Process Excellence and Implementation Lead (Contract)

Title: Process Excellence and Implementation Lead

Location: Remote within the United States

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Duration: 1-year full-time contract role with potential to extend

The Opportunity. 

Verra is a global leader in the development and management of high-integrity, high-impact programs for climate, sustainable development, and environmental projects. We have a long legacy of managing programs spanning standard-setting, validation/verification body management, project review, credit issuance, and registry operations. As project volumes and methodological complexity increase, we are seeking to improve cycle time, consistency, and reviewer efficiency while maintaining environmental integrity and governance rigor in our review process.

We are transforming how we operate our programs by modernizing the end-to-end project review ecosystem, linking upstream readiness, digital submission and triage, and internal review execution. This role will lead operational transformation through process audits, implementing clear ownership and controls, and practical governance that reduces cycle time while protecting quality and integrity.

You will convene and align cross-functional partners (including Verra’s Registry, Certification, Audit & Accreditation, Technology Solutions, Program Development, and Market & Client Relations teams) to identify and resolve friction points, bottlenecks, standardize ways of working, and ensure changes translate into measurable improvements in review times, throughput, transparency, and stakeholder experience.

The Role.

Lead transformation of the project review and associated Verra processes and tools, in collaboration with Verra staff, to significantly reduce project review duration while maintaining the integrity and quality of Verra decisions.

Process mapping and intervention: Identify and manage the implementation of opportunities for reducing review times, including:

• Review process mapping exercises already undertaken
• improved role clarity, handoffs, automation, and decision points
• recalibrating the interface between Verra reviews and independent audits performed by validation/verification bodies
• eliminating sources of rework, delay, and manual overhead.

Digital review process improvement: Assess Verra’s digital tools for UI and UX effectiveness, customer friendliness,  and identify ways to improve project submission quality, reviewer task execution, and decision support, reduce preventable errors, and embed guardrails, guidance, and structured workflows. (Verra’s Project Hub is our primary platform for digital project submission and reviews; it connects to our registry and several other internal databases.) Help build a resilient system that appropriately shifts accountability from individuals to the platform itself, recognizing that achieving this will require sustained dialogue, alignment, and change management.

Automation & AI opportunities: Work with tech services and project reviewers to identify and implement high-value automation use cases and potential use of AI in completeness checks, requirement alignment and risk flagging, reviewer decision support, comparison to precedent, and structured comment/response management.

Change management: Facilitate day-to-day execution of process changes to ensure acceptance and adoption by users, implementing improvement ideas through clear plans, disciplined follow-through, and fast issue resolution in a way that works with the staff operating the various parts of the system.

• Engage affected team members in identifying improvement areas and facilitating transitions to improved processes
• Run an operating cadence for improvements (intake, prioritization, sprint/backlog management, communications, training, and adoption tracking) so changes are implemented consistently across teams.
• Serve as the escalation point for review bottlenecks and readiness issues, working directly with internal teams and external partners to remove blockers, improve submission quality, and sustain faster cycle times.

Revenue debottlenecking: Coordinate with all departments to identify  revenue-generating opportunities in order to maximize efficiency of workflows that impact Verra revenue

Our Team.

You’ll work primarily with the CEO, Program Management Department, and Tech Solutions team, with opportunities to engage with all departments to improve interrelated processes. Verra colleagues:

• Come from diverse locations and backgrounds, including carbon market experts, project developers, consultants, climate negotiators, researchers, and auditors.
• Are committed to advancing climate action and sustainable development through high-quality standards and programs.

What we’d like to see.

• 10+ years of relevant experience with process optimization to achieve transformational improvements to operational systems, including process redesign and operational efficiency, ideally across a variety of organizations
• Demonstrated experience with process overhaul in regulatory or certification-related review processes
• Prior experience leading process improvement initiatives using Kanban, Lean Six Sigma, and other industry best practice continuous improvement methodologies.
• Hands‑on experience with automation and applied AI to improve process efficiency
• Experience analyzing operational data to identify constraints and scale proven process patterns that drive greater efficiency and throughput
• Ability to work embedded with business and technical teams to apply proven change management approaches
• Highly effective written and verbal communication skills. Note: As a global organization based in the US, we’ve adopted English as a standard business language for written and verbal communication
• A pragmatic, delivery-oriented approach that effectively and iteratively priorities and implements improvement opportunities
• Passion for climate action and sustainable development and knowledge of carbon and sustainability markets in either a voluntary or regulatory context, is desirable, in Verra’s context, this includes the role of project proponents, validation/verification bodies, standards bodies and credit buyers

Physical Demands.

The physical demands described here are representative of those a teammate must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision for computer work. 

Work Environment.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a teammate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period. 
• Access to reliable Wi-fi with a distraction-free workspace. 

Working at Verra.

Verra is a global leader helping to tackle the world’s most intractable environmental and social challenges. As a mission-driven non-profit organization, Verra is committed to helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve livelihoods, and protect natural resources across the private and public sectors.

We’ve created a culture of flexibility and autonomy. You’ll be able to work with remote teams from diverse countries and industries. Wherever possible, we aim to find mutually agreeable solutions for international hiring.

The final compensation offered will be contingent upon role, level, and location. Our Talent team can share the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

Salary is one component of Verra’s total compensation package, which also includes:

• Medical, vision and dental care, and life insurance
• Verra contributions to each employee’s retirement plan/pension scheme with employee and employer contributions
• Paid leave, comprising 22-30 days of vacation, 7 days of annual sick leave, holidays, and a sabbatical after five years of service

Verra is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all our work, and doing so successfully is crucial to embodying our established values: Teamwork, Results, Integrity, Balance, and Exploration. We actively celebrate belonging among our team members’ different abilities, sexual orientations, ethnicity, faith, and gender.

How to Apply.

Please send us a Cover letter (not to exceed one page) and your Resume/CV (not to exceed two pages) via our careers page. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Verra provides equal opportunity for all job applicants and employees and is committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination. As such, we conduct our recruitment and hiring without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, and local law.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform crucial job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact [email protected] to request accommodation.