Officer, Registry Operations

Position Title:            Officer, Registry Operations 

location:                   U.S. remote, Arlington, VA or Little Rock, AR

BUSINESS UNIT:            ACR, within Environmental Resources Trust (ERT)

REPORTS TO:                      Director, Registry Operations

GENERAL

ACR is an internationally recognized carbon crediting program that operates in global compliance and voluntary carbon markets. A nonprofit enterprise of Winrock International, ACR was founded in 1996 as the first private greenhouse gas (GHG) registry in the world with the mission of harnessing the power of markets to improve the environment. ACR brings more than two decades of unparalleled experience in development of rigorous and science-based methodologies and carbon accounting standards, as well as operational experience in the oversight of high-quality GHG project listing, verification, registration, issuance, serialization, and on-line retirement reporting.

ACR operates as an independent carbon credit standards body and registry, as well as an approved Offset Project Registry (OPR) for the California cap-and-trade program and Washington State cap-and-invest program. The Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART), for which Winrock serves as the Secretariat, is also operated by Environmental Resources Trust (ERT). ART is emerging as the leading global standard for jurisdictional REDD+ and anticipates increased market activity after issuing the inaugural credits in 2022.

ACR and ART are approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to supply emission reduction and removals credits to airlines for use towards their obligations under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). As a result of our commitment to ensure no double counting with the Paris Agreement, ACR and ART were the first (and currently the only) crediting programs approved by ICAO to supply post-2020 credits for the 2021-2023 CORSIA period as well as for the first CORSIA compliance period 2024-2026. Both are positioned for roles in new compliance offset markets in other U.S. states and under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, as well as increased prominence in the global voluntary carbon market.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Officer is an operations and client services role within ACR, contributing to all aspects of registry services management, including but not limited to sharing information with clients and colleagues on the California and Washington programs, ICAO CORSIA requirements, and ACR Standard and policies to ensure that GHG projects move through the Registry process efficiently, while ensuring regulatory compliance and technical rigor and quality.

The position will engage daily with ACR's critical registry platform infrastructure, as well as its corresponding processes and policies across the unit. The successful candidate may also support registry platform infrastructure related to other ERT programs as needed. They will contribute to the maintenance and development of operational processes ensuring the integrity of the carbon credits issued and transacted. The position will advise ACR technical staff as needed during the review and approval of GHG project listing applications, data reporting and verification documents across markets (California, Washington, ICAO, voluntary), will instruct the team on infrastructure functionality developments, and will facilitate ACR users on use of the registry as needed. This position will also enhance ACR's growth by supporting strategic collaborations in target markets.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support ACR staff's and ACR users' use of the registry during GHG project listing, validation/verification, and credit issuance and transaction processes.
• Review project data and documents submitted to the registry for accuracy and completeness prior to credit issuance.
• Support the review process for new account holders on the registry, including know your customer (KYC) and providing onboarding assistance.
• Help maintain and update ACR policy and template documents for use by ACR users and staff.
• Support ACR's engagement with its registry service provider. Participate in regularly scheduled meetings to track ACR's development needs and outcomes. Communicate as needed with the registry service provider to address any issues or questions that arise.
• Learn, test, troubleshoot and be able to teach the functionality of ACR's registry system.
• Track relevant developments in the ACR and compliance offset programs, including publication of new methodologies and approval of new Validation/Verification Bodies to ensure the registry's functionality is in alignment.
• Think creatively and practically about opportunities to improve registry service.
• Answer account holder questions regarding invoicing.
• Assist and provide background information in response to general new business inquiries via email and phone.
• Assist with ongoing management of registry datasets.
• Contribute to the development of analyses, presentations, and outreach materials to support ACR operations and strategic business development opportunities for the registry to connect to emerging carbon markets and platforms.

QUALIFICATIONS AND BACKGROUND

Education:          Bachelor's degree required. Advanced degree in Environmental Sciences / Policy, GHG Accounting, Systems Engineering, Operations, Computer Science, or related field a plus.

Experience:     At least3 years of business, government, or non-profit experience. Experience in customer support, systems organization, or environmental markets preferred.   

Desired Skills:  

• Strong organizational, analytical and systems thinking skills and a willingness to learn on the job.
• Detail oriented.
• Demonstrated project management ability, including tracking and meeting deadlines, and reporting for multiple activities and clients.
• Ability to work independently and manage workflow effectively for multiple tasks.
• Ability to consistently interact with others in a professional, courteous, and tactful manner, maintain a positive attitude, and work effectively in a team setting.
• Demonstration of high level of client service, including thorough and timely responses to client and partner inquiries.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, impeccable integrity and trustworthiness, and a diplomatic approach to problem solving.
• Expertise with Microsoft Office suite. Database experience a plus.
• Willingness to write, edit, and format documents and email correspondence.
• Ability to meticulously review and provide substantive feedback on datasets and documents.
• Strong speaking, presentation, and written communication skills.
• Fluency in spoken and written English is required. Fluency in one or more additional languages is an asset.

Other:                   Must be available to travel domestically 1-3 times per year for short-term assignments. Commitment to Winrock's mission and interest in market-based approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions required. Candidate must be comfortable working in a flexible, high-paced environment and able to work well in teams as well as independently. U.S. citizen or work permit required.

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 and value diversity and inclusiveness. Winrock recruits, employs, trains, promotes and compensates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, 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 knows that its success comes from the hard work and steadfast dedication of its diverse workforce. Winrock remains committed to maintaining diversity, inclusion and equity across the entire organization