Director, Carbon Program Implementation

Position Overview

• Perennial is building high-integrity agricultural carbon and sustainability programs designed to withstand the highest levels of scrutiny. As Director of Carbon Program Implementation, you will serve as Perennial’s internal authority on carbon methodology interpretation and real-world implementation. This role requires translation of registry requirements into defensible project designs that ensure projects move successfully through validation and verification. The Director of Carbon Program Implementation will help shape Perennial’s long-term strategy and leadership in the voluntary carbon market (VCM).

What You'll Own

• The position has three core responsibilities: (1) project design and registration, (2) ensuring a culture of methodological rigor across Perennial, and (3) leadership in the VCM.


1. Lead high-integrity project design and registration: take responsibility for end-to-end methodological integrity of Perennial’s soil carbon programs.
• Lead the design and registration of agricultural soil carbon projects under established and emerging voluntary carbon standards (e.g., VCS, SOCIALCARBON, Climate Action Reserve).
• Interpret Agricultural Land Management methodologies (e.g., VM0042, VM0032, SCM005) and translate requirements into executable implementation strategies.
• Design and oversee soil carbon sampling and GHG data collection strategies.
• Prepare, review, and defend Project Design Documents and supporting documentation.
• Engage directly with validation and verification bodies throughout validation and verification processes, including responding to findings and corrective action requests.
• Support customer-facing discussions involving technical and regulatory complexity, balancing integrity, cost efficiency, and scalability.


2. Methodological rigor across Perennial: ensure that methodological excellence is integrated into Perennial’s systems, products, and growth strategy.
• Integrate evolving registry and methodology requirements into Perennial’s product offerings, workflows, and implementation processes.
• Develop internal standards, documentation, and audit-ready processes that promote consistency and defensibility.
• Provide internal training and guidance to build organizational capacity around methodology interpretation and compliance.
• Advise business development and leadership on the strategic fit, risk profile, and integrity implications of new opportunities.
• Stay ahead of evolving integrity frameworks, registry updates, and market expectations.


3. Shape Perennial’s leadership in the voluntary carbon market: position Perennial as a thoughtful, credible leader in high-integrity carbon markets.
• Represent Perennial in registry working groups and industry forums.
• Engage in methodology development, revisions, and public comment processes.
• Help shape Perennial’s registry engagement strategy and long-term positioning.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with registries, validators, and ecosystem leaders.

What You'll Bring

• > 3 years of experience in carbon project development, methodologies, or standards.
• Direct experience leading or materially contributing to the registration of agricultural soil carbon projects in the voluntary carbon market.
• Demonstrated expertise with VCS ALM methodologies, especially VM0042 and/or VM0032, and the ability to translate methodology language into defensible implementation strategies.
• Strong working knowledge of registry rules, eligibility requirements, and core project components.
• Experience engaging validation and verification bodies across the project lifecycle, including responding to findings and corrective action requests.
• Experience designing statistically robust soil carbon sampling plans and/or related sampling and field measurement strategies.
• Strong written communication skills, including preparation of project documentation, and the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Strong understanding of voluntary carbon market integrity frameworks, buyer scrutiny, and where the market is heading.

What Will Make You Stand Out

• Familiarity with digital soil mapping, geostatistics, and/or uncertainty quantification.
• Experience with biogeochemical models (e.g., DayCent, DNDC, SALUS).
• Familiarity with VCS tools and adjacent standards (e.g., VT0014, SOCIALCARBON, Gold Standard, CAR SEP, GHG Protocol/LSRS).
• Existing relationships with voluntary carbon market registries, validation and verification bodies, and/or major project developers.

Why You'll Love Working Here

• We live by our Core Values. Speak your truths, welcome new voices. Celebrate your successes, own your mistakes. Solve important problems. Invest in each other. Build for the future .Get your hands dirty!
• We challenge the status quo. We’re a group of people who want to create the changes we hope to see in the world. See some of our recent press about the problems we’re committed to solving. 
• We invest in your life. We want to provide you with resources to meet your needs both in and outside of work. We offer generous PTO, health, vision, dental, 401k, and HSA benefits and a fully stocked kitchen to keep your mind sharp throughout the day.
• We want you to grow. We are a team that supports each others’ professional and intellectual growth. You’ll have access to regular opportunities to learn from teammates and invest in your professional development.
• We offer competitive compensation packages. Our team is our most valuable asset. We want everyone who works for us to feel fairly compensated for the impact they bring to our mission. The team member in this role can expect a starting salary in the range of USD $120,000-$170,000 (commensurate with experience and location), along with equity in the company.
• Perennial is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate and embrace diversity and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and skills. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.