Canada/Remote: Policy Advisor, Environment, Conflict and Peacebuilding

Oct 6, 2024 | International Institute for Sustainable Development
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The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 270 experts come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in more than 100 countries. 

 

About the Position

 

ISD’s Resilience Program is a multidisciplinary team of policy researchers who work with governments, civil society, communities, and businesses to help them manage climate- and conflict-related risks. The Program is built around research and action in three core pillars: People, Planning and Governance, and Nature. Work under these three pillars focuses on preparing for a different or uncertain future, making sure different genders and social groups influence and benefit from resilience investments, and harnessing the role of ecosystems to help communities manage climate and conflict risk. The Program hosts the Secretariat for the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Global Network, an initiative focused on accelerating adaptation planning and action in developing countries. 

 

Within the work of the Resilience Program, the Environment, Conflict, and Peacebuilding (ECP) team explores and analyzes the complex connections between environmental issues and conflict. Environmental factors themselves are rarely, if ever, the sole cause of violence. However, natural resource management and other environmental factors are linked to conflicts in a variety of ways and are often obscured by more visible issues, such as ethnic tension and power politics. We focus on what can be done about these connections across the three pillars of People, Planning and Governance, and Nature so that policy-makers and practitioners working in conflict-affected and high-risk areas can support the transition from fragility to peace. 

 

Position Description 

 

The Policy Advisor will contribute to the development, implementation, and communication of original research and technical support related to the Resilience Program’s portfolio of work on ECP. They will contribute to the strategic direction of the ECP team, and the Resilience Program more broadly, through the identification of opportunities, challenges, and solutions for advancing and growing our work on the intersection of environmental and climate change, natural resource management conflict, and peacebuilding in the Global South.  Within this, they will advance associated work on adaptation planning in conflict-affected and high-risk areas via the NAP Global Network, as well as conflict-sensitive ecosystem-based adaptation in and around protected areas.  

 

 

Responsibilities: 

 

Main Responsibilities 

 

Strategy (20%) 
 

  • Work with team members within the Resilience Program to support the operation and expansion of IISD’s work on ECP in a way that aligns with the strategic direction of the Resilience team and the priorities of partners and donors. 
  • Engage with team members to recognize challenges, opportunities, and solutions relating to the ECP work and to the Resilience Program more broadly; help define and execute appropriate response strategies. 
  • Contribute to the development and growth of new work related to ECP.  
  • Promote a culture of high performance, continuous improvement, and shared learning.  
  • Manage own time and inputs into projects to deliver technical support outputs on time and on budget.  

  

Research (40%) 

 

  • Lead and/or contribute to the delivery of high-quality primary and secondary research, knowledge products, communication materials, and other project outputs that accurately synthesize and assess research findings. 
  • Contribute to knowledge products—such as reports, briefs, and blogs—that synthesize, assess, and share IISD’s work on ECP.  
  • Follow and summarize news, trends, and events pertaining to conflict, peacebuilding, climate change, natural resource management, and biodiversity loss, in both the practice and policy realms. 

 

Technical Support and Operations (15%) 

 

  • Support the implementation and management of ECP projects from beginning to end. This includes identifying funding opportunities and partnerships, proposal writing, designing and managing project work plans, delivery of project outputs, and coordination of contracting, communications, and reporting, all while working closely with the project management and program finance teams. 
  • Participate in project site visits, arranging elements of these visits as appropriate. 
  • Support the organization of virtual and face-to-face workshops, meetings, and other events of various sizes.  
  • Support systems to measure ECP’s contribution to the progress and impact of the Resilience Program and IISD, as well as project and IISD-wide annual reporting, forecasting, and budget planning processes. 
  • Ensure project compliance with IISD’s policies and that projects are actively monitored against risks, including financial, legal, and reputational. 

 

Communications and Outreach (15%) 

 

  • Develop relevant materials—such as blogs, presentations, and speaking points for websites, webinars, workshops and other events—to communicate the work of the Resilience Program, particularly its ECP work, to targeted audiences in collaboration with the IISD Communications team.  
  • Represent the Resilience Program and IISD at national and international forums, conferences, and public events. 
  • Maintain a network of international and national project partners and identify new contacts in the field.  

 

Business Development and Donor Relationships (10%) 
 

  • Support fundraising efforts by contributing to proposals for funding and business development materials  
  • Identify fundraising opportunities based on existing work or new ideas.   

 

 

Qualifications, Experience and Knowledge (Essential)  

 

  • A master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field of the social sciences or humanities (e.g., geography, political science, economics, sociology) or in another similar area.
  • Minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience, with a focus on conflict, peacebuilding, natural resource management, migration, resilience, and climate change adaptation.  
  • Work experience in developing countries or conflict-affected states would be considered a strong asset. 
  • A strong understanding of the NAP process is considered an asset. 
  • Strong understanding of current global trends and developments in the sector. 
  • Experience with external communications.  
  • Experience in stakeholder management and outreach.  

 

Position Details

 

Location:  Hybrid where IISD has offices in Canada (Ottawa, Toronto and Winnipeg). Remote: Geneva, Germany or UK

 

**Candidates must have the authorization to work in their country of residence during the time of their employment with IISD. IISD is not able to sponsor work permits.**

 

 

Application deadline: October 31, 2024, 4pm CST

Start Date: immediate opportunity

 

 

Application Procedure

 

Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR. Please include the following:

 

Only those candidates we wish to interview will be contacted. Resumes will be kept on file for one year.

 

IISD is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, to correct the conditions of social injustice and disadvantage in employment around the world, we encourage candidates from historically marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify themselves as 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply for this position. Preference will be given to the equity-deserving groups during the hiring process. We offer reasonable accommodations in our recruitment process and seek applicants’ advice on how best to accommodate their needs. Please self-identify and answer our employment equity questionnaire on our applicant tracking system when you apply.