The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) is seeking to appoint an experienced Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs & LCs) professional as our IPs & LCs Associate Director, to lead and manage the development and delivery of our IPs & LCs Strategy. The successful candidate will work closely with ICVCM colleagues, Subject Matter Experts, and partners from across the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and IPs & LCs.

To succeed in this role, you will be experienced with the aims, objectives, challenges and opportunities of IPs & LCs in relation to both Climate Change and the Voluntary Carbon Market. Key to this role will be leading and managing the IPs & LCs ICVCM Taskforce and Engagement Forum Secretariat (hosted by ICVCM). You will be responsible for leading and managing the input of IPs & LCs into the future development of ICVCM’s Assessment Framework (including our Continuous Improvement Work Programs) and lead our efforts to promote IPs & LCs rights and the benefits of greater inclusion of IPs & LCs in the VCM. You will establish and lead the IPs & LCs Forum Secretariat to ensure the Forum receives the professional support it requires to achieve its aims and objectives, through the development and delivery of its long-term strategy.

There is considerable opportunity to help shape this role as the Integrity Council grows, and to develop skills across a range of different areas.

Due to the global nature of this role, we will consider candidates from across the world. It is expected that to fulfil this role you will be flexible in the hours you work to ensure engagement with IPs & LCs globally and on average work 3-4 hours daily between 8am and 5pm GMT to ensure you remain in touch with your wider ICVCM colleagues. You will be required to travel globally to attend events and engagement sessions.

Key duties

• To lead and ensure the delivery of ICVCM’s IPs & LCs strategy, in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.

• To lead the development and day to day management of the ICVCM IPs & LCs team

• To develop and manage strategic and delivery partnerships with individuals and organisations across Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, voluntary carbon market representatives and funders.
• To lead on the delivery of successful funding applications to support both ICVCM’s and the IPs & LCs Engagement Forums activity

• To support the VCM IPs & LCs Engagement and Advocacy Forum in achieving its strategic objectives, through the development and management of the Forum Secretariat and the provision of professional and expert support

• To represent ICVCM at events globally, such as presenting and speaking

• To ensure that all required consultation and engagement events are planned and delivered

• To coordinate IPs & LCs engagement and inclusion in all elements of ICVCM’s work

• To work with our IPs & LCs Governing Board and Expert Panel members to ensure they receive the support they require

Essential experience

• Extensive experience of working within or for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities globally, ideally in the context of Carbon Markets or Climate Science

• Experience championing IPs & LCs rights and challenges, and the opportunities that the VCM can offer

• Experience of securing funding opportunities and writing successful funding applications

• Extensive experience of partnership development and management
  Extensive experience managing a diverse range of stakeholders

• Experience of strategy and policy development

• Experience of developing and leading a high performing team

• Knowledge of relevant international and national policy for IPs & LCs and ideally the VCM

Desirable Experience

• Experience working in carbon markets

• Experience working in a start-up environment and in a small team.

• Experience working in an international context and/or across multi-agency project teams

Skills, Abilities & Attributes

• To be able to speak and write fluently in English (essential), and in other languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, French, Bahasa, Mandarin, Arabic etc. (desirable)

• A strong interest and experience in IPs & LCs rights, challenges and opportunities

• Highly developed stakeholder management skills

• Great interpersonal skills & relationship management

• The ability to pull together competing stakeholder views into a strategy which delivers shared overall objectives

• Highly developed diplomacy skills

• Strong coordination and organisation skills - balancing competing priorities to meet deadlines

• Knowledge of carbon markets and a keen interest in action to tackle climate change

• Excellent written and oral communication skills

• Strong independent work ethic - ability to flourish and be highly productive in a dynamic and demanding work environment as a member of a high-performing, globally distributed team

• Adaptable and comfortable working in a fast-paced, agile, start-up environment

• Discretion and confidentiality