Head of Policy, South East Asia

The rules that will set the revenue ceiling for rice methane credits over the next decade are being written now. Article 6 authorization frameworks across South East Asia, CORSIA's eligible-unit requirements, Singapore's international carbon credit framework under its carbon tax, and Japan's JCM and GX-ETS are all moving at once. Whoever secures credible, authorised pathways early will define the market for everyone else.

Mitti needs clear, tangible entry proof-points in these compliance markets. The single most important lever is a Letter of Authorization (LoA) from host-country governments for our Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) projects, backed by a clear route to buyers in Singapore, Japan, and international aviation.

The Head of Policy, South East Asia is the person who makes that happen. This is not a traditional communications or government affairs role. It is a technical–political–commercial role. You need carbon market literacy to understand the sticking points in AWD and rice methane methodologies, policy fluency to navigate a dozen fast-moving regulatory regimes, the relationships and cultural range to sit in any room from a ministry in Jakarta to a buyer in Singapore, and the commercial instinct to turn all of it into Mitti's expansion strategy.

This means prioritizing across multiple countries and regimes, knowing when to lean on internal teams versus external advisors, and not stopping until real outcomes are achieved: an authorization granted, a methodology accepted, a buyer able to use our credits for compliance. Working alongside the C-suite, the Head of South East Asia, and our country heads, you'll help drive Mitti's SEA compliance market entry and be the company's policy expert across the region.

Role Responsibilities

• Support the Head of South East Asia and the C-suite in shaping Mitti's compliance market pathway and country sequencing: Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia on the supply side, and Singapore, Japan, and CORSIA on the demand side. Build and maintain a dossier for each target country covering its regulatory landscape, Article 6 architecture, LoA requirements, timeline to first compliance revenue, and addressable market size.
• Identify decision-makers in each host government and drive LoA applications through to approval, ensuring each aligns with the country's NDC, sustainable development criteria, corresponding adjustment approach, and environmental integrity requirements. Engage at national and ministerial levels, resolve blockers early, and bring in local partners or experts as needed.
• Represent Mitti at SEA and Asia-Pacific policy forums, ministerial roundtables, and COP and SB sessions. Build partnerships with regional organizations such as IRRI, ADB, the World Bank, and JICA, as well as national rice research institutes, NGOs, and other agricultural carbon developers.
• Support the co-founders and commercial team in establishing how Mitti credits qualify under CORSIA, Singapore's international carbon credit framework, bilateral Implementation Agreements, and Japan's JCM and GX-ETS. Attend compliance demand conferences and help secure closed-door meetings with buyers and intermediaries.
• Track and anticipate regulatory, Article 6, and methodology developments across the region, including at JCM Joint Committees and the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body. Work with science and operations teams to ensure Mitti's dMRV stack and ground operations keep pace, and provide insight to the commercial team on pricing and contracting implications.

Requirements

Essential

• 5 to 7 years in carbon markets, climate policy, international environmental governance, or a closely related field, including significant time working in South East Asia.
• Strong understanding of compliance carbon markets relevant to Asia: CORSIA, Singapore's carbon tax and international carbon credit framework, Japan's JCM and GX-ETS, and emerging domestic schemes across SEA.
• Working command of Article 6 mechanics: 6.2 cooperative approaches, 6.4 (PACM), ITMOs, LoAs, corresponding adjustments, DNA roles, and reporting obligations.
• A clear understanding of how LoAs are secured in SEA: who decides, what a strong application contains, and what it takes to move the process along.
• Experience navigating complex, multi-stakeholder government and policy environments across Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, and Japan.
• Exceptional written and spoken communication, with a strong eye for detail.
• Fluent English.

Strongly Preferred

• Direct experience securing an LoA or equivalent host-country authorization from a SEA government.
• Strong existing relationships in environment ministries, DNAs, agriculture ministries, or national climate bodies in the region.
• Familiarity with agricultural carbon markets and rice methane methodologies, including AWD methodologies under Verra, Isometric, Gold Standard, and the JCM.
• Experience in an early-stage company or startup environment.
• Working knowledge of Bahasa Indonesia, Filipino, Vietnamese, Thai, Khmer, or Japanese.

Personal Attributes

• Relationship-focused: You build trust with officials over time and keep processes moving.
• Culturally aware: You adapt how you engage across the region's different business and government cultures.
• Mission-driven: You care about climate and smallholder livelihoods.
• Technically grounded: You engage credibly with scientists, regulators, and buyers.
• Structured and detail-oriented: You're comfortable with regulatory detail and can explain its business implications.
• Outcome-oriented: You measure success by progress on authorizations, methodologies, and compliance revenue.
• Entrepreneurial: You're comfortable with ambiguity and take ownership of your work.
• Collaborative: You work well across science, commercial, finance, and field teams, as well as with regulators, standards bodies, and buyers.