Extension Professional (Open Rank) - Program Manager, Carbon Market Partnerships and Initiatives

Overview

Georgia Tech prides itself on its technological resources, collaborations, high-quality student body, and its commitment to building an outstanding and diverse community of learning, discovery, and creation. We strongly encourage applicants whose values align with our institutional values, as outlined in our Strategic Plan. These values include academic excellence, diversity of thought and experience, inquiry and innovation, collaboration and community, and ethical behavior and stewardship. Georgia Tech has policies to promote a healthy work-life balance and is aware that attracting faculty may require meeting the needs of two careers.

About Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with numerous economic and cultural strengths. The Institute serves more than 45,000 students through top-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech's faculty attracted more than $1.4 billion in research awards this past year in fields ranging from biomedical technology to artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, semiconductors, neuroscience, and national security. Georgia Tech ranks among the nation's top 20 universities for research and development spending and No. 1 among institutions without a medical school.

Georgia Tech's Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do:

1. Students are our top priority.
2. We strive for excellence.
3. We thrive on diversity.
4. We celebrate collaboration.
5. We champion innovation.
6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
8. We act ethically.
9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

About The Scheller College of Business

The Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business is anchored within the Georgia Institute of Technology's Scheller College of Business, supporting its vision of being a global leader in education, research, and inclusive innovation to advance business and improve the human condition. The Center empowers the leaders of tomorrow to create sustainable businesses and communities. Our mission is to create and share the knowledge that current and future leaders depend on to drive innovation and to integrate sustainability into their organizations and communities. We act as a catalyst and connector, bringing together students, research faculty, companies, and entrepreneurs to create an environment where business-driven solutions to sustainability challenges can take shape and thrive. The Center is named in honor of sustainable business visionary and Georgia Tech alumnus Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011). Ray believed that when done right, business could be a force for good in the world. We are honored to continue his legacy by educating the Ray Andersons of tomorrow.

For more information on the Center, please visit http://acsb.scheller.gatech.edu.

The Drawdown Georgia Business Compact is a statewide business consortium managed by the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business that builds on foundational research into high impact decarbonization pathways. The Business Compact brings together the business community for collective action to decarbonize Georgia's economy while elevating equity, increasing economic opportunity, safeguarding environmental quality, and improving community health. It is an inclusive initiative that seeks participation while building on the leadership of businesses headquartered and/or operating in Georgia with net-zero carbon emission targets or similar ambitions.

The Compact creates a platform from which companies may take individual and collective actions to support the state-wide achievement of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business provides foundational support to the Compact through four primary channels:

• Facilitate Collaboration. Develop and implement a process to identify, evaluate, and prioritize opportunities for collaborative action among Compact member-companies and academic, governmental, and nongovernmental partners.
• Catalyze Innovation. Design new and/or collaborate with existing models to inspire and elevate innovative research, ideas, technologies, and enterprises aligned with the Compact commitment.
• Create a Community of Practice. Create a "community of practice" through collective learning experiences, co-produced knowledge and resources, information exchanges, best practices sharing, and peer-to-peer coaching.
• Measure Impact. Gather information and data to measure and report on the impact of collaborative initiatives and progress towards the state-wide target of net-zero carbon emissions.

The geographic scope of the Compact falls within the boundaries of the state of Georgia and targets businesses operating within the state. However, the Compact serves as a strategic platform for the Center to extend its influence and actively contribute to inclusive innovation, decarbonization, and development towards a sustainable and just society.

For more information on the Compact, please visit https://www.drawdowngabusiness.org/.

Atlanta, GA

The Scheller College of Business https://www.scheller.gatech.edu/ at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia invites applications for an Extension Professional starting in fall 2024. Through the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact (Compact), and in partnership with the Georgia Forestry Foundation (GFF) and University of Georgia (UGA) Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business (Center) is actively advancing the creation of a Georgia-grown forest carbon market that will leverage the collective interests of Compact members and other businesses across the state to drive investments in Georgia forest resources. In support of this partnership and strategic initiative, the Center is seeking candidates in an Extension Professional role with knowledge and experience in voluntary carbon markets.

The GFF, UGA, and Center team received grant funding from the United States Forest Service (USFS) to support participation of underserved landowners and small-acreage (owning less than 2,500 acres) landowners in emerging private markets for climate mitigation and forest resilience. Through this strategic partnership, "Georgia Resilience, Inclusion, Sustainability, and Equity (RISE) in Emerging Forest Markets", the Center aims to establish connections with emerging private markets focused on climate mitigation and forest resilience to create pathways for underserved landowners and small-acreage landowners to access these markets. This will involve helping landowners navigate processes to participate effectively (with direct benefit to the landowners) forest carbon markets and other emerging markets related to forest ecosystems (e.g., biodiversity, water quality). By facilitating collaboration among landowners, businesses, and other partners, the Center will create an enabling ecosystem for market creation, knowledge sharing, resource pooling, and collective action.

The Extension Professional will coordinate with GFF to co-produce a comprehensive assessment of challenges faced by underserved landowners and small-acreage landowners in Georgia and assess potential partners for forest carbon offsets. The incumbent will foster stakeholder engagement by collaborating with the members of the Compact, forestry experts, government agencies, and conservation organizations. And the incumbent will launch and maintain an online platform for collaboration and impact tracking and support the co-development of educational materials and facilitate webinars.

This Extension Professional position reports to the Director of Industry Engagement and directly supports the mission and initiatives of the Center and the Compact. The incumbent will work closely with the Senior Program Manager and others on the Center's team while supporting strategic objectives and initiatives.

Georgia Tech Extension Professionals are research faculty that fulfill the extension and service mission of Georgia Tech to the State of Georgia and beyond. This mission includes, but is not limited to business and industry outreach, economic development, technology deployment, startup company incubation, and entrepreneurship. Extension Professionals also provide educational programs for business and industry in support of these missions and facilitate and foster increased industrial engagement and sponsorship of applied research activities with Georgia Tech.

This Extension Professional will support the Director of Industry Engagement, Drawdown Georgia Business Compact Program Managers, and Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business leadership as described in the Job Summary, as otherwise directed, and as follows:

• Co-produce with the GFF and UGA team a comprehensive assessment of specific challenges faced by underserved landowners and small-acreage landowners in different regions of Georgia.
• Conduct a comprehensive assessment of potential partners to develop, verify, and supply forest carbon offsets that will benefit these landowners.
• Collaborate with landowners, forestry experts, project developers, government agencies, and conservation organizations to establish partnerships and gather input on the state of forest markets in Georgia.
• Launch the use of an online platform for collaboration and tracking impact.
• Co-develop educational materials and offer webinars and workshops on the benefits of sustainable forestry practices, carbon market basics, and climate resilience.
• Manage the launch of a strategy for market access that connects landowners with potential buyers and investors in climate mitigation, forest resilience, and sustainable forest products.
• Work in close partnership with GFF to identify support programs tailored to the distinct needs of different landowners, incorporating innovative approaches to certification.
• Emphasize stakeholder engagement and lead initiatives to build support and awareness among stakeholders, landowners, project developers, forestry consultants, industry associations, carbon credit buyers, state agencies, and conservation organizations.
• Work closely with the GFF and UGA teams to co-develop tools and resources for landowners to monitor and report their efforts accurately.
• Coordinate with GFF and UGA teams to evaluate the ability of underserved landowners and small-acreage landowners to participate in forest carbon market initiatives.
• Contribute to the long-term sustainability of the project by codeveloping a plan for ongoing support, potentially through partnerships, grants, and dedicated funding.

Ongoing communication, collaboration, and feedback from landowners and stakeholders are essential to adapt strategies and ensure that the needs of underserved landowners and small-acreage landowners in Georgia are effectively addressed.

Extension Professional appointments are based on the merit and the special qualifications of the individual and follow the same general ranking, hiring, and promotion principles as other professional research faculty ranks; however, equivalent extension impacts and accomplishments versus research accomplishments will be considered by the promotion review boards. Information about policies guiding Extension Professional appointment and career progression can be found in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook.

This position vacancy is an open rank announcement. The final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty Extension Professional ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook https://www.policylibrary.gatech.edu/faculty-handbook/3.2.1-research-faculty-hiring-and-promotion-guidelines

Extension Professional I

• Bachelors degree in business, economics, engineering, environmental science, forestry, or related area.

Extension Professional II

• Masters degree in sustainability (management or science), interdisciplinary studies, public policy, business, economics, engineering, forestry, or related area and three (3) years of relevant full-time experience after completion of that degree, or
• Masters degree in sustainability (management or science), interdisciplinary studies, public policy, business, economics, engineering, forestry, or related area and five (5) years of relevant full-time experience after completion of a bachelors degree, or
• Doctoral degree in sustainability (management or science), interdisciplinary studies, public policy, business, economics, engineering, forestry, or related area

Senior Extension Professional

• Masters degree in sustainability (management or science), interdisciplinary studies, public policy, business, economics, engineering, forestry, or related area and seven (7) years of relevant full-time experience after completion of that degree, or
• Masters degree in sustainability (management or science), interdisciplinary studies, public policy, business, economics, engineering, forestry, or related area and nine (9) years of relevant full-time experience after completion of a bachelors degree, or
• Doctoral degree in sustainability (management or science), interdisciplinary studies, public policy, business, economics, engineering, forestry, or related area and four (4) years of relevant full-time experience after completion of a bachelor's degree.

A Master's degree in sustainability-related business, economics, policy, planning, forestry, management, or interdisciplinary studies is preferred. Experience managing interdisciplinary projects, studies, reports, analyses is a plus, but the role most importantly requires experience with voluntary carbon markets and associated carbon-crediting programs and methodologies.

Additional qualifications preferred as follows:

Education: Master's degree or Ph.D. in sustainability (management or science), interdisciplinary studies, public policy, business, economics, engineering, forestry, or other related area and five (5) or more years of relevant full-time experience after completion of a Master's degree.

Work Experience: five (5) or more years of job-related experience.

Skills:

• Strategic planning and group process facilitation.
• Project management and client relationship management, including software tools, methods, and best practices.
• Systems, policy, economic, technological, and social analysis and proficiency with analytic software (e.g., Power BI and Tableau).

Background:

• Knowledge and experience with voluntary carbon markets and other emerging private markets for climate mitigation and forest resilience; methodologies to generate forest carbon credits through improved forest management (IFM), afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation (ARR); carbon-crediting programs and methodologies associated with ACR, Climate Action Reserve, Gold Standard, Verra; and Core Carbon Principles established by The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market.
• Consulting experience working with business clients and/or multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Analytical capabilities coupled with facilitation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate and effectively complete projects according to scope, budget, and timeline.
• Knowledge and experience in sustainability management and sustainable development, including foundational science (e.g., planetary boundaries) and the global sustainable development goals (SDGs)
• Experience with sustainability measurement, reporting, and disclosure frameworks and methods like the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, GRI Standards, Science-Based Targets Initiative, and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

Applicants should submit:

• Resume and/or CV
• Cover letter
• Names and contact information for a minimum of three persons who can provide letters of recommendation.

Note: We will only reach out to the contacts of applicants who reach the finalist stage.

Please upload any work products you may deem relevant for your application.

For additional information about this job opening, please contact the hiring manager, David Eady (david.eady@gatech.edu), Director of Industry Engagement.

The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, or services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions. This prohibition applies to faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including affiliates, invitees, and guests. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

More information on these policies can be found here: https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/c2714 Board of Regents Policy Manual | University System of Georgia (usg.edu).

The candidate of choice will be required to pass a pre-employment background screening. http://policylibrary.gatech.edu/employment/pre-employment-screening.