integration

• Aligning VM0048 with jurisdictional accounting frameworks
• Supporting updates across VCS program tools
• Collaborating with internal technical and project management teams

3. Stakeholder Engagement and Capacity Building

• Engaging governments and forest countries
• Conducting technical outreach sessions
• Supporting investors and project developers in understanding requirements

4. Program Support and Oversight

• Assisting with technical issues related to REDD+ implementation
• Providing expert input on forest carbon MRV systems (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification)
• Supporting continuous improvement of program integrity

Skills and Expertise Required

The role demands deep technical and policy fluency in forest carbon systems. Ideal candidates typically bring:

• Strong understanding of REDD+ evolution and global climate frameworks
• Experience with GHG accounting and forest reference level development
• Familiarity with MRV systems and carbon crediting methodologies
• Knowledge of multilateral processes such as UNFCCC REDD+ mechanisms
• Experience working with standards such as VCS or comparable systems
• At least five years of experience in climate mitigation or carbon markets
• Strong communication skills for cross-sector collaboration

Advanced academic training in forestry, environmental science, or climate-related disciplines is highly valued.

Why This Role Matters

The global carbon market is evolving rapidly, and integrity has become a defining issue. Jurisdictional REDD+ systems are increasingly seen as essential for scaling forest climate finance while avoiding fragmentation and double counting.

This role contributes directly to:

• Improving transparency in forest carbon accounting
• Supporting national governments in climate implementation
• Strengthening trust in voluntary carbon markets
• Ensuring that climate finance benefits both ecosystems and communities

By refining methodologies and guiding implementation, the role helps ensure that forest carbon credits represent real, verifiable climate impact.

Working Environment and Impact

Verra offers a remote-first, globally distributed working environment with cross-disciplinary teams spanning climate science, policy, and carbon market development. The role includes collaboration across time zones and engagement with stakeholders from governments, NGOs, and private sector actors.

Occasional international travel (up to 15%) supports on-the-ground capacity building and program engagement.

Final Perspective

The Lead or Senior Program Officer role in Jurisdictional REDD+ Development represents a high-impact opportunity to shape the future of forest carbon systems at scale. It requires not only technical expertise but also the ability to translate complex methodologies into practical implementation across diverse global contexts.

As jurisdictional approaches gain prominence in climate policy and carbon markets, professionals in this space will play a central role in defining how forests are valued, protected, and integrated into global climate solutions.

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