Position: Climate Policy Officer
Location: Flexible. ID has staff in London, Geneva, Brussels and New York, but will consider candidates based in any location.
Hours: Full-time.
Closing date for applications: April 9, 2020

Background

Independent Diplomat has advised the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) at the highest level for a decade. This partnership has helped transform the low-lying island state into one of the most influential climate leaders on the international stage. ID worked with RMI to form the – still active – High Ambition Coalition in the run up to the Paris Agreement, helping to secure key elements of the deal such as the 1.5C temperature goal, the net zero global emissions pathway by the second half of the century, and a five-year cycle for updating mitigation contributions. RMI is also a major force behind efforts to cut emissions in international shipping and the phase-down of HFCs through the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol.

At the 2018 UN General Assembly, the Marshall Islands published their landmark 2050 Strategy, again leading the way by setting a vision to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. In October 2018, RMI became the first country in the world to submit a new and more ambitious NDC to the UNFCCC. Together, with the Marshall Islands, Independent Diplomat has played a major role in securing a host of important climate outcomes and continues to help them be the vanguard for international efforts to urgently increase ambition.

In 2020, ID will work with the Marshall Islands both on mitigation and adaptation, to make sure it can leverage RMI’s leadership as effectively as possible around key objectives, especially through the High Ambition Coalition. Independent Diplomat will work with the Marshall Islands to ensure that the country continues to play a leadership role on ambition and that the HAC builds upon what it achieved in 2019. COP26 will be a crucial moment for climate action, as Parties will have to submit enhanced NDCs and agree on outstanding matters of the Katowice Rulebook. ID and the HAC have identified a number of key objectives, which respond to the need for enhanced NDCs by 2020, and the activities required to achieve them.

Purpose

The Climate Policy Officer will work to assist ID’s Climate Team with the delivery of an integrated package of climate diplomacy services to the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the High Ambition Coalition.

The successful candidate will:

  • Track developments in the UN climate change negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and related trends in international climate change and energy policy;
  • Follow the work of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on emission reduction, attending relevant negotiating sessions and coordination meetings;
  • Undertake analysis of political and economic conditions in major economies and other influential countries as it relates to their negotiating positions and proposed commitments under the Paris Agreement;
  • Draft political briefing documents for the RMI leadership, government officials and the ID Climate Team in preparation for diplomatic meetings and negotiating sessions;
  • Assist with legal analysis and drafting of textual proposals in the run-up to COP26 and other key events;
  • Assist the ID Climate Team with the development of public advocacy and media messaging for the RMI leadership, including relevant Ministers, envoys, and senior government officials;
  • Assist with the monitoring of international climate change-related media coverage and reporting to the RMI Government.

Requirements

Essential

  • University degree in international relations, environment, economics, or a related field
  • Previous experience in international affairs and/or environmental economics, and an understanding of the political dynamics surrounding the international response to climate change
  • Excellent analytical skills, with a proven ability to generate salient political analysis
  • Excellent writing and communication skills
  • Personable and creative self-motivator with a strong work ethic
  • Technologically savvy, with a solid command of digital communications

Preferred

  • Advanced post-secondary degree in international affairs (e.g. MIA), international law (e.g. JD or LLM), or a related field such as economics or environment
  • Three to five years of work experience in climate change and sustainable development policy or multilateral diplomacy
  • Familiarity with the technical aspects of the international climate change negotiations would be an asset
  • Familiarity with the climate change and sustainable development-related challenges of small island developing states would also be an asset

Applications 

Please submit a two-page CV and one-page cover letter demonstrating your suitability for the position to info@independentdiplomat.org by April 9th, indicating “[SURNAME] – CLIMATE POLICY OFFICER” in the email subject line. 

Independent Diplomat is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of qualifications and merit.  Our objective is to encourage diversity and have the best available person in every job.  ID’s policy prohibits discrimination based on race, colour, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, sex (including pregnancy), religion, marital status, familial status, age, alienage or citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, military status, domestic violence victim status or any other unlawful consideration.

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