Director of Climate and Restoration

Are you an experienced climate and restoration leader ready to shape strategy and turn it into practical results? Do you enjoy developing services, building partnerships and bringing international teams together around shared goals? If so, this role could be the right fit for you.

What you can expect:

Preferred by Nature is looking for a Director of Climate and Restoration to lead our Climate and Restoration Programme within the Sustainability Certification division and coordinate climate and restoration work across our Advisory, Certification and Projects divisions.

Reporting to the Sustainability Certification Director, you will combine strategic and technical leadership with programme management, service development and external engagement. Our certification programme currently covers carbon project validation and verification, ecosystem restoration services, and verification of organisational and product carbon footprints. You will help this portfolio evolve in response to climate science, standards, regulation and market needs.

You will also lead our Climate Impact initiative, translating our ambition to build a strong portfolio of mitigation and adaptation services by 2028 into coordinated workplans and measurable progress.

Working with us is never routine, so in your first year you can expect the following areas to be central to your work.

• Lead the Climate and Restoration Programme, ensuring effective service delivery and progress towards financial and impact targets.

• Shape organisation-wide priorities for climate and restoration, aligning services, projects and expertise across divisions and regions.

• Develop services and delivery approaches that respond to stakeholder needs and create meaningful environmental and social impact.

• Oversee the systems, tools, templates and technical guidance needed for accreditation and credible service delivery.

• Build strategic relationships with clients, companies, NGOs, governments, donors, producers and assurance schemes.

• Identify and pursue business development, partnership and fundraising opportunities.

• Represent Preferred by Nature in conferences, technical networks, industry initiatives and other external forums.

• Lead and develop your team through clear priorities, capacity planning, regular feedback and professional development.

• Contribute to strategic planning, programme budgets, financial monitoring and reporting.

Your first year with us:
Within three months, you will:

• Develop a clear understanding of our climate and restoration portfolio, team capabilities, accreditation requirements and current commitments.

• Build working relationships with colleagues across Certification, Advisory, Projects and regional teams, alongside key external stakeholders.

• Review the Climate Impact roadmap and identify priorities, dependencies and opportunities for coordinated action.

Within six months, you will:

• Translate agreed strategic priorities into workplans with clear responsibilities, resource needs and progress measures.

• Work with relevant teams to advance priority service development, partnership and market engagement opportunities.

• Establish regular programme reviews covering delivery quality, financial performance, impact and team capacity.

• Put development priorities and training plans in place for your team.

Within twelve months, you will:

• Demonstrate progress against the agreed Climate Impact workplan and programme objectives.

• Have advanced priority services or partnerships that strengthen Preferred by Nature’s climate and restoration portfolio.

• Strengthen coordination across divisions, with clear ownership and effective use of technical expertise.

• Provide recommendations for the next planning cycle based on programme results, market developments and lessons learned.

Important that you:

• Have at least 10 years of relevant professional experience, including substantial experience in senior leadership, programme development, stakeholder engagement and climate or restoration services.

• Bring deep knowledge of climate mitigation, carbon markets, ecosystem restoration and related policy, market and regulatory developments.

• Have a proven ability to set strategic direction and lead complex initiatives across multiple teams and stakeholder groups.

• Can build alignment and deliver results in an international organisation where colleagues work across different functions and reporting lines.

• Have experience developing strategic partnerships and identifying opportunities that support organisational impact and growth.

• Bring professional credibility in the climate, carbon, restoration or wider sustainability sector, including experience representing an organisation in senior external forums.

• Understand business development and fundraising, and have experience contributing to budgets and financial management.

• Can lead and develop people, support teams through change and encourage collaboration, learning and accountability.

• Combine an entrepreneurial approach with practical judgement and a focus on measurable results.

• Share Preferred by Nature’s commitment to positive environmental and social impact.

Would also be great, but not necessary, if you:

• Have worked across several areas of our current portfolio, such as carbon project validation and verification, ecosystem restoration, and organisational or product carbon footprints.

• Have experience connecting assurance services, advisory work and project delivery within a shared organisational strategy.

If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you!

What Sets Us Apart:

• Global work culture

• High degree of flexibility – remote work, work from home.

• An in-depth onboarding and professional training that prepares you with the right skills and knowledge to thrive in this role.

• Excellent opportunities for growth and professional development

• Potential future international travel opportunities

• A friendly, international team of colleagues, with a pleasant work environment

• Start with 20 days of vacation leave per year

Preferred by Nature

Preferred by Nature is a non-profit, mission-driven organisation that works for sustainable land management and climate-friendly solutions. We develop practical solutions to drive positive impacts in production landscapes and supply chains, supporting better land management and business practices that benefit people, nature and the climate.

How to apply:

If you feel you meet the requirements of the role, please submit your application, including salary expectations, via the application form below. Application pre-screening will be conducted during the application period.

Preferred by Nature wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.