Impact Finance and Markets is the Nature Conservancy’s newly created division that will oversee and accelerate our work in impact investing, carbon markets and the growing work partnering with corporations to deliver on TNC’s 2030 goals. This division brings together pre-existing teams to form a globally dispersed staff of 60 to provide the organization with leadership, strategic guidance and partnership in conservation finance, commercial market development and corporate practices and supply chains in key sectors.

The Sr. Carbon Finance Advisor will be a member of TNC’s Impact Finance, and Markets Division, working within the Conservancy’s Global Carbon Markets team, and closely with its impact investment team (“NatureVest”), and conservation business units globally to support creative and sound financial structuring of the Conservancy’s highest priority carbon-financed conservation programs, around the world, to include the protection, restoration and sustainable management of grasslands, wetlands and forests.

 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Sr. Carbon Finance Advisor will develop a deep understanding of TNC’s Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) project pipeline and priorities, and will work with global and regional conservation, legal and finance experts, including Nature Conservancy staff, potential cornerstone investors, and potential operating partners to assess the financial viability of potential projects and programs and support regional teams’ efforts to create financially viable carbon projects. The Advisor will bring creativity and innovation to bear on carbon project financial models in order to bring carbon finance to underutilized project types and communities that are currently unable to participate in carbon markets. The Advisor will play a key role in developing revenue sharing models which result in equitable and viable outcomes for all key stakeholders, including project developers and local communities. For projects or programs meeting feasibility criteria, the Advisor will advise on appropriate sources of capital and capital structuring of projects or programs, lead and/or support negotiations to secure those sources of capital, and partner with TNC’s NatureVest team to develop and manage investments globally that support TNC’s NCS priorities to further land and water protection and climate change mitigation goals. The Advisor will also provide strategic and ongoing input regarding the appropriate structure and mix of philanthropic, debt and equity capital, for a new blended capital fund to be designed and deployed in order to accelerate the speed and scale of the Conservancy’s supply-side engagement in carbon markets while ensuring projects of the highest quality.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

• Conducting financial feasibility assessments of projects and programs – engaging with conservation teams to understand the full range of cost drivers and potential revenue streams, and project risks which may be relevant to investment decision making. Feasibility assessments process may include investment and business design, financial analysis and modeling; assessing appropriate capital structuring; market analysis; solicitation of investor feedback; and risk assessment and mitigation.
• Supporting teams in the development of financially feasible projects and programs through education and project design.
• Partnering with the NatureVest team to support the creation and development of investment structures to support project execution.
• Representing the Impact Finance and Markets team at various conferences and investor events and assisting in the strategic development of our priorities and pipeline.
• Making independent decisions frequently based on analysis, experience, and judgment.
• Managing and implementing multiple projects.
• Developing financial and legal structures that satisfy TNC’s conservation and reputational priorities while meeting investor needs.
• Ensuring programmatic commitments, TNC policies and procedures, financial standards and legal requirements are met and managed for compliance.
• May direct or participate in negotiations for complex, high profile or sensitive agreements.