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 build climate change mitigation strategies and develop solutions that enable the private sector to fulfill its role in advancing a net zero world. The Net Zero Climate Services team helps companies build effective climate change mitigation strategies, achieve scope 3 emissions goals, and ensure their actions and reporting are aligned with best practices and standards in GHG accounting.

The Senior Program Officer will work with clients in the Food and Agriculture sector to unlock billions of dollars to finance emission reduction and removals projects that contribute to keeping global warming to 1.5 Celsius. In this role, you will provide technical advice on GHG emissions accounting and decarbonization strategies in agricultural supply chains. You will work collaboratively with clients to identify decarbonization opportunities and ensure adherence to GHG calculation methodologies, including the draft Greenhouse Gas Protocol Land Sector & Removals Guidance and Science Based Targets initiative's Forest, Land, and Agriculture Guidance. When climate accounting and target setting standards are vague, this role will identify these areas of uncertainty and propose no-regrets approaches to support Winrock clients to innovatively take the most ambitious pathway that benefits climate, nature and people. You will work with some of the most influential companies in the world. Past and current Winrock clients include Nestle, McCormick, and Microsoft.

Experience in the food, land and agriculture sectors is required for this position. Experience in commodity decarbonization and Greenhouse Gas accounting in tropical crops like cocoa, sucrose, and palm oil is preferred. Additionally, an up-to-date understanding is required of the current state of how companies reduce Scope 3 emissions while being in compliance with Science-Based Targets initiative standards.

This position may be based remotely within the United States but is expected to work US East Coast hours (EST). 

Position role: 

Supports the Manager, Net Zero Climate Services to help clients achieve their climate mitigation strategies with a focus on decarbonization of a company’ value chain emissions (Scopes 1, 2, and 3). Potential responsibilities are likely to include:  

• Supporting interactions with clients, primarily in presenting updates or deliverables and conducting research to confidently answer client questions.  
• Modeling GHG emissions reductions and removals in agricultural commodities to inform decarbonization strategies
• Developing knowledge products and training materials related to GHG mitigation in agriculture to ensure the technical rigor and credibility of GHG mitigation strategies, in alignment with key industry standards.
• Tracking and managing a pipeline of technical advisory requests on carbon accounting and decarbonization strategies for clients.
• Conducting desk research and preparing PowerPoint presentations, reports, memoranda, and other communication materials. 
• Completing tasks in fast-paced and self-motivated environment in a timely and efficient manner. 
• Leading and/or supporting workplan development and new business proposals.  
• Working with small teams to prepare high-quality products, pitching in wherever necessary and providing guidance and leadership. 
  
  

Skills and Requirements:  

Having many of the following skills:  

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required 
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in food systems and GHG accounting for land sector required. Additional years of experience are strongly preferred.
• Industry/sector understanding of GHG profiles and potential mitigation strategies for one or more of the following commodities:
• Palm oil, cocoa, sucrose, Vegetable Fats & Oils, Cereals & Grains
• Team player capable of adapting to ambiguous environments with cross-group collaboration and problem-solving abilities. 
• Working understanding or experience with preparing submissions or reporting against key climate corporate leadership standards (e.g. GHG Protocol Corporate Standard and/or Project Standard, Science-Based Targets Initiative’s standards, the Value Change Initiative).  
• Experience with developing Life-cycle assessments (LCA) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) 
• Fast learning, curious, passionate for uncovering and creating solutions to climate and sustainability problems.  
• Strong written and verbal communication skills are required, including effective public speaking and the ability to communicate complex issues both verbally and in written form 
• Experience leading ore support new business development efforts
  
  

Language: Fluent in English, fluency in another language is a plus as we engage clients globally.  

Travel: Ability to travel internationally and domestically required 

Physical Demands:  

• Typical office environment with continual sitting or standing required. 
• Must be authorized to work within the United States. 
  
  

The pay range for this role is between $95,000 and $105,000 per year depending on level of experience, specialized knowledge in the role and function and business needs.

Winrock offers competitive pay and an excellent benefits package.

Winrock is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people. Winrock recruits, employs, trains, promotes and compensates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law.

At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, innovation, integrity and transformation.

Winrock is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people. Winrock recruits, employs, trains, promotes and compensates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law.