Climate Scientist (Supply)

Supercritical; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 62,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited annual leave

Monthly company socials

£1,000 annual wellbeing allowance

Working-from-home equipment budget up to £500

Job summary

Supercritical is looking for an expert in carbon removal with a strong background in biomass-based methods. You'll lead project vetting and develop quality standards while maintaining relationships with suppliers.

Your role involves significant analytical skills and communication, requiring an MSc or BEng/BSc with relevant experience. Join us in driving impactful climate solutions!

Qualifications

• In-depth expertise in biomass‑based CDR pathways such as biochar or bioenergy.
• Previous experience in climate and sustainability field.
• High attention to detail and a love for understanding complexities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of vetting and development processes for CDR projects.
• Develop and refine CDR quality standards.
• Cultivate relationships with CDR project suppliers.

Skills

Expertise in biomass-based CDR pathways

Analytical skills

Excellent communication skills

Proficient with Excel/spreadsheets

Passion for sustainability

Education

MSc or higher in relevant natural science

BEng/BSc with 3–5 years experience

Tools

Excel

Job description

Mission

The latest IPCC reports tell it all. We can decarbonize industry, switch to renewables, and drive electric vehicles. But we still need to remove 10 billion tonnes of CO2 from the air each year by 2050 to stay below 1.5C of warming. To do this, the voluntary carbon removal industry needs to scale by 14,000x in the next 24 years. That's where Supercritical comes in. Our mission is to scale carbon removal to gigatonne capacity before it's too late. As the leading carbon removal marketplace we provide liquidity to this new market by matching large-scale buyers with the most trusted suppliers of carbon removal credits. We help ambitious buyers find innovative supply, de-risking the transaction for buyers and providing a route to market for suppliers.

Role

This is an opportunity to work at the cutting edge of carbon removal and to deeply understand the science and operations of the most innovative CDR projects on the planet. You will be responsible for assessing the quality and risk of projects in order to improve transparency and trust, ultimately helping to scale the market in a sustainable way.

What you will achieve in the next 12 months

• Lead the delivery of the vetting and development processes for specific Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) projects to guarantee the highest quality of projects on the Supercritical platform. You'll receive training and support from our experienced Lead Climate Scientist and Director of Climate Science.
• Develop and refine our CDR quality standards and vetting frameworks, staying up-to-date with the latest advancements in climate science.
• Independently apply commercial vetting frameworks to assess project viability and long-term credit delivery.
• Cultivate relationships with our CDR project suppliers, offering feedback and sharing market insights.
• Become an in‑house expert on the details of our CDR project suppliers and stay current with the latest scientific developments.
• Support the sales and marketing team by contributing to initiatives that promote climate thought leadership, educating potential CDR buyers.

Requirements

• MSc or higher in chemical engineering, environmental science, or a relevant natural science such as chemistry, or a BEng/BSc with 3–5 years of relevant work experience.
• In‑depth expertise in biomass‑based CDR pathways such as biochar or bioenergy.
• Previous experience working in the climate and sustainability field; academic, consulting, commercial, government, NGO etc.
• A lot of curiosity and a broad understanding of carbon, climate, and sustainability issues, and a genuine care about real climate impact.
• High attention to detail and a love of digging below the surface to understand what is really going on.
• Excellent communication skills and a passion for clear scientific communication. Your writing is punchy and impactful.
• Excellent analytical skills and good proficiency with Excel/spreadsheets.
• Passion for fast‑paced environments with a high level of resilience and adaptability to ambiguity.
• Experience with one or more of the following would be a strong plus, particularly in a CDR or biochar context: LCA, carbon accounting, financial modelling, TEA, MRV plans, or environmental impact assessments.

Values

The key components of the 14,000x mindset are:

• Ownership mentality: We relish autonomy and we create it for others. We are deeply curious and thrive on understanding the root cause of complex problems. We take ownership over our own and our team's development by giving and soliciting direct and actionable feedback.
• Move fast: We identify the most important problems to solve and cut everything else. We test ideas early so we don't waste time on dead ends. We default to action and deliver awesome results.
• Radiate positive energy: We come to problems with energy and passion. We nurture new ideas and engage positively in testing them. We inspire our colleagues to go further and are resilient to setbacks. We recharge by taking time off. We are here for a great day, not a long day.
• Communicate proactively: We communicate simply and directly. We broadcast updates, insights and lessons learned, especially when things haven't gone to plan. We give as much context as possible so our teammates can make great decisions.

Diversity and Inclusion

We have been committed to building an inclusive and diverse workplace since day one. We're the only company I've seen with a 50:50 gender balanced list of investors and our day-to-day processes are always defined with D&I in mind, for example our remote first policy and flexibility around working time. We welcome applicants with lived experience across these issues and encourage individuals underrepresented in the climate and tech space to apply.

UK Sponsorship & Applicants outside the UK

• UK Work Sponsorship: Unfortunately, at this stage of our growth, we are unable to offer UK sponsorship to applicants.
• Candidates who live outside the UK who are not looking to live and work in the UK, are within 3 hours of the GMT/BST timezone and are willing to travel to London quarterly are encouraged to apply. Please note we will use an Employer of Record arrangement in these circumstances.

Benefits

• Basic salary: £50,000-£62,500 per annum, dependent on experience
• Annual leave: unlimited
• One company-wide day off on the first Friday of every month
• Pension: 3% employer contribution when matched by 5% employee contribution
• Hybrid working: remote first with the option to work from our London co-working space 1-2 days per week
• Other benefits: £1,000 annual wellbeing allowance and working-from-home equipment budget up to £500
• Monthly company socials in London
• Purchase high quality carbon removal offsets for your personal emissions from our inventory