South Pole is an energetic, global company offering comprehensive sustainability solutions and services. With offices spanning all continents across the globe, we strive to create a sustainable society and economy that positively impacts our climate, ecosystems and developing communities. With our solutions, we inspire and enable our customers to create value from sustainability-related activities.

If you are a smart, ambitious and dynamic sustainability professional with a strong passion to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, the below position may be right for you!

Job summary:

This role aims to lead the South Pole's Biochar practice within the Climate Projects Strategy unit.

In this leadership role, you oversee the global strategy in coordination with the Regional Directors, local agriculture experts in the regions, and other Practice Directors to ensure strategic alignment.

Additionally, you are accountable for defining, owning and delivering the Biochar research study with the Innovation team. Reporting to the Climate Projects Global Strategy Director, you will develop and continually update South Pole's vision for the practice in alignment with the Climate Projects Business Line strategy and our Agriculture strategy.

In this role, you will develop and continually update South Pole's vision for the practice in alignment with the Climate Projects business line strategy.

Through your vision and leadership, you will inspire our multifaceted teams worldwide to source and secure world-class carbon emission reduction projects, advisory mandates and investment opportunities that powerfully impact the communities around them and the climate action movement.

Main tasks & responsibilities:

• Define, own, communicate and deliver on the Global strategy in the area of Biochar and closely align with the organisation’s global goals and objectives
• Serve as an expert advisor or board member for regional Biochar project-related activities within the Climate Projects team, both in the global South and in target industrialised countries like the EU, Australia and the US.
• Establish business performance targets and metrics, and be accountable for the overall performance of the Biochar practice
• Contribute to the global annual strategy, and collaborate with other Strategy Directors to achieve results and targets,
• Maintain strong coordination and alignment with Strategy Directors of agriculture and Tech. Carbon Removals.
• Drive and take accountability for all Biochar practice deliverables for all the company’s relevant environmental market products such as carbon credits, carbon removals certificates and potentially other units
• Lead and structure long-term, complex and strategic partnerships and deals with different stakeholders to support the regions to deploy the strategy to meet the yearly and quarterly goals of the Biochar practice
• Maintain and develop a network of partners, companies, investors, businesses and communities, active in the sector
• Partner closely with other functions, particularly with, Regions, the Innovation team, technical team (DME), Partnership and Expansion, to optimise and align the strategy 
• Lead the collaboration with non-Climate Projects teams such as AVC or Funds and Platforms.
• Gather market intelligence and identify industry trends in the biochar practice and market players and competitors
• Serve as a subject expert when required in client meetings, exhibitions and other corporate events and represent South Pole in different forums on the topic of Biochar and environmental markets
• Drive innovation and entrepreneurship through leadership and decisive action within the Biochar practice, including assessing potential projects/companies-related equity investments for consideration by the investment board and proposing potential corporate innovations to the investment board.
• Support and empower staff from regional teams and hire additional high-performing team members to be added to the regional teams.
• Work closely with colleagues across the organisation to empower matrixed teams that deliver on our vision of climate action for all.

Requirements:

Essential 

• University degree in Agriculture, Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Business or other relevant disciplines
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant work experience, including several years of experience in business development roles within the sustainability sector, specifically in the topics of agriculture and biomass-related industries and technologies.
• Previous entrepreneurial experience in a highly innovative industrial sector, technology companies or startup ecosystem.
• Know-how of global corporate best practices related to climate strategies, such as the Science Based Targets Initiative, Net Zero pledges and carbon removals strategies
• Experience in establishing clear performance targets and metrics, with a proven track record of meeting or exceeding challenging targets
• Strategic and Entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to establish a compelling vision for our Strategy unit.
• Strong business acumen, with the ability to structure and negotiate deals that are commercially sound and profitable for the South Pole.
• Outstanding interpersonal, communication and collaboration skills to partner effectively with key internal and external stakeholders
• Strong quantitative skills and the ability to use data and metrics to inform decisions
• Outstanding leadership skills, with the ability to inspire action and get the best out of people
• Ability to present ideas to executive/internal stakeholders regionally and globally.
• Ability to work on global and regional complex issues.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Fluency in English

Desirable 

• Experience in scaling up a fast-growing organisation in the context of a highly competitive market environment
• Expertise in Voluntary Carbon Market, carbon emission projects and standards
• Experience in pipeline development, CRM, Excel and similar tools
• Experience in technologies and businesses concerning the production of biochar included the various technologies used to generate the char and methods for getting value

What we offer:

At South Pole, we care about our employees as much as we care about the planet. South Pole is not just an employer, we are a Team. South Pole does not just offer people a job, we offer you a career. By joining our team, you will find strong purpose and deep meaning in everything you do. You will have the chance to make a real difference for our clients and for the planet, working alongside a passionate team of like-minded colleagues, while building your knowledge/skills and developing your career in a fun, dynamic, international and fast-growing organisation. 

We’re a planet of 7.5 billion unique and different people. We all have a contribution to make; South Pole is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status or disability. Our recruitment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.