International Carbon Markets and Climate Mitigation Specialist (Contractor)

Summary:   

The U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Change (OES/EGC) seeks an exceptional candidate to fill a contract position to support our work on international carbon markets. The Office leads U.S. engagement in international negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and other relevant international meetings and bodies.  We shape the development and implementation of climate change initiatives on energy, sustainable landscapes, and adaptation.  Our work is demanding, intellectually challenging, involves substantial international travel, and is done in a fast‐paced and high‐profile environment.   

Responsibilities:  

This position supports OES/EGC in advancing stronger international climate action, particularly climate change mitigation through international carbon markets. OES/EGC seeks an International Carbon Markets Specialist who will advise senior U.S. government officials on issues related to international carbon markets, carbon pricing, and other greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation approaches, including those related to sustainable landscapes and clean energy. The incumbent will support engagements with national government, practitioner, and civil society stakeholders in various forums and multi-stakeholder initiatives. The incumbent will also contribute to the development and operation of initiatives such as the Energy Transition Accelerator and LEAF Coalition, and carbon market-related technical assistance programs. The incumbent will advise and support U.S. officials on negotiations pertaining to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, including helping conduct analyses and stakeholder outreach; developing proposals and informational briefings / memoranda; and participating in relevant meetings, negotiations, and consultations.

The incumbent will also contribute to interagency and multi-stakeholder discussions related to international carbon market procedures and infrastructure design, guidance, best practices, and related programming. To complement this work, the incumbent will also support senior officials by providing policy and programming input related to a broader set of mitigation opportunities, including those related to sustainable landscapes. The incumbent will help assess potential programming, contribute to policy deliberations, provide technical input on carbon market- related aspects of sustainable landscapes-related work, and participate in relevant meetings, partnerships, and stakeholder engagements. The incumbent will contribute to efforts to support partners in developing and implementing nationally determined contributions, mid-century strategies, and other climate targets. Furthermore, the incumbent will support U.S. participation in international climate change negotiations to further U.S. climate change goals in the UNFCCC and other multilateral and bilateral fora, including on topics related to sustainable landscapes, mitigation, carbon markets, carbon pricing, and climate finance.

Qualifications:  

• Master’s Degree in International Relations, Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Public Policy, Economics, Business, Communications, or other relevant field.
• Five (5) or more years of work experience in international development, climate change mitigation and/or adaptation, carbon markets, environmental policy, sustainable development, global affairs, project management, and/or public policy.
• Experience with climate issues in fora such as the UNFCCC and ICAO.
• History of supporting carbon market programs and projects, ideally in a diverse set of countries
• Experience in supporting multi-disciplined teams, providing timely support to high-level officials and/or top executives, and cooperating across organizational units and agencies.
• Experience in collaborating with implementing partners to capture and interpret results to document successful outcomes.
• Strong interpersonal and oral communication skills and the ability to write clearly and succinctly under time pressure in a wide range of formats.
• Ability to work under pressure with short deadlines.
• Strong organizational and teamwork skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to learn quickly the complex organizational structure of the Office of Global Change and its relationships with other State Department offices and federal agencies.
• Ability to solve problems working independently or with others.
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Experience in successfully managing high-profile projects, programs, and initiatives, executing multiple tasks, and coordinating activities in multiple locations.
• Ability to act decisively in daily work and work well in a multi-cultural team environment, including commitment to and comportment in line with principles of equal employment opportunity, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and computer skills.
• Ability to assess priorities and manage daily coordination of details with minimal supervision.
• Ability to think strategically and practically to achieve organizational objectives.
• Ability to secure a Secret level security clearance.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.

This is contract position roughly equivalent to a GS-13, depending on experience and qualifications. As such, there is no corresponding USAJOBS announcement.