Senior Carbon Specialist
We are strengthening the internal capacity to deliver data-driven, scalable carbon insetting projects, and are hiring for a Senior Carbon Specialist to lead this work across our cocoa supply chains.
You will lead the technical workstream of our insetting strategy: carbon calculations, MRV design, tool development and consultant management, plus business case input for the programme manager and account manager. The primary focus is insetting, though you will also explore offsetting opportunities, leveraging our existing structure and field team to generate additional value for farmers and P&L. field implementation and day-to-day project management stay with origin project coordinators. You will provide the technical backbone and direct field-level support that makes their delivery credible, investable and high-impact. You will work closely with the Agroforestry & Environment programme team, origin sustainability staff and the commercial team.
Key Responsibilities
You design
Essential:
You will lead the technical workstream of our insetting strategy: carbon calculations, MRV design, tool development and consultant management, plus business case input for the programme manager and account manager. The primary focus is insetting, though you will also explore offsetting opportunities, leveraging our existing structure and field team to generate additional value for farmers and P&L. field implementation and day-to-day project management stay with origin project coordinators. You will provide the technical backbone and direct field-level support that makes their delivery credible, investable and high-impact. You will work closely with the Agroforestry & Environment programme team, origin sustainability staff and the commercial team.
Key Responsibilities
You design
- Tools and data systems for carbon emission quantification
- Methodologies and baselines for land-based and agronomic interventions
- MRV frameworks per intervention type: sampling, permanence, certification pathway
- Risk assessments: permanence, leakage, other accounting risks
- PDDs and registration documents for VCM pathways (Puro.earth, Verra, Gold Standard)
- Ex-ante and ex-post carbon calculations
- Business case and pricing model input for insetting and VCM proposals
- Quantifying emission hotspots into costed, prioritised interventions for the commercial team
- Input on monetisation pathways: client premiums, verified inset units, donor grants
- Client-facing GHG footprint reports and Scope 3 documentation
- Technical input on commercial proposals and client inquiries
- Origin support to collect the right field data: sampling protocols, quality, coordination with origin teams
- Capacity building of origin staff on carbon methodology and data collection
- Verification and audit readiness: verifier relationships, registry requirements, technical queries
- Partnerships with NGOs, certification bodies, carbon accounting platforms, technical consultants
- Stakeholder consultation and farmer carbon rights safeguarding
- Track developments in climate science, carbon markets, and standards (LSRG, SBTi FLAG, GHG Protocol)
Essential:
- 5+ years' experience in climate, agriculture, or supply chain sustainability
- Strong knowledge of GHG accounting methodologies: GHG Protocol (corporate and land sector), SBTi FLAG, ISO 14064/14067
- Experience designing carbon insetting and/or offsetting projects, including for clients without existing quantification or verification infrastructure
- Experience preparing for and managing third-party verification or audit processes
- Experience working with data from agricultural field programmes or certification schemes
- Ability to build and communicate commercial business cases for carbon interventions
- Strong project coordination skills, including managing external consultants
- Excellent communication in English; French will be an added advantage
- Experience in cocoa, coffee, or other smallholder-dominated supply chains
- Familiarity with agroforestry and/or regenerative agriculture
- Experience with carbon registries and insetting platforms (e.g. SustainCERT, Verra, Puro.earth, Gold Standard)
- Track record engaging with food and beverage brands or commodity clients on Scope 3 decarbonisation or SBTi FLAG compliance
- Background in environmental economics or sustainability consulting
- Experience with soil carbon, biochar, or other land-based carbon accounting methodologies
- A technical leadership role in a growing carbon insetting programme, working on projects with major chocolate manufacturers
- Direct exposure to the full pathway from implementation to commercial, with high autonomy on technical direction
- Vibrant team in an international environment across Amstelveen and West Africa, with field exposure across origins