Senior Program Officer, Net Zero Climate Services (Food, Land, and Agriculture)

ZipRecruiter; Arlington (TX); Remote; USD 95,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in climate services is looking for a Senior Program Officer to guide clients in the Food and Agriculture sector towards achieving net zero emissions goals. With a focus on GHG emissions accounting and innovative decarbonization strategies, this role is crucial for unlocking funding and ensuring compliance with climate standards while working with influential companies like Nestlé and Microsoft.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in food systems and GHG accounting.
• Up-to-date knowledge of Scope 3 emissions reduction.
• Fluency in English required; additional languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support client interactions and present updates.
• Model GHG emissions reductions in agricultural commodities.
• Develop training materials on GHG mitigation.

Skills

GHG emissions accounting

Decarbonization strategies

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Team player

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

GHG Protocol

Life-cycle assessments (LCA)

Environmental Product Declarations (EPD)

Job description

Senior Program Officer, Net Zero Climate Services (Food, Land, and Agriculture)

Position summary:

Winrock's Net Zero Climate Services team empowers businesses and investors to develop climate change mitigation strategies and solutions that enable the private sector to contribute to a net zero world. The team assists companies in building effective climate mitigation strategies, achieving scope 3 emissions goals, and aligning actions and reporting with best practices and standards in GHG accounting.

The Senior Program Officer will work with clients in the Food and Agriculture sector to unlock funding for emission reduction and removal projects supporting the 1.5°C global warming limit. Responsibilities include providing technical advice on GHG emissions accounting and decarbonization strategies in agricultural supply chains, identifying decarbonization opportunities, and ensuring compliance with GHG calculation methodologies such as the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Land Sector & Removals Guidance and Science Based Targets initiative's Forest, Land, and Agriculture Guidance. The role involves addressing uncertainties in climate accounting standards and proposing innovative, no-regrets approaches to clients, including some of the world's most influential companies like Nestlé, McCormick, and Microsoft.

Experience in the food, land, and agriculture sectors is required, particularly in commodity decarbonization and GHG accounting for tropical crops such as cocoa, sucrose, and palm oil. Up-to-date knowledge of how companies reduce Scope 3 emissions while complying with Science-Based Targets standards is essential.

This position may be remote within the U.S. but requires working hours aligned with US East Coast (EST).

Position responsibilities include:

1. Supporting client interactions, including presenting updates and conducting research.
2. Modeling GHG emissions reductions and removals in agricultural commodities.
3. Developing knowledge products and training materials on GHG mitigation in agriculture.
4. Managing a pipeline of technical advisory requests.
5. Preparing research, reports, presentations, and communication materials.
6. Completing tasks efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
7. Contributing to workplan development and new business proposals.
8. Collaborating with small teams to produce high-quality outputs and providing guidance.

Skills and requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in food systems and GHG accounting for land sectors; additional experience is preferred.
• Understanding of GHG profiles and mitigation strategies for commodities like palm oil, cocoa, sucrose, vegetable fats & oils, cereals, and grains.
• Team player with adaptability and problem-solving skills in ambiguous environments.
• Experience with climate reporting standards such as GHG Protocol and Science-Based Targets.
• Experience with Life-cycle assessments (LCA) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD).
• Curious, solution-oriented, with strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Experience supporting new business development.

Fluency in English required; additional languages are a plus. Ability to travel domestically and internationally is necessary.

Physical and work environment:

• Office environment with typical sitting or standing requirements.
• Authorized to work in the U.S.

The salary range is $95,000 to $105,000 annually, depending on experience, knowledge, and business needs. Winrock offers competitive pay and benefits.

Winrock is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion. We promote employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or other protected status.

Our mission is to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources through accountability, equity, innovation, integrity, and transformation.