Senior Lead Auditor - Forestry

Position Summary: 

EcoEngineers is seeking an experienced Forestry Lead Auditor to support third-party validation and verification of forest carbon projects under leading voluntary carbon market standards. This role will focus on nature-based solutions such as improved forest management, afforestation/reforestation, and REDD+, with projects registered under programs like Verra, ACR, CAR, Gold Standard, Puro.earth, and Isometric. The ideal candidate brings deep technical expertise in forest carbon accounting, a strong command of relevant methodologies, and a proven track record conducting audits in the voluntary carbon market. This is a senior-level position for someone who is ready to lead complex audits, engage directly with clients and registries, and help ensure the environmental integrity of high-impact forest carbon projects.

This role is an excellent opportunity to take on exciting project-based work for a Top-10 Sustainable Consulting Company with flexibility for existing work demands or educational pursuits. The right candidates will have an opportunity to influence future trends in several areas including carbon removal, novel methodology development, project design and audit. In addition, you will gain exposure to LCFS, RFS, RNG, asset development, life cycle analysis, emissions reporting, auditing, and regulatory programs. 

Organization:

Employment Type: Part-Time, Contract (W9)

Location: Remote/Flexible - US based strongly preferred. Time zones with significant overlap with the US Central Time Zone preferred.

Responsibilities:

This role will:

• Lead validation and verification audits for forestry carbon projects across multiple registries (e.g., Verra, ACR, CAR, Gold Standard, Puro.earth, Isometric).
• Serve as the technical lead for forestry-related audits, with a focus on IFM, ARR, REDD+, and related methodologies.
• Conduct site visits, interviews with project stakeholders, and remote data reviews to confirm project implementation and monitoring accuracy.
• Review and assess:
• Project Design Documents (PDDs)
• Baseline scenario justifications and modeling
• Forest inventory methods and biomass estimations
• Monitoring reports and emission reduction calculations
• Evaluate carbon quantification tools and models, including forest growth and yield projections, stratification approaches, and data uncertainty analyses.
• Analyze and interpret geospatial data and remote sensing products, including satellite imagery, LiDAR, and GIS layers.
• Identify and document non-conformities, risks, or data inconsistencies, and issue corrective actions as needed.
• Draft and submit technically sound audit reports in line with registry and ISO standards.
• Collaborate with internal QA teams to ensure consistency, quality, and methodological compliance across audits.
• Stay current on updates to forestry methodologies, carbon accounting frameworks, and registry requirements.
• Support client communications during audits to clarify findings, address questions, and facilitate timely resolution of technical issues.
• Contribute to internal capacity building by mentoring junior auditors and sharing technical insights.
• Coordinate with registries as needed during project review processes, appeals, and credit issuance.

 Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional experience in forestry, forest carbon project development, or carbon offset auditing, with a strong focus on nature-based solutions.
• Demonstrated experience leading or supporting validation and verification audits for forest carbon offset projects under voluntary carbon market standards, including:
  1. Improved Forest Management (IFM)
  2. Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR)
  3. Avoided Conversion / REDD+
  4. Agroforestry
  5. Soil organic carbon (if forestry-adjacent)
  6. Biochar (in forest/agricultural contexts)
• Familiarity with methodologies and program requirements from at least two or more of the following:
  1. Verra/VCS
  2. American Carbon Registry (ACR)
  3. Climate Action Reserve (CAR)
  4. Gold Standard
  5. Puro.earth
  6. Isometric (including draft and emerging protocols)
• Solid understanding of carbon accounting principles and quantification methodologies, including:
  1. Baseline scenario development
  2. Leakage assessment
  3. Permanence and buffer pool requirements
  4. Additionality frameworks
  5. Monitoring, Reporting & Verification (MRV) requirements
• Hands-on experience with forest growth and yield models (e.g., FVS, CBM-CFS3, CACTOS, FORMIND, or equivalent regional models).
• Competence in reviewing or conducting forest inventories, stratification, and biomass assessments.
• Proficiency in GIS tools (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS) and remote sensing applications, including:
  1. Analysis of satellite imagery
  2. LiDAR-based biomass estimation
  3. Use of Google Earth Engine or other spatial platforms for forest cover tracking.
• Experience reviewing or developing:
  1. Project Design Documents (PDDs)
  2. Monitoring reports
  3. Carbon quantification spreadsheets or model outputs
• Ability to assess and communicate non-permanence risks, community and biodiversity co-benefits, and safeguards compliance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D. preferred) in Forestry, Ecology, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or a related discipline.
• Recognized qualifications or training under ISO 14065, ISO 14064-3, or equivalent standards for greenhouse gas verification.
• Prior accreditation or auditing experience as a Lead Auditor with an accredited Validation and Verification Body (VVB).
• Familiarity with digital MRV systems and emerging tech-enabled approaches to forest carbon monitoring.
• Experience with registry interactions, including project listing, documentation submission, responses to technical reviews, and credit issuance.
• Understanding of jurisdictional REDD+, nested project frameworks, and their implications for project-level audits.
• Exposure to emerging approaches like dynamic baselining, ton-year accounting, or reversal management under next-gen registries (e.g., Isometric, Puro, or CERCARBONO).
• Technical writing experience with audit reports, non-conformance statements (NCRs), and corrective action requests (CARs).

EcoEngineers values diversity of all kinds and believes that teams thrive when individuals bring their unique perspective to help clients make our planet a better place. EcoEngineers is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply. Join our team and find out what it means to be truly valued just for being you.