Job Description / Terms of Reference

Position Title: Head Climate Action and Ambition

Reports to: Executive Director

Location: Flexible

Capacity: 100%

Term: Contract until 30 June 2020, with the strong possibility of renewal

ORGANIZATION SUMMARY:

The Climate Action Network (CAN) is a worldwide network of over 1300 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in more than 120 countries, working to promote government and individual action to limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels.

CAN members work to achieve this goal through information exchange and the coordinated development of NGO strategy on international, regional, and national climate issues. CAN has regional network hubs that coordinate these efforts around the world.

JOB RESPONSIBILTIES:

• The Head of the Climate Action and Ambition Department directs strategy development and execution of CANs climate ambition work.
• The HOD is a member of the Senior Management Team and contributes to the collective leadership of the CAN I Secretariat.
• Leads, line manages and coordinates the National and Regional Climate Action team and workstreams within the Secretariat and the Network.
• Manages the department budget in line with strategic priorities, including contributions to CAN’s fundraising efforts within the Departments area of work.
• Leads coordination amongst network members, Nodes and partners on joint advocacy efforts towards increasing ambition internationally through for example the CAN Ambition and NDC Enhancement working group, campaigns and by maintaining relations with other policy networks, actors and stakeholders.
• Ensures strong linkages between the international ambition efforts and advocacy efforts on the national level.
• Identifies, establishes and strengthens the bottom-up and member-driven nature of this coordination, ensuring that this area of work is informed, guided and shaped by the network, including and in particular by national actors.
• Works closely with the Head of Communications and the Senior Communications Officer to agree and jointly implement international, national and regional enhancement efforts on a global level.
• Represents CAN at external meetings in particular those that relate to climate ambition and action on international and national level, such as the Marrakech Partnership, the Alliances for Climate Action and other multi-stakeholder dialogue initiatives including through a potential associate membership with the NDC Partnership.
• Works closely with other Secretariat departments and colleagues in the network that have a strategic interest in the above-mentioned processes and initiatives and develops and implements a jointly agreed programme of work and related activities that can be used in a strategic manner by Nodes and members, thereby contributing to their advocacy efforts for climate ambition raising and strengthened climate action implementation.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Education and professional qualifications:

• The job holder must possess the following requirements with or without a reasonable accommodation:
• Advanced degree in international policy, environmental and/or sustainability studies, or development studies, or a related field.

Job-related experience & knowledge:

• Prior experience working for an international NGO or an organization focused on climate change policies, environmental issues and/or international development issues.
• Minimum 7 years of progressively more senior experience in a managerial function and/or in a senior management function within an international network organization.
• Minimum 3 years in a position supervising others.
• Experience in a nonprofit organization with international operations and/or within a global network structure.
• Strong understanding of how to achieve programme targets and goals through guiding and leading a diverse set of stakeholders, collaborators and partners towards a common goal.

PREFERRED SKILLS & ABILITIES:

The following skills and abilities are preferred:

Job-related skills/abilities:

• Excellent organizational and time management skills within a dynamic work environment.
• Ability to prioritize, adjust workload, juggle multiple assignments and meet or exceed deadlines.
• Problem-solver mentality, with the ability to adapt seamlessly to changing priorities, manage stakeholder expectations and gain buy in from partners on strategic goals and direction.
• Leadership skills to work with autonomy with a self-start mentality to manage stakeholder relationships and balance employee needs and concerns within the organization’s policies and goals.
• Experience of building and leading teams through strong interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Cross-cultural sensitivity and ability to work effectively taking into account different socio-cultural contexts and global timezones.

Language:

• Strong written and oral communication skills in English, other UN languages are an asset.

Travel:

• Ability to travel internationally up to 40% of the time.

IT Skills:

• Computer skills: advanced competence in MS Office & complex databases.
• Ability to coordinate and administer meetings using digital communication platform applications, such as mailinglists, Zoom, GoToMeeting and Skype.

Other skills:

• Excellent facilitation and convening skills of online and workshop meetings.