Senior Policy Advisor, Trade and Climate Change – part-time

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an independent think tank that delivers the knowledge to act. Our mission is to promote human development and environmental sustainability. Our big-picture view allows us to address the root causes of some of the greatest challenges facing our planet today—a changing climate, ecological destruction, social exclusion, and unfair laws and economic rules. With offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Geneva, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.

Scope

IISD is looking for a Senior Policy Advisor to join an international team of lawyers, policy advisors, and economists working to change rules and policies on trade and investment related to climate action.

The overall goal of our work is to ensure that the legal, policy, and institutional frameworks that govern trade, markets, and investment support ambitious action to mitigate climate change and adapt to its impacts.

We conduct applied research and policy analysis and provide high-quality advice to governments regarding the design of trade and investment policy measures aimed at mitigating climate change, including, in particular, the issue of border carbon adjustments. In this context, we are looking for someone who can lead a 2-year project focused on generating dialogue and research around the opportunities and challenges of border carbon adjustment measures in the Canadian context.

IISD offers the opportunity to carry out varied research in cutting-edge, challenging fields in a friendly international environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the drafting of research and policy analysis to inform high-level multistakeholder discussions regarding border carbon adjustment measures in the Canadian context.
• Conduct outreach with sector experts and government stakeholders, including at high levels.
• Monitor international developments, processes, and debates in relevant areas and keep up to date with research in these areas.
• Manage junior staff members and consultants to meet project objectives.
• Work with financial project manager, corporate finance, and administration functions to ensure projects are set up on a legal basis and are actively monitored against both financial and legal risks.
• Achieve the agreed project results and targets, including responsibility for the quality of the work, on time and within the agreed upon allocation of funding.
• Work with IISD Communications to communicate work of the program and its components to reach a broad audience for maximum policy or implementation impact as decided by strategic priorities and the institutional strategic plan.
• Work with project managers to maintain records of the workstream and provide periodic updates, along with contributions to annual reports and other corporate publications.
• Build the profile and reputation of IISD across political, professional, and international policy communities.
• Participate in the wider work of the Institute, including processes leading to the

strengthening of the Institute’s ability to achieve its mission.

• Promote a culture of high performance, continuous improvement, and shared learning.

Knowledge and Qualifications

Essential

• Deep understanding of issues at the intersection of trade and climate change in the Canadian context.
• A degree and post-graduate degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., public policy, economics, law, politics, international relations, development studies, the environment, and climate change).
• At least 10 years of experience in an international policy research environment (e.g., a think tank, university, intergovernmental organization, or civil society organization) conducting applied research and policy analysis, as demonstrated by publications and reports.
• Extensive experience working on one or more key issues in sustainable development, including trade policy and climate policy, investment or industrial policy.
• A track record of producing high-quality research and analysis in a short period of time and for different audiences.

Desirable

• Experience working in or with developing country governments or regional organizations.
• Experience working with other relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, parliamentarians, civil society organizations, research institutes, and intergovernmental organizations.

Skills, Competencies, and Attributes

Essential

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
• Excellent analytical, research, and writing skills.
• Fluency in English.
• Strong presentation and networking skills.
• Excellent IT skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally for work.
• Ability to work effectively in a remote, asynchronous team.
• Flexibility and adaptability to work effectively across different topics and themes at the same time and to pick up knowledge on new topics quickly.
• Ability to work on own initiative and under minimal supervision.
• Strong commitment to the ideals, values, and mission of IISD.

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

Location: Ottawa, Canada. Office based with hybrid options possible.

Candidates must hold an appropriate work authorization for locations where they expect to be based, without any sponsorship from IISD.

Salary: Salary commensurate with experience and location.

Employment type: 50% FTE for 2 years (December 2022 to December 2024).

Start Date:  ASAP

Closing date:  11 November 2022

The candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis, until the closing date.

Application Procedure

All submissions must be in English. Accommodations for job applicants with disabilities are available on request.

Candidates must hold appropriate work authorization for Canada.

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)

Only those candidates we wish to interview will be contacted. Resumes will be kept on file for 1 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.