Location London
Job-type Permanent
Salary £Competitive
Reference 16897

Drax is aiming to develop Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) facilities, starting in the UK and US. Those facilities will produce negative emissions (CO2 removals) as well as renewable power. They wish to sell carbon removal certificates on the voluntary carbon market (VCM), but the VCM is in its infancy - it is highly fragmented and not yet well adapted to selling engineered carbon removals at scale.

Drax is looking to recruit a Carbon Markets Development Lead, a newly created role reporting to the Commercial Director of Innovation. You will be responsible for shaping the development of the VCM to enable Drax to sell its negative emissions from BECCS projects in the UK and globally.

You will need to identify key aspects of the framework we need to influence (for example, methodologies being developed by carbon removal standard-setting bodies) and engage with key stakeholders to ensure that we have a route to market for our carbon removals, and that the framework adequately reflects the value of high-integrity, long-duration carbon removals. The role will be responsible for briefing senior stakeholders within Drax on developments in the VCM and their potential impact and will develop and deliver plans to influence the development of the VCM.

The role will also have a key role to play supporting the sale of our carbon removals. The role will work closely with the carbon removals sales manager within the Innovation Commercial Team to demonstrate to potential customers and verification bodies that our negative emissions meet relevant standards for carbon removals.

This is a critical role for Drax, with the potential to create £bns of value for the company, and at the heart of its mission to be a carbon-negative company by 2030 and the leader in negative emissions.

In this role, you will:

  • Identify key aspects of the framework for selling carbon offsets and removals that could impact our ability to sell negative emissions (UK and US).

  • Provide expert advice to the Commercial Team, Sustainability Team and other internal stakeholders on issues relating to the sale of negative emissions.

  • Develop positions on key issues that could impact our ability to sell negative emissions from our UK and US projects, working closely with the Commercial Team, Corporate Affairs and others across the business.

  • Engage with external bodies involved in setting standards for the sale of carbon removals, and seek to influence them to ensure the framework works for BECCS.

  • Work with the Carbon Removals Sales lead to shape our sales proposition for negative emissions so that it appeals to potential purchasers, including input into contract structure.

  • Work with the Head of Commercial Development for BECCS to shape our overall BECCS commercial proposition, taking account how we will sell our negative emissions.

  • Join meetings with Government officials to explain key issues relating to the sale of negative emissions.

  • Join meetings with potential customers to discuss how our carbon removals will be validated

  • Be a key member of the Carbon Hub to develop our corporate position on carbon issues.​

The role will undertake significant direct engagement with potential external customers to explain to them how our negative emissions meet relevant carbon removal standards, alongside other members of the senior Carbon and Innovation team.

Drax is looking for someone with:

  • Expert knowledge of the market for carbon offsets/removals and carbon trading issues is highly desirable.

  • A highly motivated self-starter who has a proven track record in delivering results in a fast-paced and complex environment

  • Excellent stakeholder engagement skills and, ideally, a network of contacts in the carbon trading world.

  • Strong analytical skills and a track record of working in complex technical, commercial and political environments.

  • Excellent presentation skills, both in writing and orally, with an ability to convey complex information clearly and succinctly to internal and external audiences at senior levels.

  • Excellent at building collaborative working relationships and networks with colleagues and key external stakeholder

The location is flexible; however, there will be travel to Drax offices in London, Selby and Oxford, as well as some international travel may be required.

To find out more, contact Lewis Murray (Senior Consultant, Sustainable Energy) at lewis.murray@acre.com.