Carbon Strategy and Markets Lead, Latin America Region

Location: Open to candidates based in any country where TNC operates within the Latin America Region (LAR), including A​rgentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru.

What We Can Achieve Together:

The LAR Carbon Markets Lead provides region‑wide strategic leadership for carbon markets and carbon finance as a core financing pillar for high‑integrity Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) across the Latin America Region (LAR). The role exists to integrate the LAR and TNC’s global carbon markets strategy into coherent, actionable regional guidance, ensuring that carbon finance is deployed in ways that deliver durable climate, biodiversity, and community outcomes.

The LAR Carbon Markets Lead works to maximize the Latin America Region’s mitigation potential by accelerating the development of investable, high‑integrity carbon initiatives across Business Units (BUs) and Iconic Places (IPs). The role provides strategic clarity, prioritization, and coordination to translate strong ecological foundations and programmatic ambition into scalable carbon finance pathways, aligning regional efforts with TNC’s global carbon markets strategy and enabling consistent, high‑quality engagement with partners, investors, and policymakers across the region. The role operates as a senior individual contributor, recognized as a subject‑matter expert, and works seamlessly across regional leadership, BUs, IP teams, and global carbon markets, science, and policy functions. This position will work with all TNC Business Units in Latin America and report to senior LAR leadership. The position will be based in one of the countries in Latin America where TNC has offices.

We’re Looking for You:

The LAR Carbon Markets Lead provides region‑wide strategic leadership for carbon markets and carbon finance, working across Business Units, Iconic Places, and global teams to assess, prioritize, and advance high‑integrity Natural Climate Solutions. They coordinate closely with senior level colleagues to align, implement, and actively manage the program. They are a key focal point for topical expertise on carbon markets for the region. They work to develop a network of carbon markets and policy experts across TNC and with external partners and work to develop carbon markets knowledge inside the Region. This position will help drive fundraising and strategic communications with support from TNC LAR functional teams. They are leaders who use TNC’s code of conduct and competencies as a baseline to lead by example.

RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

• Develops and advances long‑term regional strategies for carbon markets and carbon finance aligned with TNC’s conservation priorities.

• Serves as the regional lead and primary point of coordination for carbon markets and carbon finance in LAR, exercising influence through strategic guidance, technical credibility, and collaboration across Business Units, priority geographies, and global TNC teams

• Provides technical and strategic guidance on emerging compliance and voluntary market mechanisms (e.g., jurisdictional approaches, nesting considerations, Article 6‑related developments) in coordination with global teams.

• Integrates LAR and TNC’s global carbon markets strategy into clear regional guidance, ensuring alignment with integrity standards, best available science, safeguards, and equitable benefit‑sharing principles.

• Disseminate best practices, frameworks, and lessons learned to build carbon markets literacy and consistency across the region.

• Builds and strengthens strategic alliances with public and private partners to unlock scalable, long‑term carbon finance aligned with conservation outcomes. – including signing of MOUs and partnership agreements

• Represents TNC externally as a credible, long‑term partner in carbon market discussions across the region.

• Effectively works and adapts communication across stakeholders, from field teams to senior leadership.

• Able to travel up to 25% both domestically and internationally, and to work occasional weekends and evenings

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, resource management or related and years of related experience in similar positions or equivalent combination in a carbon financing/ carbon project development role

• Demonstrated experience leading and managing complex projects and strategic initiatives in unstructured multistakeholder environments.

• Deep knowledge of carbon markets and carbon finance mechanisms relevant to Latin America

• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence in complex, matrixed organizations, including building alignment, persuading diverse stakeholders, and advancing shared strategies across teams and geographies.

• Project management experience and experience meeting deadlines

• Experience working across cultures, geographies, and institutional contexts.

• Strong analytical, communication, and relationship‑building skills.

• Ability to make independent strategic judgments based on analysis, experience, and ambiguous information.

• Strong ability to collaborate with colleagues across TNC

• Strong ability to communicate clearly with donors and partners

• Fluency in English, proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese strongly preferred

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced experience designing or advising on high‑integrity NCS or carbon project initiatives.

• Demonstrated scientific understanding of carbon science and deep knowledge of carbon standards.

• Experience with partnership development involving governments, investors, NGOs, and technical institutions.

• Self-starter with ability to generate work plans with limited support in line with TNC Shared Conservation Agenda and its associated outcomes, goals, strategies, and plans

• Experience developing business plans or major strategy assessments, particularly with conservation forms of valuation, deal structuring, negotiations support, financial modeling and analysis, business planning

• Knowledge of politics and society with respect to environmental and international affairs

• Willingness to learn and develop expertise in new conservation strategies, economic drivers, management tools, and global affairs

• Strong team player who can build relationships and work collaboratively across the organization, including with senior management, and with Conservancy partners

Grade: 8

Job Family: Conservation

Who We Are:

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.

One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”

What We Bring:

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!

TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.

Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.

Employees must submit their application by logging into Workday and applying via the Jobs Hub.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer.Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

Originally posted on Himalayas