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.

Our Portfolio Management team oversees and develops business for the sale and trading of carbon credits and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). By working collaboratively with both our internal Sales and Projects teams, we play a crucial role in balancing the demand and supply of certificates, in order to best match the needs of our clients with our sourcing capabilities. 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:

South Pole is looking for an Associate Director, Climate Policy, Finance and Carbon Markets - LatAm to play two key roles: enhance our company’s engagement with governments and contribute to regional consultancy assignments and business development efforts. As the Associate Director, you will ensure good relationships with key government departments to support South Pole’s business development activities and promote the company as a thought leader in carbon markets. You will also ensure the timely delivery of high-quality consultancy assignments to international, regional and local clients.

You will be responsible for developing and implementing a targeted government engagement plan and the overall management of proposals on climate change policies, carbon markets and climate finance, and projects implementation. In addition, you will provide technical guidance to consultancy assignments and act as the main point of contact for specific clients when implementing assignments.

Short-listed candidates will have an excellent understanding of global and regional climate policy as well as an established network of relevant policy-makers, ideally with prior experience working in government engagement and policy development-related work and/or in consultancy.

Main tasks & responsibilities:

• Manage and supervise large/complex consultancy assignments throughout their entire project cycle: initiation, planning, design, execution, monitoring, controlling and closure

• Develop and implement a comprehensive engagement plan with several governments in Latin America on topics related to carbon markets and Article 6

• Represent South Pole and lead some business development efforts in the region

• Provide technical leadership for the development of proposals and implementation of advisory mandates for the corporate and public sector clients on topics such as carbon market instruments, Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, climate policy implementation and financing, sustainable development plans and strategies (e.g. NDCs), and carbon offset procurement strategies

• Interact and build relationships with our international, regional and/or local clients and manage the timely delivery of assignments

• Contribute to knowledge-sharing activities and expand skills and knowledge linked to the topics and services offered by South Pole

• Lead and directly manage small teams of consultants in a multi-cultural and multi-geography context

• Contribute to the development of South Pole’s thought leadership activities, services, products, marketing materials and offerings.

Requirements:

Essential -

• University degree, ideally at a Master’s level or higher, in a sustainability-related field

• Extensive experience working in the field of climate change or sustainability

• Relevant network of regional and national climate policy-makers in Latin America

• Excellent understanding of carbon markets and climate finance developments in the region

• Excellent project management skills, from both a technical and administrative standpoint, and proven ability to guide project teams in a multi-cultural and multi-geography context

• Excellent writing skills, with proven expertise in creating and reviewing high-quality written documents (proposals and deliverables)

• Excellent stakeholder and client management skills

• Autonomous and proactive, yet strong ability to work collaboratively

• Demonstrable commercial skills and good business sense so as to be able to identify and seize opportunities in a challenging and competitive market environment

• Excellent prioritisation and time management skills

• Excellent working knowledge of all Google Suite applications and MS products (Word, Excel)

• Excellent oral and written skills in English and Spanish

Desirable - 

• Experience working with and implementing activities with large multilateral funding mechanism and/or multi-stakeholder platforms

• Demonstrable interest in working on climate change mitigation projects, programmes or instruments across sectors and technologies, especially in Latin American countries

• Practical experience in change management and sustainability strategy development

• Good working knowledge of all Google Suite applications and MS Word

• Diligent, reliable and proactive

• Fully comfortable operating in a fast-paced international environment

• Excellent prioritisation and time management skills

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.