London, The Hague, and Nairobi: Climate and Peace Advocacy Advisor

Feb 15, 2022 | International Alert
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For over 30 years, International Alert has been working to build positive peace and reduce violence, working across conflict lines and with all parties to conflicts. They have a proud track record of achieving change in fragile and conflict-affected countries and territories.

This is an exciting time to join the Climate Crisis and Natural Resource Management (CC/NRM) team, part of the Peacebuilding Advisory Unit. The urgency of the climate crisis and its impact on peace and stability is at the top of International Alert’s influencing agenda.

We are focusing on the links between climate change, natural resource management/environmental issues and conflict. We are increasing our voice and reaching key change makers to (1) explain how to address the emerging climate security risks, (2) urge conflict sensitivity to be placed at centre of climate action and financing, and (3) call for improved business practices to ensure the rush for green minerals does not become a conflict driver.

The postholder will be key to driving this agenda forward. They will work closely with the Head of the CC/NRM team to lead our global climate change and conflict influencing strategy. They will ensure Alert identifies and focuses our influencing work on relevant policies and policy conversations that will maximise our upstream impact as a peacebuilding organisation. They will ensure that Alert engages with appropriate influencing targets and networks growing and maintaining those networks and relationships. They will work alongside country teams and regional programmes supporting research efforts to build the necessary, robust evidence base. They will provide policy and influencing support and enable connections and collaborations across country and regional teams to strengthen national and regional influencing work, tying it to global influencing efforts.

Duties and Responsibilities

Influencing policy and practice

  • Provide policy analysis and guidance on targeted policy entry points for change and shaping relevant policy messaging.
  • Engage with policy makers and other stakeholders on Alert’s influencing priorities related to climate crisis, natural resource management and peacebuilding.
  • Develop new relationships and networks, and maintain existing ones with relevant climate adaptation organisations, academics, NGOs, businesses, and governments to raise awareness and support for the team’s work.
  • Coordinate Alert staff to deliver the influencing strategy on CC/NRM, including for example managing influencing plans, supporting cross-organisational working groups, and liaising closely with other teams such as Advocacy and Communications.
  • Undertake policy research to identify Alert’s messaging on key developments and issues related to CC/NRM and peacebuilding.
  • Organise relevant external events as part of this agenda.
  • Represent Alert in relevant advocacy platforms and meetings such as Environmental Peacebuilding Association, Climate Diplomacy, European Peacebuilding Liaison office, the Environment Climate Conflict and Peace Network, Climate Diplomacy Initiative, Water Peace and Security partnership and others as appropriate.
  • Conduct research and analysis to help bridge the gap between practice and policy
  • Conduct research on issues related to the climate crisis, natural resource management and peacebuilding.
  • Contribute to the monitoring of and learning from programming to identify gaps and needs of communities, institutions and governments that could inform the influencing agenda.
  • Contribute to producing high-quality publications and outreach products on issues relevant to building peace, the climate crisis and natural resource management, aimed at influencing national and international policymakers, practitioners, and other key audiences.
  • Support and collaborate with country programmes and other PAU teams.
  • Accompany and advise country teams on advocacy approaches for CC/NRM.
  • Support the development of country advocacy plans around CC/NRM.
  • Collaborate with country programmes and PAU teams to develop and implement influencing projects on issues related to the climate crisis and natural resource management.
  • Lead research and evidence gathering on the impact of climate crisis and natural resource management programming nationally and globally.
  • Work with colleagues across Alert to help develop, fundraise for, and implement the CC/NRM strategy
  • Actively participate in strategic planning and team meetings to contribute to the overall success of the CC/NRM team.
  • Lead and collaborate with country programmes on proposal development as relevant to the CC/NRM influencing work.
  • Support development, implementation, budget management and reporting of CC/NRM projects as and when required.
  • Contribute to the effective working of Alert generally
  • Liaise and collaborate with different sub-teams of the Peacebuilding Advisory Unit including the Peace Economies team, Gender team and the Conflict Hub to strengthen synergies between different thematic areas of work.
  • Liaise and collaborate with teams across the organisations (e.g. communications team, regional teams) as and when needed.
  • Other responsibilities as may be required.

Travel requirements

Once COVID-19 related travel restrictions subside, there will be expectation for regular traveling – estimated to be about 4-8 weeks a year.

Candidate Specification

Talents

At Alert, we have introduced Talent Management to our business model as we believe talented people are crucial to the success of our work. We believe all individuals are talented and success comes in matching the right talents to the right roles. For this role, the skills, qualifications and experience listed below are important, but we believe that to be great in this job you are likely, first and foremost, to have a talent for working with people from very different backgrounds – you will be comfortable in boardrooms, and you will be at ease with community members in remote regions. You can convene people and address difficult issues thanks to your personality and leadership skills and your diplomatic ability. You act with humility yet manage to build skills and change perceptions. You have attention to detail, yet don’t lose sight of the big picture.

Essential Requirements

  • At least 3 years of experience working in climate change, environmental issues and/or peacebuilding in developing or fragile contexts (headquarters or field-based).
  • Acute analytical skills and strong writing ability that allow you to unpack and clearly articulate conflict and peacebuilding issues and their links to climate change, the environment and natural resources like land, water, and forests.
  • At least 3 years of experience in advocacy and influencing work with an international organisation and/or the peacebuilding sector in developing or fragile contexts (headquarters or field-based).
  • At least 3 years of experience in research, analysis and writing evidence-based advocacy material including generating policy recommendations.
  • Degree in a relevant subject, such as peace and conflict studies, economics, environmental studies, development studies, international relations, human rights, or equivalent experience.
  • Familiarity with relevant frameworks, conventions and networks, such as UNFCCC, IPCC, GHP protocol, NDCs/NAPs, SDGs etc.
  • Strong skills and experience in communicating and reaching out to diverse stakeholders at different levels, including governments, NGOs and businesses.
  • Brings a network and relationships with stakeholders working on climate change, environmental issues and/or the peacebuilding.
  • Experience of, and confident in, public speaking and organising panel events. Ability to take initiative, work independently and proactively, build relationships and networks internally and externally.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication and inter-personal skills.
  • Fluent in written and spoken English

Desirable Requirements

  • Fluent in written and spoken French, Arabic, Swahili or other relevant languages.
  • Demonstrable understanding of, or experience of working with, gender theory and practice, as well as conceptual knowledge and operational skills in applying gender approaches
  • A track record in successful project management, including monitoring and evaluation.
  • Demonstrable understanding of conflict transformation and peacebuilding theory and practice and operational skills in applying conflict-sensitive approaches.