INDEPENDANT CONTRACTOR OPPORTUNITY: Project Reviewer

About Verra.

Verra is a global leader helping to tackle the world’s most intractable environmental and social challenges. As a mission-driven non-profit organization, Verra is committed to helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve livelihoods and protect natural resources across the private and public sectors. We support climate action and sustainable development with standards, tools and programs that credibly, transparently and robustly assess environmental and social impacts and enable funding for sustaining and scaling up projects that verifiably deliver these benefits. We work in any arena where we see a need for clear standards, a role for market-based mechanisms, and an opportunity to generate significant environmental and social value.

Verra manages a portfolio of standards, including the:

• Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) -- the world’s leading carbon crediting program, with more than 2000 registered projects in 80 countries, and accounting for two-thirds of all voluntary carbon market transaction volume.
• Sustainable Development Verified Impact Standard (SD VISta) -- a flexible framework for assessing and reporting on the sustainable development benefits of project-based activities.
• Climate, Community & Biodiversity (CCB) Standards -- to identify projects that simultaneously address climate change, support local communities and smallholders, and conserve biodiversity.
• Plastic Waste Reduction Program -- to enable robust impact assessment of new or scaled-up waste recovery and recycling projects around the globe.

INDEPENDANT CONTRACTOR OPPORTUNITY: Project Reviewer 

Location/Time-zone overlap: Remote worldwide, with significant overlap with US business hours for coordination of accepted project reviews. Specific coordination times and delivery deadlines will be mutually agreed for each assignment.

Primary Verra Contact: Portfolio manager for the agriculture portfolio 

Engagement type: Independent contractor providing project review services. This engagement does not provide eligibility for Verra employee benefits, paid leave, or retirement contributions, except as required by applicable law. The written contractor agreement will specify the engagement duration, scope of services, deliverables, payment terms, and each party’s responsibilities.

The Opportunity.   

Verra receives an increasing number of Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) project review requests, particularly under our ICVCM approved methodologies for agriculture portfolio. We are looking for experts to support project reviews under VM0032, VM0042, and VM0051 methodologies to complement our core staff’s review capacity.

 The Role. 

Verra manages the VCS, CCBS, and SD VISta Programs and reviews project registration and verification requests as follows: 

• The project proponent (PP) submits project documents via the Verra Registry and requests registration approval or verification approval. 

• A Verra reviewer assesses the project documents - the project description and validation report for registration requests, or the monitoring report and verification report for verification requests. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the VVB has established that the project complies with all relevant program rules to Verra’s satisfaction. Verra staff produce a project review report, which contains any findings raised by Verra in respect of the project review and Verra’s assessment conclusion (approved, pending resolution of findings, or rejected) (“project review report” (PRR)). 

• Verra staff sends the PRR to the validation/verification body (VVB) and PP. Where there are findings, the PP/VVB must address them and resubmit the project documents after revision. 

• Iteration continues for up to three rounds of findings, at which point the findings need to be closed out if Verra is to approve the registration/verification request. 

For each project review assignment accepted by Contractor (each a “project review” (PR)), the Project Review Contractor (“Contractor”) would perform Steps 2 and 4 of the process above.

Verra will offer PR assignments at its sole discretion; this description does not guarantee a volume of assignments.

Verra will hold an orientation meeting with Contractor covering the PR process, the checklists used in that process, the scope of work, and expectations for deliverables. Contractor will then perform PRs assigned by Verra, applying their technical expertise and professional judgment to meet the applicable review requirements, as follows:

• Verra will notify Contractor by email of a given PR opportunity. 

• The Contractor must reply within one business day if they wish to undertake the work, providing a guarantee that they have no conflict of interest for each review. 

• Verra will promptly provide access and orientation to the Verra Project Hub, where Contractor will find the materials needed for the review.

• Contractor will apply their expertise and professional judgment to assess the project’s conformance with the VCS Program rules.

• Contractor will document their assessment of the project in the PRR template according to agreed timelines. 

 The minimum time commitment is 16 hours per week.  

Our Team. 

As a Project Review contractor, you will collaborate with the expert members of Verra’s Certification review team.  

• Verrans come from diverse locations and backgrounds, and include carbon market experts, project developers, consultants, climate negotiators, researchers, and auditors. 

• We are committed to driving finance at scale to projects and programs that advance climate action and sustainable development through high-quality standards and programs.  

What we’d like to see. 

• Deep technical expertise in one or more of the following methodologies; VM0032, VM0042, VM0051.

• Experience having worked with the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).

• Experience in carbon project development, auditing, and/or standard setting. 

• Experience in the evaluation of sustainable development and/or biodiversity and community issues. 

• As a global organization based in the US, we’ve adopted English as a standard business language for written and verbal communication.  Ability to communicate clearly in English is crucial for this role. 

Physical Demands 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.  

• The project review services involve close review of documents on a computer, creating close-vision requirements.

Work Environment 

The work environment characteristics described below relate to providing the project review services under this engagement.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals

with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  

• Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period.  

• Access to reliable Wi-fi with a distraction-free workspace.  

Working  with Verra. 

Verra is a global leader helping to tackle the world’s most intractable environmental and social challenges. As a mission-driven non-profit organization, Verra is committed to helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve livelihoods, and protect natural resources across the private and public sectors. 

This engagement involves delivering project review services in collaboration with remote teams from diverse countries. Verra’s culture of flexibility and autonomy supports that collaboration.

Payment for this contractor engagement is based on deliverables, rather than an employee salary. Payments are made upon Verra’s satisfactory receipt of deliverables and an invoice from Contractor, according to the following schedule:

How to Apply. 

Verra provides equal opportunity for all applicants for this contractor engagement and is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination. As such, we conduct recruitment and contractor selection without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, and local law.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform crucial job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact humanresources@verra.org to request accommodation.