Climate Advisor
We are excited to be looking for a Climate Advisor, this is a newly created role to join our Global Technical Assistance team
This is a remote position, open to candidates based in US, UK, France or globally.
This role is required to travel to our country offices approximately 30% of the time.
At Relief International, we are committed to building a representative, inclusive and authentic workplace. We strongly encourage applications from candidates from minoritized backgrounds those who bring lived experience of the contexts in which we work.
We are proud to be a global recruiter, hiring people from around the world. We offer competitive salaries and benefit packages for all staff, that are applied fairly and transparently. This means we are unable to advertise the salary as it is dependent on the local job market of the staff member, we will inform shortlisted candidates of the salary range as part of the selection process.
Note you must have the right to work in your home-based location and that national terms and conditions will apply.
This role is classified as requiring advanced pre-employment checks, which requires police and enhanced background checks.
About Relief International.
Relief International (RI) works in 15 countries globally to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and chronic poverty.
RI operates in emergency, protracted relief and recovery, and development settings across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Vulnerable populations with whom RI partners, often lack the resources to prepare for, mitigate, and adapt to climate change; they are expected to bear the brunt of its fallout. Worst impacted are RI communities experiencing armed conflict and the ensuing governance breakdown.
About the Opportunity.
The Climate Advisor will lead a highly collaborative process, to shape and implement RI’s climate adaptation and mitigation vision, strategy and theory of change. Reporting to the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Director (WASH) to ensure a fully integrated approach.
Climate change is dramatically affecting our world. Changing weather patterns are affecting food production, and extreme weather events are gaining in frequency and intensity.
see the full Job Description: JD_Climate Advisor
RI’s Climate Advisor is a:
Programmatic visionary, translating strategy into action and engendering a culture of learning and innovation for excellence in program quality and impact.
Consummate humanitarian voice, articulating RI’s sharpened position and positioning RI as a leader in the humanitarian and development sector, globally.
Team builder and talent developer, working as an integral contributor of the Technical Assistance Department and RI’s Programs team; building team capacity and driving talent development throughout the organization.
Kind contributor to an extraordinary team, contributing to collective problem solving as the organization grapples with complex challenges in high-risk settings.
You will lead on:
Vision & Strategy
Drive the implementation of a climate lens in all program design of RI’s core sectors.
Contributing to expectant action and emergency preparedness and planning.
Develop RI’s climate strategy and theory of change, through a highly collaborative process.
New Business Development
Lead and support program design. Working with sector leads, integrate climate smart approaches into RI’s Health & Nutrition, WASH, Livelihoods, Education, Cash, and Protection programming.
Support new business development, most notably for donors spanning bilateral (governments), multilateral (UN and EU), Foundations and Corporations, with an eye towards facilitating public-private partnerships.
Undertake new business development efforts in coordination with the Program Development team and Strategic Partnerships Director to seek out new opportunities - both humanitarian and development.
RI’s Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation Capacity
Provide technical expertise in the development and implementation of climate smart approaches across RI programming.
Grow and strengthen local, community capacity to prepare for, manage and respond to climate shocks and anticipated impacts of climate change with green, digital and off grid solutions.
Build RI’s on-the-ground capacity to deliver quality and holistic programming through the use of innovative and entrepreneurial solutions to complex problems.
Reinforce long-term development by developing relevant approaches and tools, capacity building and technical guidance plans in RI sectors and programs for RI staff and local partners.
Support emergency preparedness through a lens of anticipatory action and planning for RI country offices
Identify, document and disseminate best practices within climate change interventions.
Develop a robust RI community of practice for cross-germination of ideas.
In partnership with teams across the agency, co-lead and support RI’s agency wide rollout and implementation of environmental risk assessment and management.
Representation & Engagement
Shine a light on RI accomplishments, internally and externally.
Stay updated on climate science, trends, and best practices.
Work with MEAL teams to plan for climate-specific and multi-sectoral evaluations, to highlight successes and provide learning opportunities.
Lead representation and engagement efforts in partnership with internal and external stakeholders to influence resource-partners and peers and position RI as a leader in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Provide thought leadership in leading climate change initiatives and networks.
Engage with policymakers, stakeholders, and relevant institutions at local, national, and international levels to advocate for policies that address climate change impacts on vulnerable populations.
Value-Added Partnerships
Explore, lead, and facilitate value-added partnerships – at global, regional, and country levels – that add depth and scale to RI’s work and enable greater resilience and long-term community health and wellbeing.
Serve as RI’s spokesperson on Climate adaptation and mitigation and develop entrepreneurial partnerships with the private sector for durable solutions.
Carbon Credits Program Management
Manage RI’s ongoing fuel-efficient stove program in Ghana, known as “Gyapa™. Oversee the sub-award with implementing partner and coordinating Gyapa’s verification, annual reporting, SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) reporting, project design document (PDD) finalization for the third crediting period and working with brokers to sell Gyapa carbon credits. The Gyapa Program is under the Gold Standard™ for which it earns verified emission reductions (commonly known as carbon credits).
About You.
You will bring the following experience and skills.
Specialized experience in mitigating climatic vulnerability, climate adaption linked to anticipatory action for crisis prevention, and/or climate change linkages to developmental planning at local, national, and/or regional levels preferred.
A degree in environmental science or similar field, OR equivalent experience in the field of environment and development/humanitarian, to include climate and environmental standards for humanitarian programming.
Proven experience at strategic level of leadership and management, which includes policy development, organization-wide roll-out of new policies/procedures, and external representation.
Experience in conducting Environmental Impact evaluation and Environmental Sustainability and Social Screening Procedures, or Nexus Environmental and Social impact assessment.
A deep understanding of climate science, vulnerability assessment methodologies, and climate adaptation/mitigation strategies, preferably with a background in environmental science, climate studies, or related fields.
Previous experience in successfully supporting and managing project teams on full project cycle technical needs - design, implementation, M&E, and lessons learned - including emergency or protracted crises settings, as well as incorporating donor requirements linked to climate and environmental standards for key humanitarian donors (ie ECHO, EU, USAID – with proven demonstrated knowledge).
Involvement in fragile settings within international organisations that have conflict, post-conflict, or transitional state environments, partnering with local stakeholders, such as international NGOs and local authorities.
Knowledge and understanding of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).
Awareness of renewable energy business development and pilot programming is an added advantage.
Sound knowledge of carbon credits, carbon markets, and clean energy. Receptive to advancing carbon credits as a strategy to address climate change.
Ability and enthusiasm to collaboratively work across technically and geographically diverse teams.
Advanced communication skills, including speaking and writing fluency in English is required, and other languages would be an advantage.
Willingness to travel to support RI country offices approximately 30% of the time.
Research shows that women and people of colour are less likely to apply to jobs, unless they meet every single requirement. If you’re excited about this role, but your experience doesn’t align with every criteria described, we encourage you to apply anyway, you could be exactly what we need!
How to apply.
To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button in the job advert page.
You will be asked to upload a CV and Cover Letter.
The cover letter should be two pages, and explain why you are interested in this post with Relief International and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.
Closing date: 29 February 2023
As a humanitarian organization, Relief International is committed to the safeguarding of all those we come into contact with through our work. We are committed to the core humanitarian principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. Relief International expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and uphold the values and behaviors outlined in the Code of Conduct.
Recruitment to all roles in Relief International include a criminal records self-declaration, references, and other pre-employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checks.