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:

As the (Associate) Director of NBS implementation knowledge, process and M&E within the Project Design, Management & Evaluation (PDME) team, you work in our Climate Projects Business Line. You will be responsible to plan, develop and maintain an up to date knowledge, process and approaches/tools behind how we assess/evaluate ground implementation activities designed in our NBS projects. This entails direct coordination with the director of NBS within the PDME and NBS team, in order to assure all implementation aspects are properly evaluated during project design, management and evaluation processes from project identification and initial assessment to project realisation, impact issuance and long-term maintenance of the project. The responsibility also includes the design and implementation of an effective frequent (e.g. annual) delivery of M&E reports for NBS projects.

You will own and maintain all strategic components and IPs related to NBS implementation and social/community/biodiversity involvement relevant to climate mitigation/removal projects. The implementation team within the PDME will be supporting the NBS regional technical leads/teams who report/evaluate ground measures and activities for the NBS projects locally.

You will interact and collaborate directly with other directors within the PDME and assure that projects, standards/methodologies, implementation, QA/QC and evaluation/optimisation topics are channelled well to regional technical teams and are embedded firmly within the global PDME processes and workflows to ensure a long term high-quality outcome from our projects.

Main tasks & responsibilities:

• Act as the global leader on NBS implementation, community/biodiversity know-how and develop/organise a progressive and up-to-date knowledge centre around implementation activities/techniques/intelligence in collaboration with other leaders within PDME and other teams at CP
• Support and coordinate directly with the Project Strategy Director incl. Director of NBS within PDME on their strategic technical assessments, inputs and needs in different areas and scopes relevant for implementation and community/biodiversity aspects
• Assure that global and regional technical teams within the CP unit are equipped with the latest effective tools, knowledge and approaches around implementation knowledge and evaluation topics and can smoothly apply them in the field and deliver long-term impact products (e.g. ERs and SDGs etc.) with high integrity and quality
• Own, plan, and direct NBS implementation latest strategic technical know-how and share/link the strategic directions and outcomes with the regional technical and implementation teams globally in coordination with the project strategy director and regional leads
• With your team support and guidance when necessary the regional technical heads in the NBS implementation topics; assure that the regional technical teams are using the most plausible latest approaches, in guiding and evaluating the implementation workflows and result in the highest quality possible
• Collaborate with the QA/QC, evaluation and optimisation director within the PDME to plan and develop the most efficient and effective processes for project quality assurance processes incl. During evaluation/assessment and implementation/PDME workflows
• Directly liaise with operations to review and update/improve implementation linked operational processes in direct coordination and alignment with the director NBS within the PDME; assure that NBS project workflows within SP include both PDME and implementation tasks embedded in one integrated project management system
• Serve as a partner to global and regional project team heads on project implementation issues
• Support knowledge and expert needs, resource plan & management for implementation team globally (in direct coordination with the regional leads and technical heads per region) and when necessary
• Ensure consistency of approach and quality of our implementation assessment workflows along the different regional teams globally. Be in charge of the coordination of the implementation teams globally and take responsibility for the quality of our global implementation evaluation work
• Introduce SP to potential clients and source new projects together with our international team when needed
• Together with other leads within CP, make sure all regional technical teams understand project partners' needs, gather market intelligence and identify industry trends

Requirements:

Essential 

• Preferably a Master’s Degree in natural resource management, forestry and nature conservation, biodiversity, the sustainable development business, sustainability/project management or related fields
• Extensive work experience in Engineering, Forestry/Ecology, Sustainability Consulting, Climate Change Mitigation/Adaptation or related fields
• Vast experience in guiding and directing the work of others, with thorough functional knowledge/expertise in all fields of NBS and know-how on NBS implementation i.e. ground/field measures and activities and evaluation process around them
• Ability to manage priorities and motivate a team, keen sense of efficiency
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to identify gaps and design/enhance processes, tools and guidance to address them
• Advanced controlling and organisation skills to ensure proper use of processes and tools
• Ability to compromise and work with different teams within the organisation
• Ability to build, develop and manage large teams
• Be very responsive and reachable to all internal and external stakeholders
• Strong multi-tasking, prioritization and delegation skills Keen sense for project administration & management
• Extensive people Management experience, including performance management, developmental plans and succession planning
• Fluency in English

Desirable 

• Experience in scaling up a fast-growing team in the context of a highly competitive market environment
• A second language is a plus 

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.