Due Diligence Manager – Carbon Projects

Climate Friendly Pty is seeking a Due Diligence Manager for Carbon Projects in Australia. The role involves managing technical and quality control processes for due diligence and audits, coordinating with independent auditors, and ensuring timely delivery of services and documentation for Australian Carbon Credit Unit issuances. The position supports the mission of combating climate change through effective carbon farming project management.
About us

Acting to combat climate change is one of the world’s most pressing challenges. Climate Friendly was founded in 2003 as a profit-for-purpose business. Our growing team is passionate about active land management, and we are focused on finding economically viable solutions to maximise our impact on climate change. 

We are one of Australia’s largest and most experienced carbon farming project developers. This includes more than 160 projects with farmers, plantation managers, agribusiness, and Indigenous groups on carbon farming projects.

Climate Friendly has delivered over 20Mt in carbon abatement as at the end of 2020. Our immediate mission is to establish partnerships, by 2025, that will store or reduce 150Mt of CO2-e, while repairing nature and supporting reconciliation. Join our team and you will be helping to build A productive, sustainable land sector that contributes to a zero net emissions & nature positive Australia by 2050

We have a genuinely friendly and supportive culture where everyone has a voice and opportunity to help shape our future and to fulfil our purpose.

The role

As Due Diligence Manager you will manage technical processes and quality control processes within the Due Diligence and Initial Audits team to deliver technical reports to Clients and the CER for Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) issuances. The position will support the Section Head Due Diligence and Initial Audits with leading existing projects through the external audit process. Key accountabilities include:
• Leading existing projects through the initial audits process in line with the Climate Friendly governance framework, Climate Friendly’s internal deadlines, contractual obligations, Climate Friendly’s budget, and legislative requirements.
• Assisting the Section Head Due Diligence & Initial Audits to engage independent auditors and schedule audits.
• Coordinating the development of initial audit packs.
• Performing quality assurance checks on audit packs and data.
• Liaising with independent auditors once an audit has commenced, maintaining a positive relation with auditors throughout the process, and ensuring the timely delivery of services.
• Liaising with other Climate Friendly teams, Project Managers, and clients to ensure audit timeframes are met.
• Ensuring the accurate and timely documentation of project information after audit finalisation in Climate Friendly databases.
• Ensuring timely submission of ACCU crediting applications to the CER for the efficient issuance of ACCUs.
• Coordinating delivery of audit packs to independent auditors
• Ensuring initial audits are well prepared for, proceed smoothly, and are completed with minimal requests for additional information by auditors and/ or the CER.
• Responding to information requests from the CER.
• QC of due diligence reports describing the process to estimate the amount of carbon likely to be sequestered, eligibility of the project, and potential project risks.
• Presenting due diligence proposals to an internal Technical Review Committee and responding to questions and making changes as required.
• Lodging internal requests to the legal and governance, spatial, and abatement modelling teams as required.
• Continuously reviewing and updating Team SOPs, technical guidelines, templates and tools to ensure they are current and fit for purpose 
• Proactively identifying risks and addressing roadblocks  
• Advising teams across the business of Due Diligence processes, and process improvements within their workflows that could maximise Internal Assurance outcomes 

About you
• Qualifications/lived experience in fields related to Natural Resources, Environmental Science, Forestry, Ecology or Agriculture.   
• Skills in complex problem solving, staff management and customer relations.  
• Exposure to Customer Relationship Management Databases and project management tools (Asana) and/or willingness and capacity to quickly upskill in this space.    
• Capacity to travel for fieldwork, and experience working/travelling in isolated areas 
• Understanding of the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI) Act and the suite of revegetation methods very beneficial, but not necessary.  
• Previous experience with Emissions Reduction Fund/Carbon Farming advantageous   
• Skilled in report writing, MS Excel, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) such as QGIS 
• Very high attention to detail, or experience
• Ability to work on multiple, complex projects at the same time, which may all be at different stages of the audit cycle 
• Ability to solve problems and provide strategic advice to senior management 
• Expertise working with a broad range of stakeholders, including government, auditors, and technical experts 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex problems in simple language 
• Self-motivated and thrives as working cohesively with others 

Climate Friendly encourages people from different backgrounds to apply, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from different cultural backgrounds and people with disabilities

Why join our team?

Our goal is to be seen as an organisation that supports wholeness, lifestyle and wellbeing whilst rewarding individual and collective performance. In addition to competitive salary and transparent career progression opportunities, our benefits include:
• Work with purpose, contributing to a productive, sustainable land sector that contributes to a zero net emissions and nature positive Australia by 2050
• A fully hybrid workplace – work to your own rhythm and balance connection and productivity
• A supportive and inclusive environment that promotes diversity
• 2 all-staff events a year to connect with your friends and colleagues
• Christmas holiday – 3 days of additional leave each year
• Floating public holidays
• Gender neutral paid parental leave
• 2 days each year for training / development / study leave
• Home office setup and refresh allowance
• Company performance bonus and shared equity