Climate Law & Policy [CLP] is seeking a Legal Expert to join our new office in Oxford. This is an excellent opportunity to work with a dynamic and growing organisation, committed to advancing new research, and developing innovative approaches to improving environmental governance around the world.
CLP is looking for an experienced team player who is comfortable working with a diverse group of clients and in a wide range of countries and projects. The position will involve providing in-depth and cutting edge legal and policy advice issues across the disciplines of climate change, biodiversity, and human rights. The ideal candidate will therefore have a broad base of experience and knowledge across multiple areas relevant to international environmental law, policy and more generally, environmental governance.
Background
Climate Law and Policy [CLP] is an independent advisory organisation that helps design, implement and sustain advances in environmental governance.
CLP was founded in 2013 and has an international and multidisciplinary team of legal and policy specialists who work closely with a broad base of stakeholders, including international development organisations, governments, non-governmental organisations and the private sector. We work at all levels, ranging from international policy fora, national, sub-national, local, to project level design and implementation.
Our approach is to strive to create harmony and find synergies between different policy ‘disciplines’ that are traditionally tackled in isolation, such as between climate change, human rights and biodiversity conservation. CLP provides support and advice on several crosscutting areas including: land use management and forests, REDD+, and social and environmental safeguards.
CLP specialises in providing strategic advice on the design of national and project level safeguards frameworks for REDD+. We are experts in designing governance frameworks to supporting countries seeking to meet the REDD+ safeguards requirements adopted by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change [UNFCCC]; and safeguards frameworks derived from bilateral donors and multilateral initiatives. CLP has been supporting the governments of Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, Ghana, Dominican Republic, Panama, Costa Rica, Viet Nam, and Papua New Guinea to develop country safeguard approaches and design their Safeguard Information Systems [SIS]. These approaches are designed to ensure the consistency of REDD+ implementation with the UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards and to guide the set-up of SIS. CLP also supports countries to meet the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility’s [FCPF] safeguard requirements, including by carrying out Strategic Social and Environmental Assessments [SESA], developing social and environmental safeguards management plans/frameworks [e.g. ESMF], and developing relevant capacity building tools and activities.
Role and responsibilities
• Lead the sourcing and delivery of projects that provide:
o policy advice on the development of environmental policies, law and regulations in the areas of climate change, land use, biodiversity and human rights;
o policy advice on the development of conflict, dispute resolution, and grievance redress mechanisms; o policy advice on the development of benefit sharing arrangements;
o support strategic environmental and social assessments (SESA) and preparation of environmental social management frameworks (ESMF);
• Prepare and publish thematic analytical reports and studies;
• Support the expansion of CLP's project pipeline, contribute to new project proposals; and
• Build client relationship, including through travel to and participation in international meetings and conferences.
Candidate Profile
• Undergraduate Law degree;
• Advanced degree (Master’s degree) in environmental law/policy, biodiversity, human rights, development policy, or a closely related field;
• At least 5 years’ of relevant experience in the field of environment, climate change and development from government, international development agencies, civil society or private sector;
• Expertise in policy advisory, advocacy and ability of engagement with different levels of government;
• Expertise in the area of climate change, environmental policy, sustainable development, forest management and conservation, green growth or similar;
• Experience in technical assistance/cooperation programmes, training/capacity building initiatives;
Experience in the following areas would be an advantage:
• Experience in providing advisory services to development/donor agencies;
• Direct implementation experience in programming and policy development in forest and climate change mitigation;
• REDD+;
• Safeguards;
Skills and Competency
• Ability to work well in a team, but also independently with only minimum guidance;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, ability to communicate ideas effectively and write quickly and clearly;
• Ability to manage challenging tasks and deliver on time and to a high standard;
• Ability to plan and prioritise work in terms of importance, timescales and other resource constraints, re-prioritising in light of changing circumstances;
• Well structured, systematic approach to problem solving, analytical mindset, results oriented;
• Demonstrated ability to think and plan strategically;
• Excellent legal and qualitative analytical skills, and adept at analysing problems rigorously and from all angles, showing sound practical and political judgement;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to give authoritative advice and influence external stakeholders, and ability to adapt language, content and style to address the needs of different audiences;
• Excellent political and practical judgment and diplomacy;
• Proven line management and project management experience (including setting of common objectives, quality control, evaluation, motivation, performance management, learning and development);
• Ability to build partnerships and relationships, ideally in developing countries
• Ability to grasp quickly new and complex concepts and areas of law, and commitment to learning
• Willingness to travel internationally for a period of days up to multiple weeks, potentially several times a year;
• Fluency in other languages (in particular, Spanish and/or French) would be an asset
• Eligible to work in the UK (existing work permit or EU/UK national)
Time and Remuneration
Part or Full time position with an expected start date in April 2019. The salary will be competitive and commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Application
Interested candidates should submit their resume or CV, cover letter and list of publications in ONE pdf document addressed to Daniela Rey Christen at info@climatelawandpolicy.com
Please send your application by March 29th, 2019 together with:
- Cover letter stating your motivation for applying
- CV in English
- List of three references, including email addresses, phone numbers, as well as relationship to candidate.
Please put the following title on the Subject line: “Legal Expert 2019 ”.
