Head of Science
London Area, United Kingdom (Hybrid)
The Opportunity
Would you like to play a pivotal leadership role within a globally recognised climate solutions organisation, driving significant and lasting environmental impact through rigorous scientific excellence?
Do you thrive in roles that blend high-level scientific strategy with proactive, hands-on leadership across a global research and integrity function?
A rare and prestigious senior leadership opportunity has arisen to join a pioneering climate solutions company as our Head of Science.
Role Overview
This critical role will lead and evolve a global "scientific engine," directly advancing our mission to reduce Carbon. The Head of Science will shape enterprise-level integrity frameworks and influence how the world’s largest companies approach carbon removal and reduction, ensuring that technical performance is inextricably linked with peer-reviewed climate consequence.
Why You Should Apply
- Lead the Scientific Agenda: You will lead and coordinate multiple specialist teams (Due Diligence, Nature-Based Solutions, and Health & Livelihoods), ensuring scientific insights are translated into robust commercial outcomes.
- Make a Measurable Impact: This role is at the heart of our mission to deliver high-quality, thoroughly vetted climate projects. Every scientific sign-off directly contributes to ambitious global climate goals.
- Influence the Market: Serve as the primary scientific authority and climate expert, influencing C-suite stakeholders and positioning the organisation as the partner of choice for high-integrity climate action.
- High-Profile Leadership: Define the overarching scientific strategy for a diverse and growing global portfolio, with the authority to set the bar for "high integrity" in the voluntary carbon market.
Key Responsibilities
- Scientific Governance: Chair the Scientific Due Diligence Committee and provide final technical approval for complex climate projects.
- Strategic Innovation: Integrate emerging technologies—such as remote sensing and digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV)—into our core scientific methodologies.
- Collaborative Leadership: Partner effectively with Sourcing, Legal, and Go-to-Market teams to balance scientific absolute integrity with practical business objectives.
- External Representation: Represent the organisation in global industry forums, scientific advisory bodies, and international climate summits.
The Successful Candidate
- Academic Excellence: Holds degree (PhD or MSc preferred) in Climate Science, Environmental Science, Ecology, or a related atmospheric discipline.
- Deep Market Expertise: Minimum of 7 years' experience in carbon markets, with a sophisticated understanding of carbon sequestration physics and sequestration methodologies.
- Proven Leadership: Exceptional capability to build and develop high-performing teams of scientists and technical specialists across multiple geographies.
- MRV Mastery: A strong track record of leading technical due diligence and MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) strategies.
- Communicator & Credibility: The presence and authority to translate complex climate data into actionable insights for non-technical executive stakeholders.
In Return, You Will Receive:
- An opportunity to work at the forefront of the sustainability sector in an exciting, fast-paced team.
- The mandate to define and own a global scientific strategy across Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), Engineered Solutions, and Health & Livelihoods.
- The chance to make a significant and lasting impact on the most pressing issue of our time.
If this could be of interest, please apply through our retained executive search partners, GS2 Partnership, who are exclusively managing this process.