Forest Carbon Modeller

Ostrom Climate is the place for smart and passionate people. We’re a small company with lots of interesting people from a wide variety of backgrounds, and we all agree it’s a great place to work.

We believe in:
**Integrity**: We are honest and transparent, holding strong positions on what is moral and ethical in the pursuit of our climate vision.

**Practicality**:We prioritize feasible and immediate action based on real circumstances over abstract considerations.

**Thoughtfulness**: We bring the best of our collective intelligence and wisdom to every project and relationship.

**Optimism**:We share hope and confidence that society will successfully act to address the climate crisis and ‘tragedy of the commons’.

We are an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants equally without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability status.

**Company Description**:
Ostrom Climate (formerly NatureBank) is a global leader in the design, development, and implementation of GHG reduction programs at all scales. We have developed some of the world’s largest carbon projects including the Great Bear Forest Carbon Project, which is North America’s largest Improved Forest Management project and the world’s largest forest carbon project by area, as well as the Mai Ndombe REDD+ Avoided Deforestation project, the largest of its kind in Africa.

Our Domestic Land Use division focuses on improved forest and grasslands management projects in various jurisdictions across North America, as well as researching the potential for blue carbon projects in BC.

Ostrom Climate works with Indigenous governments and communities, private land owners, government agencies and civil society to develop carbon offset projects.

**Role Description**:
This role requires a good understanding of forest management, forest inventories, forest mensuration, forest products, land use change, carbon dynamics and issues around the science of climate change and climate policy in BC and across Canada. Knowledge of US carbon markets is an asset. This is a full time position, reporting to the Director of Domestic Land Use.

**Responsibilities include but are not limited to**:

- Complete GIS analysis and spatial planning regarding land use change activities
- Quantify changes in carbon volumes based on land use activities
- Support the feasibility of prospective forest carbon projects through desk-based and field research, and preparing feasibility assessment reports
- Provide technical support in project design documents and feasibility studies
- Contribute to quality assurance / quality control through document review

**Required Qualifications**:

- Bachelor’s degree or higher in forestry, natural resource management or environmental sciences
- Strong GIS skills related to forest inventory, land use change and land management practices
- Experience using forest spatial planning software (e.g. Patchworks, Woodstock or other)
- Experience using Canadian Forest Carbon Budget Model (CBM-CFS3)
- Strong understanding of forest inventory, carbon modeling and land use dynamics
- Written and spoken fluency in English
- Very strong verbal and written communication skills
- Experience with MS Office Suite

**Desirable Qualifications & Skills**:

- Expertise in forest carbon methodologies, including FCOP,VCS and ACR with specific focus on quantification techniques.
Knowledge of issues related to climate change, land use, land use change and carbon markets
- A master’s degree in forestry, natural resource management or related field
- Computer programming experience
- Eligible for professional forestry accreditation (RPF) in a Canadian or American jurisdiction.
- Experience in Python is an asset
- Experience in QGIS or ArcGIS is an asset
- Experience in forest estate modelling (e.g. Woodstock) is an asset
- Experience in designing forest inventories is an asset
- Experience working with LiDAR spatial products is an asset.
- Minimum 2 years of relevant professional work experience
- The ability to work with minimum supervision and to make decisions that ensure the success of the team is an asset.
- Ability to work with a diverse and multidisciplinary team

**Key Reporting Relationship**

**Reports to: Director of Domestic Land Use