Senior Communications Officer, Media Engagement

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 120 people, plus over 150 associates and consultants, come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.

This position is based within the IISD Energy Program (www.iisd.org/energy), a diverse and dynamic team of more than 40 experts based in the IISD Geneva and Ottawa offices as well as remotely in India, Indonesia, South Africa, and other countries.

About the Position

The world’s governments plan to produce more than twice the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 as would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C. This is a major threat to emission reduction targets and our collectively agreed-upon climate objectives. But some governments and institutions are starting to take bold action to wind down oil and gas production and finance. Some of them have recently joined coalitions like the Beyond Oil & Gas Alliance or the UK Climate Change Conference (COP 26) Statement on International Public Support for the Clean Energy Transition_._

Civil society efforts were key to securing these first-mover coalitions. They will also be critical in maintaining political momentum and expanding commitments from other governments and institutions. IISD is at the forefront of these efforts and needs high-impact, effective communications to elevate this work.

The Senior Communications Officer will drive the communications and media strategy for IISD’s work to support a managed phase-out of global oil and gas production aligned with the Paris Agreement and the end of public finance for fossil fuels. They will work within the IISD Energy Program Communications team, collaborating with communications colleagues across IISD and closely coordinating with the Sustainable Energy Supply (SES) team, which leads on research, policy proposals, and strategic advice in this area. The successful candidate can also expect to regularly collaborate with a large range of external stakeholders, including other civil society organizations and networks, governments, and media.

The Senior Communications Officer will aim to maximize impact and visibility. Their key areas of responsibility will include but not be limited to:

• Identifying media opportunities and proactively using media relations strategies to secure press coverage of research outputs, initiatives, and other project news in top international media.
• Developing and implementing a communications and media strategy for a managed global phase-out of oil and gas and the end of public finance for fossil fuels, in particular, identifying target audiences, effective channels of communication, and key messaging to support advocacy efforts.
• Integrating and aligning the supply-side strategy into the broader Energy Program’s—and IISD’s institute-wide—communications strategy. Ensuring brand coherence and compliance with existing IISD communications practices across all IISD websites and publications (new and existing).
• Producing—or supporting team members in creating—communications content (press releases, op-eds, blogs, podcasts, briefings for the media, social media packs, etc.).
• Maintaining strong relationships with researchers and program staff to provide support so they have the necessary skills to communicate their work (through traditional media, social media, blog posts, etc.) and act as public ambassadors for IISD. This includes media training and support on social media best practices.
• Monitoring and evaluating impacts against communications strategies and plans, including collecting and analyzing relevant data on communications efforts using a range of software and other digital platforms (Cision, Sprout Social, Google Analytics, etc.).
• Continually identifying areas for improvement grounded in best practices and working with staff, advising on approaches to increase clarity and usability of knowledge products, improving storytelling tactics, encouraging engagement, boosting impact, etc.
• Coordinating closely with non-governmental agencies and network partners (e.g., Global Strategic Communications Council, Global Gas and Oil Network) to develop effective messaging and narratives and help advance collective objectives.

About the Successful Applicant

The successful applicant will be a highly skilled communicator. They will have extensive experience working for or with top international media, either as a journalist or through achieving meaningful coverage in the media for civil society organizations, governments, or international organizations. They will be confident in shaping narratives and strategies to convey complex issues to governments and the broader public.

The successful applicant will also have:

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field (e.g., communications, journalism, political science, economics, environmental or development studies, etc.).
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience in journalism or communications/media relations.
• Confident and engaging communication skills, including an understanding of different communications approaches for different audiences.
• Excellent oral and writing skills in English and a track record of written products in English. The ability to work (read, write, speak) in other languages will be considered an advantage.
• An understanding of digital communications tools and the ability to use social media and other digital platforms in an effective way.
• Excellent organizational, planning, and project management skills.
• Results-focused with an ability to prioritize and to work quickly and accurately, with the flexibility to take on tasks ranging from highly complex to basic in nature.
• A strong ability to work comfortably across different cultures with an inclusive approach that respects the diverse backgrounds of fellow staff.
• Computer literacy, including Microsoft Office applications and experience in handling web-based communications and management systems.
• Experience working in or with developing countries will be considered a strong advantage.

For more details on what we are looking for in our candidates, please refer to the IISD competencies on our website

Location: flexible, with regular working hours in Africa, Europe, or the East Coast of North and South America. Candidates must hold appropriate work authorization for locations where they expect to be based. We strongly encourage candidates from the Global South to apply.

Starting Salary: competitive and depends on location

Type of engagement: full-time consultancy or staff position, depending on location

Application deadline: August 30, 2022 10 p.m. CET

Start date: Immediate opportunity

Application procedure: Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR.

Please include the following:

• A CV (no longer than two pages)
• A cover letter (one page)
• IISD Voluntary Self-Identification Questionnaire (optional)
• All submissions must be in English.

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

IISD has implemented a COVID-19 vaccination policy that requires employees who are required or choose to be at an office or participate in in-person team events or in-person meetings/events to be fully vaccinated. Anyone unable to be fully vaccinated, either because of a sincerely held religious belief or a medical condition or a disability that prevents them from being fully vaccinated, can request a reasonable accommodation.

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.

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