The Director of Agriculture GHG Markets is responsible for strategy development and implementation of our work to create opportunities for farmers and ranchers to generate GHG reductions and sell credits into offset markets in California and elsewhere. The Director reports to the Senior Director for Working Lands and works in close collaboration with EDF's Climate and Air Program.
Agriculture Greenhouse Gas Strategy
EDF's LWW program envisions an agricultural sector where farmers are paid for producing measurable environmental benefits as a complement to their revenue from production of food fiber and energy. Among the most promising opportunities for farmers in the next five years is the sale of carbon offsets under California's carbon market, set to be launched in 2013. EDF has worked for several years to develop farming practices that generate GHG reductions, accounting systems that quantify these reductions, and policies to allow offsets to be sold on the marketplace. The Director will work closely with EDF's Climate and Air Program to ensure the political and regulatory viability of opening California’s carbon market to high quality agriculture offsets. California’s success will open greater opportunities for agricultural GHG reduction trading in other markets in the US and globally. The Director will shape and implement our three-pronged strategy : 1) development of sound science and rigorous accounting for agriculture carbon offsets; 2) promotion of policies to stimulate agricultural carbon offsets, particularly in California; and 3) strategic communications targeting the agriculture sector, the environmental community, the offset buyer community, regulated companies, regulatory agencies and other key decision makers.
Beyond California, the Director will identify, evaluate and pursue other opportunities to create incentives in agriculture for GHG reductions including potential for federal policy and partnerships with entities in the food and energy supply chain (e.g. Walmart, Sustainability Consortium, Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops).
Key Responsibilities
- Manage a team consisting of EDF staff and consultants. The team includes project managers, technical, policy and communications experts.
- Manage a growing budget (currently approximately $1.6 million annually) including efficient management of multiple external contracts and funding sources. Work effectively with EDF finance staff to ensure accountability to budget.
- Assist LWW leadership in fundraising including donor cultivation, grant writing and grant reporting.
- Collaborate with other LWW staff seeking to create additional environmental markets and incentive-based opportunities to improve environmental stewardship on America's working farms ranches and forestland.
- Be a champion both externally and internally for Agriculture's role in mitigating climate change.
- Participate on a selection of external advisory board/councils and steering committees.
- In close collaboration with EDF's communications and marketing experts, manage strategic communications to ensure support in multiple communities for agricultural offsets, carbon trading, and agriculture's unique role in mitigating climate change in the US and elsewhere.
Qualifications/Requirements
- Advanced degree in law, economics/policy, natural resource management, or science. A self-starter with the ability to think strategically and the initiative to work effectively functioning as part of a national program team
- At least ten years experience in natural resource management, policy or advocacy.
- Proven management experience overseeing professional and assistant staff, including performance assessment, goal-setting, budget management, and strategic deployment of staff and resources
- Understanding of technical issues in agriculture and climate science and ability to translate technical topics to lay audiences in ways that transfer understanding and public policy implications.
- Demonstrated experience in policy advocacy and strategic communications.
- Outstanding leadership abilities
- Ability to work creatively and flexibly with a wide range of people including landowners, agency staff, environmentalists, and corporate managers.
- Excellent research, writing and presentation skills.
- Expertise in carbon markets and other markets for ecosystem services.
- Understanding of legislative and regulatory processes
- Demonstrated ability to work independently
Due to the volume of employment applications and queries received, EDF is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate.
Environmental Defense Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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