Local recruitment: Senior Specialist, Ecosystem Services Unit (ECO)

Winrock International

Arlington, VA, USA 🇺🇸

Home-based/Remote

Position Title: Senior Specialist, Ecosystem Services Unit (ECO) 

Location:         Arlington Office, Hybrid, or US Remote 

Department:    Environment & Energy Group (E2) 

POSITION SUMMARY 

Position Purpose: Winrock International is recruiting a Senior Specialist in the Ecosystem Services Unit (ECO) within the Environment & Energy Group (E2).  A dynamic member of the team, the Technical Lead will contribute to an environment that is collaborative, conducive to growth, respect, equity, and thought leadership.  

Ecosystem Services Unit 

ECO’s portfolio is focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation, REDD+, Low Emissions Development, environmental services, and related topics. For more than twenty-five years, ECO has served as a global leader in ecosystem evaluation, carbon accounting, climate change mitigation and adaptation, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, plus the sustainable management of forests, and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+), watershed management, and other forms of environmental services accounting. The Technical Lead supports the Unit Director and works with other staff in ECO to manage projects, provide quality control and evaluation, and augment new business and thought leadership.  

ECO’s focus areas include developing: 

  • GHG measurement and monitoring approaches under voluntary and compliance markets; for companies, governments, and NGOs around the world. 
  • Agriculture, Forestry, and other Land Use (AFOLU) and REDD+ measurement and monitoring protocols 
  • Capacity building toolkits and training programs for a wide variety of stakeholders, from local farmers to national and multilateral agencies 
  • Interactive tools for sustainability assessment and measurement and monitoring of GHG emissions and ecosystem services in the land use and forestry sectors 
  • Scientifically robust geospatial and remote sensing solutions 
  • Decision-support tools 
  • Coastal carbon assessments 
  • Approaches to support net-zero commitments 

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES 

Technical Implementation 

  • Implement international projects focused on management and monitoring of forest landscapes with a particular focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation. 
  • Support critical thinking and innovative approaches, new analyses, new analytical methods and interpretations of international policy relevant to the work of ECO, particularly REDD+. 
  • Support development and implementation of statistically sound approaches to project design and data analysis for carbon and other eco-assets, including use of field data, new statistical tools, and models. 
  • Provide training to counterparts/stakeholders in the use of methods and internationally accepted best practices. 
  • Implement new approaches that strengthen Winrock International’s reputation for sound science and expand the visibility of Winrock International as leading developers of measurement and monitoring methods. 

Project and Unit Management  

  • Manage project, liaising with donors (including but not limited to USAID, Department of State, World Bank, and other multi-laterals), mentoring project support staff and producing high quality deliverables/products. 
  • Maintain day-to-day client relationships by communicating clearly with and addressing clients’ needs. 
  • Support ECO’s technical visibility with key stakeholders, practitioners, and donors by developing externally facing communication pieces including blogs, thought pieces, peer-reviewed publications, and facilitating workshops 
  • Network with external stakeholders and other experts to ensure that project approaches reflect cutting edge technical approaches  
  • Potential to supervise up to one to two members of staff 
  • Other tasks as assigned 

New Business Development: 

  • Contribute to the strategic growth and diversification of ECO’s portfolio, deepening impact, scale, and reach 
  • Support and grow ECO’s new business by leading proposals and/or serving as contributor, or reviewer. 
  • Work with the team to identify, document, and promote technical best practices and methodologies for future new business design, internal learning, and external promotion. Foster and promote the capture, utilization, and growth of knowledge and learning within ECO and across the organization, more broadly.  

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS  

 Education: 

  • Master’s degree in environmental science, natural resource management, forestry, ecology, climate change, or other related field required. PhD degree preferred. 

Required Experience: 

  • Minimum of 5-7 years’ experience in climate change adaptation/mitigation/resilience and GHG accounting for land use required. Additional years of experience are strongly preferred. 
  • Experience in GHG accounting, ecosystem services and related fields; excellent leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, interpersonal skills required. 
  • Experience in the development of AFOLU projects and/or programs in the voluntary and/or compliance carbon market. 
  • Overseas experience with technical and/or operational issues related to GHG accounting and land use, or related issues strongly preferred. Experience working in developing countries is preferred. 

Communication Skills: 

Language: Fluency in English and excellent communication skills (written and verbal) required. Fluency in a secondary language (esp. French or Spanish) is strongly preferred. 

Required Travel: Willingness to travel to developing countries as required by portfolio/new business opportunities. 

Position-Specific Skills:  

  • Experience managing technical projects with a diverse team of individuals and consultants. 
  • Demonstrated experience in research and public communication on technical issues, including peer-reviewed publications, blogs, op-eds. 
  • Ability to foster and maintain good working relationships with clients and partners, including government ministries and officials at national and local levels, non-profit organizations, the private sector, foundations, multilateral organizations, and the U.S. Government. 
  • Track record supporting winning proposals. 

Other: Must be authorized to work in the United States. 

As a condition of employment at Winrock, all US-based Winrock staff, regardless of location must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Winrock offers competitive pay and an excellent benefits package.

Winrock is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and value diversity and inclusiveness. Winrock recruits, employs, trains, promotes and compensates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law.

At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, innovation, integrity and transformation.

Winrock knows that its success comes from the hard work and steadfast dedication of its diverse workforce. Winrock remains committed to maintaining diversity, inclusion and equity across the entire organization


POSITION TYPE

ORGANIZATION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

DEGREE REQUIRED

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