Land Acquisition Director

Vaulted Deep

Houston, TX

About Vaulted

Vaulted is an emerging leader in permanent carbon removal. As a Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) solution, Vaulted delivers permanent, high quality carbon removal at scale through the geologic sequestration of carbon-filled organic waste.

Our Values

Safety comes first. We protect our people, communities, and environment above all else. Everyone gets home safely and deserves a safe home.

We seek & tell the truth. Every person has the power and obligation to speak up, free from fear of repercussion. We are transparent in what we do and what we think. Anchored in a culture of kindness and respect, we do this in the spirit of making ourselves and our work better.

We believe there’s no time to waste… In the fight against climate change. That urgency drives our entrepreneurial spirit and our sense of ownership in building this company. We are self-starters with a bias to action.

We do the work to be great. Greatness is to combine our intellectual rigor, diverse perspectives, and collective innovation to solve the hard problems together.

Our Approach

Vaulted’s approach is designed to be the lowest cost, gigaton scale, permanent carbon removal. We sequester sludgy organic wastes (biosolids, manure, agricultural, food waste, paper sludge, etc.) that today are sent to a landfill, dumped into an ocean/river, land applied, or otherwise left to decompose, releasing Green House Gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. Vaulted leverages a suite of patented, mature, geologic slurry sequestration technologies which allow us to sequester organic waste with minimal processing. We inject deep under the earth’s surface, where the carbon is permanently trapped under a layer of impermeable rock - the same formations that have kept hydrocarbons underground for millions of years. We have two permitted, operational, facilities allowing us to reach near-term meaningful scale.

Our carbon removal approach goes beyond vaulting carbon. It inherently improves local environmental and human health. In doing so, our operations redress historically unjust waste management practices and advance environmental justice.

Vaulted is backed by leading carbon removal and climate investors, including Lowercarbon Capital, Earthshot Ventures, and WovenEarth Ventures.

About the Role

At Vaulted, we have an aggressive development plan for new sites. The pace at which we can ramp up our Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) generation is directly tied to our ability to locate, permit, and develop new injection sites in different geographies. The Land Acquisition Director will play a pivotal role in spearheading the identification, targeting, and permitting of new well sites both within the US and on the international front.

Core responsibilities

As a Land Acquisition Director at Vaulted, your core responsibilities will include:

Leadership & Team Building:

• Build, lead, and mentor a lands acquisition team, including full-time employees, contract lands people and real estate agents, and consultants to manage land identification, acquisition, and negotiations.
• Develop and implement strategic land acquisition plans to meet Vaulted’s growth objectives.

Land Identification and Acquisition:

• Lead the identification of suitable land for organic material carbon sequestration facilities, ensuring geographic, environmental, and logistical alignment with Vaulted’s strategic objectives.
• Negotiate land acquisition agreements, including leases, purchases, or easements, ensuring favorable terms for the company.
• Work with internal teams to evaluate land viability based on geologic, market, and regulatory considerations.

Pore Space Acquisition:

• Spearhead the acquisition of pore space for organic material CO2 sequestration.
• Collaborate with engineering and regulatory teams to ensure compliance with environmental laws and contract requirements.

Permitting and Compliance:

• Identify and secure any necessary local, state, and federal permits related to development of the acquired lands, focusing on compliance with environmental regulations.
• Oversee the legal and administrative aspects of land deeds, rights-of-way, and zoning requirements to facilitate facility development.

Stakeholder and Community Engagement:

• In coordination with Vaulted’s Head of Regulatory Affairs, serve as a liaison between Vaulted and local landowners, government agencies, and community stakeholders, building positive relationships and addressing concerns.
• Collaborate with local communities and ensure that Vaulted’s operations align with community development and environmental sustainability goals.

Environmental and Regulatory Oversight:

• Ensure adherence to all local environmental regulations and practices that support Vaulted’s mission of carbon removal.
• Coordinate with environmental specialists to assess potential land sites for environmental impact and any additional surface study needed to secure operations permit.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with legal, engineering, and operations teams to ensure seamless development of new sequestration facilities.
• Align land acquisition efforts with broader company timelines and strategic goals.

Project Oversight:

• Manage land development projects, ensuring they remain within timelines and budgets.
• Report on progress, market trends, and regulatory changes to executive leadership.

This is a unique opportunity to work in a fast-paced and rewarding environment where your contributions will directly lead to mitigating, and eventually reversing, the worst impacts of climate change.

We have a strong preference for an in-person candidate in Houston, but we may accommodate geographic flexibility for the very best fit candidate.

What You Will Bring

To succeed in this role, and to help the company to succeed in our mission, the Land Acquisition Director will need restlessness, drive, hustle, and a deep sense of urgency. They will need to be able to manage multiple threads at the same time, while delivering rapid results from an understaffed team, if for no other reason than the planet simply cannot wait. In addition, we seek a candidate with:

• Bachelor’s degree in land management, real estate, environmental science, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in land acquisition, real estate management, or a similar field, preferably in the environmental, energy, or infrastructure sectors.
• Demonstrated experience in acquiring both surface and subsurface (pore space) rights for large-scale projects.
• Strong negotiation skills with a proven track record in securing land for large-scale projects.
• In-depth knowledge of land-use laws, environmental regulations, and permitting processes.
• Strong leadership and team-building skills with a proven track record of managing complex negotiations.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders, including government officials, landowners, and local communities.
• Willingness to travel to various project sites, both domestically and internationally.
• Extensive professional network of land professionals, legal experts, and permitting authorities in target geographies, to streamline acquisition processes and facilitate complex negotiations.

Additional Skills

• Familiarity with carbon sequestration or renewable energy projects is a plus.
• Proficient in GIS and other mapping tools to assess land potential.
• Strong project management skills with an ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.