How to apply for Lead Climate Scientist (Sales and Advisory)

About Supercritical

Supercritical is a carbon removal marketplace that has facilitated nearly 2 million tonnes of carbon removal for over 200 buyers and tracks 600+ suppliers across roughly 80% of the global permanent CDR market. Its independent science team vets every project across 118 data points and rejects 88% of what it assesses. The company also creates supply when needed, such as co-designing Liferaft for Microsoft's 1-million-tonne biochar offtake.

About the role

As Lead Climate Scientist (Sales and Advisory), you will use your scientific expertise to support sales and advisory work, helping corporate buyers navigate carbon removal procurement. You will likely engage with clients, explain the science behind Supercritical's vetting process, and help set standards buyers will be measured against, including work related to SBTi's Expert Working Group on carbon removals.

A typical day

You might start with a client call to explain why a particular carbon removal project passed or failed Supercritical's vetting. Later, you could work with the sales team to prepare a technical briefing for a buyer considering a multi-year offtake. You may also contribute to internal discussions on updating vetting criteria or engaging with standards bodies.

Who Supercritical is looking for

• Deep technical knowledge of carbon removal methods, permanence, and monitoring, verification, and reporting (MRV), with experience evaluating projects against multiple data points.
• Experience in client-facing roles, such as sales engineering, advisory, or technical consulting, translating complex climate science for corporate buyers.
• Familiarity with corporate climate targets, procurement programs, and standards such as SBTi, and the ability to help buyers align with evolving requirements.
• Strong communication skills to explain Supercritical's 118-point vetting process and why 88% of assessed projects are rejected, while supporting multi-year offtake agreements.

Tips for this application

• Highlight any experience you have with carbon removal project evaluation, especially if you have worked with permanence, additionality, or MRV across methods like biochar, DAC, or mineralization.
• Quantify your client-facing impact: mention deals supported, buyers advised, or procurement programs influenced, since this role sits at the intersection of science and sales.
• Reference Supercritical's specific metrics (nearly 2 million tonnes facilitated, 600+ suppliers tracked, 88% rejection rate) to show you understand their quality-first approach.
• If you have contributed to standards bodies, working groups, or methodology development (e.g., SBTi, VCMI, ICVCM), describe your role and outcomes.
• Explain how you would help a corporate buyer understand why a project was rejected or approved, demonstrating both scientific rigor and commercial awareness.

What to cover in your cover letter

Focus on your ability to bridge climate science and commercial advisory. Show you can explain Supercritical's vetting process to buyers and help them build multi-year procurement strategies. Emphasize any experience with carbon removal standards, MRV, or offtake agreements. Mention why you want to work at a marketplace that rejects 88% of projects to maintain quality.

Research before applying

• Study Supercritical's public materials on their 118-point vetting process and the 88% rejection rate to understand their quality criteria.
• Research the Liferaft biochar project and Microsoft's offtake to see how Supercritical creates supply when the market lacks it.
• Review SBTi's Expert Working Group on carbon removals and any public outputs to understand the standards landscape Supercritical helps shape.
• Look into the permanent CDR market: key methods, major buyers, and common procurement challenges, to speak credibly in interviews.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you explain the difference between avoided emissions and carbon removal to a corporate buyer new to the topic?
• Walk us through how you would evaluate a biochar project against Supercritical's 118 data points. What are the key risks?
• Describe a time you had to tell a client that a project they liked did not meet quality standards. How did you handle it?
• What is your understanding of SBTi's guidance on carbon removals, and how would you help a buyer align with it?
• How would you support a sales team in a competitive situation where a buyer is comparing Supercritical to a lower-quality, cheaper supplier?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on scientific research without showing how you would apply it in a sales or advisory context.
• Ignoring the commercial side of the role: Supercritical is a marketplace, so understanding buyer needs and deal cycles is essential.
• Being vague about carbon removal methods or standards; this role requires specific knowledge of permanence, MRV, and corporate climate targets.