Commercial Associate Director, LATAM

South Pole is an energetic, global company offering comprehensive sustainability solutions and services. With offices spanning all continents across the globe, we strive to create a sustainable society and economy that positively impacts our climate, ecosystems and developing communities. With our solutions, we inspire and enable our customers to create value from sustainability-related activities.

Our Project Sourcing team works hand in hand with project owners and developers, active in the carbon markets and renewable energy space, to identify, negotiate and contract new emission reduction projects. By acquiring new projects within our portfolio, we ensure that South Pole always has the right mix of carbon credits available to meet the demands of our clients. If you’re an ambitious and dynamic sustainability professional with a strong passion to make a real difference in the fight against climate change, this position may be right for you!

Job summary:

As part of the Climate Projects business line, the Commercial Associate Director will report to the Regional Director for LATAM, and will lead the commercial area of Latin America, responsible for business development and the coordination of Nature Based Solutions (REDD+, Reforestation/Afforestation, Improved Forest Management, Wetlands Restoration and Conservation, Agriculture, etc.) and Sustainable Technologies project origination activities in the region. Furthermore, the Commercial Associate Director will manage commercial relationships with project partners in the company’s project portfolio, and will be in charge of coordinating and guiding the investment unit in LATAM in the identification of investment opportunities in the region.

The Commercial Associate Director will work closely with other teams within the Climate Projects business line, allowing a global and regional perspective on climate finance and sustainability, as well as ensuring best practices in carbon asset development, effective talent management and development and capacity to lead South Pole’s expansion to new countries and/or modalities of the carbon market sphere. This is an externally facing position that will require experience in carbon markets, strong networking and commercial skills, as well as management and team leadership talents.

Main tasks & responsibilities:

• Lead and coordinate project origination activities for the issuance of Verified Emission Reductions (VER), RECs, biodiversity credits, plastic credits and others coming from Nature Based Solutions and Sustainable Technologies

• Ensure that project sourcing activities flow and processes (including documentation and interaction with other teams) are in line with the company guidelines

• Develop and maintain our global sourcing database, ensuring that information regarding project leads and opportunities are well recorded,updated and analyzed

• Support coordination and collaboration with other teams within South Pole globally, particularly the technology strategy leads, with regards to project leads and opportunities

• Lead and coordinate research relevant to new market opportunities, project leads, project developers, project owners, relevant regulatory regimes/policies in the Latin American region, including Article 6 and compliance markets where applicable

• When relevant, attend meetings/seminars/workshops/events that are strategic for sourcing team activities and networking

• Lead and coordinate the investment unit in LATAM for the identification and generation of investment opportunities in the region that are in line with the company’s corporate investment guidelines

• Design and implement the climate project’s commercial strategy for the company in Latin America

• Design and implement management systems that are needed for the efficiency and effectiveness of the commercial team in LATAM

• Provide leadership, mentoring, and effective guidance to the commercial team in the region to ensure effective sourcing activities, coordination and fast adaptability to the changing market conditions

• Ensure adequate coordination and engagement with the operational areas of the LATAM region (technical, legal, finance, operations, etc.), as well as other business lines to design and implement processes that allow South Pole accomplish its goals effectively

• Ensure adequate and timely financial and risk assessment of new sourcing opportunities for projects at risk or under any other commercial modality accepted by the company 

• Support the Regional Director to ensure top performance of the region’s portfolio while meeting company targets. This includes participating in regular meetings, enhancing decision-making criteria and processes, providing constructive feedback, and supporting the development of optimum team structures and talented/ambitious project managers

• Lead recruitment and performance review processes for the NBS Technical team

Requirements:

Essential -

• University degree in Economics, Finance, Environmental Sustainability, Business Administration, Law or similar

• Extensive experience on carbon markets (compliance/voluntary), experience in environmental project assessment/development, ideally in in the LATAM region or an international environment

• Several years of relevant experience managing medium to large sized teams

• Demonstrated commercial skills through proven experience in engaging with external stakeholders and networking activities

• Excellent understanding of commercial terms, financial frameworks, contracts, sales and negotiation

• Understanding of carbon market trends, policy and technologies

• Professional proficiency in Spanish and English, both written and spoken

Desirable -

• Knowledge of carbon asset development, standards, climate finance and project development

• Experience and interest in creating and maintaining networks in multiple settings and countries

• Experience in project pre-feasibility and risk assessment and screening

• Financial and resource planning and management experience

• Knowledge of project development in the Latin American region and specifically low-carbon technologies, including renewable energy, household and plastics projects, REDD+, sustainable agriculture, technical removals, methane-reduction technologies, among others

• Team player and leader that promotes a supportive and collaborative working culture with an international and multicultural team

• Proficiency with MS Office, especially MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Salesforce and all the Google Suite applications

• Adaptability and versatility to respond quickly to the changing market conditions.

• Proficiency in Portuguese is a plus

What we offer:

At South Pole, we care about our employees as much as we care about the planet. South Pole is not just an employer, we are a Team. South Pole does not just offer people a job, we offer you a career. By joining our team, you will find strong purpose and deep meaning in everything you do. You will have the chance to make a real difference for our clients and for the planet, working alongside a passionate team of like-minded colleagues, while building your knowledge/skills and developing your career in a fun, dynamic, international and fast-growing organisation. 

We’re a planet of 7.5 billion unique and different people. We all have a contribution to make; South Pole is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status or disability. Our recruitment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.