Head of Natural Resources and Just Transition

SUMMARY

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a high-impact, global organisation serving advocates around the world in the innovative field of business and human rights. We seek a strategic manager to lead an expert team on natural resources and the just transition, with a focus on human rights in the clean energy value chain. They will be an experienced change-maker with a history of delivering impact in the field of human rights and/or environment. They will have a proven track record in programme management, from design, to implementation, team management, and fundraising; a clear commitment to working in solidarity with people and communities to create systemic change; expertise in high-quality communications and influencing; and experience delivering evidence through research and datasets that drive strategic change in business practice and government regulation for human rights and environment.

DETAILS

• Reports to: Director for International Programmes
• Salary: GBP 50,000-54,000 (the range is aligned to London cost of living; if based in another location, the range will be adjusted down accordingly)
• Closing date: 6 February 2023
• Location: Remote. But must be prepared to work at least four hours per day 1300 – 1700 Coordinated Universal Time.  Location in London or Berlin may be an advantage.
• Contract type: Full time
• Annual leave: 24 days/year
• Line Management: 1 part-time Senior Researcher, 1 Researcher, and 1 Research Assistant, with potential for more
• Start: March – April 2023
• Travel: Four to six weeks per year
• To Apply: Complete and return this application form via our jobs portal. Kindly note that the application form is required; we will not accept CVs. If you need any additional support, please reach out to Giulia Vinzi at vinzi@business-humanrights.org

THE ORGANISATION

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre works with diverse allies and partners to put human rights at the core of companies’ business models and end abuse; to empower communities and workers to secure their rights and gain accountability for abuse; and to encourage governments to create the right regulation and incentives to uphold human rights in business. We employ three primary approaches in achieving this vision: strengthening allies and movements; driving accountability for abuse; and influencing decision-makers.

We are a global organisation that is rooted in five continental regions. We have a diverse Global Team of 80, based in 20 locations around the world. Global Team members work with a rich network of human rights advocates in ten languages. Our work covers the full gamut of human rights in business, with three thematic programmes: accountable digital technologies; workers’ rights in global supply chains; and responsible natural resource use and a just transition. These are complemented by three cross cutting approaches: civic freedoms and human rights defenders; corporate legal accountability; and racial and gender justice. We place strong emphasis on our alliance with grassroots organizations facing often profound inequalities of power in protecting their rights; alongside our ability to influence responsible business, investors, and governments for transformative change.

THE POSITION

We seek a strategic leader and programme manager with a track record of effective leadership and impact in business and human rights or social, economic or environmental justice, with a focus on the impact of the climate crisis on human rights. They will lead an expert team focused on supporting the drive for a fast and fair transition to renewable energy (from transition mineral extraction to renewable energy installation), that centres human rights in the process.

Lead and manage our programme on Natural Resources and Just Transition: Provide strategic leadership, vision, delivery and innovation to sustain a high-impact global programme on just transition. Lead on strategic and programme planning with the team to deliver high-impact research and influencing programmes that present a compelling case for a fast and fair transition. Directly manage and empower the members of the Natural Resources team to deliver a powerful and adaptive programme. This includes staff development and day-to-day people management, with support from our Human Resources Manager. Oversee and contribute to the delivery of our programme, in line with the partnerships with our partners and their realities, and our funders. Interrogate new areas where the Resource Centre can make a useful contribution to just transition debates. Manage the budgets and deliverables of all current grants, including reporting.

Manage the team and collaborate to build synergies across our regions and programmes: Work closely with our regional teams around the world to coordinate a truly global programme from the Lithium Triangle in Latin America, to renewable energy megaprojects in East Africa, to seabed mining in the Pacific. Work with the teams of other thematic programmes (labour rights, tech and rights, legal accountability, civic freedoms) to build synergies between programmes.

Lead and manage the research agenda: Design and deliver high impact research and analyses that assess company abuses, policy and practice in the transition mineral mining and renewable energy sectors, particularly through our Transition Minerals Tracker and our Renewable Energy and Human Rights Benchmark. Lead in advancing research along the renewable energy value chain, including on co-equity models for Indigenous communities. Work closely with the Communications team to design and research products and events and aid in dissemination.  Manage consultants and research partners as necessary.

Lead our influencing and external relations: Lead the continued development and execution of our influencing strategies with allies towards governments, investors, and companies to maximise our collective impact on current debates and outcomes regarding the just transition. Assess and select influencing approaches with strongest outcomes for victims of corporate abuse and the speed of the transition. Represent the organization at high-level meetings and in the media.

Strengthen our alliances and networks: work with the Natural Resource and Regional teams to further enhance our network of allies and partners with whom we share common goals, building collaborative approaches to maximise our collective impact.

Lead our fundraising on Just Transition: work with our fundraising team to strengthen our partnerships with existing funders and build long term, flexible support for our just transition work. Identify new potential funders, and explore opportunities to build new partnerships. Lead and oversee the development of proposals and the writing of high-quality reports to donors.

Contribute to organizational development: As a Head of Programme, and member of the Organisational Leadership Group, play a full role in the evolution of the Resource Centre in terms of the delivery of our mission, development of new strategies, effectiveness and efficiency of our internal systems, and our team culture.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Strategic leader: At least 5 years’ experience leading ambitious human rights, or natural resource programmes. Proven experience in developing and implementing high-impact strategies that require engagement with rightsholders, investors, companies, and governments.
• Experienced researcher: Skill and enthusiasm to deliver compelling evidence and analysis, design rigorous methodologies, and handle data sets.
• Natural resource expertise: At least 5+ years’ demonstrable experience working on the broad natural resource sector and/or environmental justice issues, including extractive industries, and natural resource governance, and preferably with knowledge of renewable energy deployment and technologies, the climate crisis and response and/or just transition approaches. Experience and understanding of Indigenous Peoples, land, and water rights is desirable, as is familiarity with the broad business and human rights agenda and movement.
• Project manager: Proven ability to manage large research and influencing projects for external impact through strong understanding of the programme cycle, building high quality diverse teams, and external alliances, and excellent relations with funders.
• People manager: At least 5 years’ experience in line management and/or programme management of people, preferably across cultures and geographies. Ability to delegate and empower teams and their members with accountability. Ability to train and nurture talent. Experience of remote management of global teams an advantage.
• Strategic advocate: Proven ability to design and execute influencing and advocacy strategies that lead to policy and practice change by governments, companies and investors. Track record of high-level representation, and ability to engage with the business and investors to drive change and ensure corporate accountability. Experience engaging the UNFCCC and similar multi-lateral bodies is desirable.
• Communications: Proven ability to drive high quality external communications, and good knowledge of communications strategies for external impact. Excellent command of written and spoken English essential. Other languages an asset. Strong media experience an advantage.
• Network and alliance-building: Demonstrable success in helping nurture effective international networks and alliances to advance human rights or natural resource justice.
• Commitment to our values: Demonstrable commitment to the values and model of change of the Resource Centre as expressed in our Strategic Plan 2021-2024. A desire to work to our change strategies in business and human rights and understanding of Global South realities.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a diverse, global team. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone and we acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in progressive movements. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian, Latinx and other minorities, people with disabilities, and people who identify as LGBTQ+.

To Apply: Complete and return this application form via our jobs portal. Kindly note that the application form is required; we will not accept CVs. If you need any additional support, please reach out to Giulia Vinzi at vinzi@business-humanrights.org