View Vacancy – JKT – Climate Change Policy Officer – Indonesia and UKMIS ASEAN B3(L)

Main purpose of job:

To coordinate UK Government work in Indonesia and ASEAN to combat Climate Change, including diplomatic action to support delivery of the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26) in November 2020. This position will be split 50/50 between focus on engagement in Indonesia within a regional context, and support to UKMIS ASEAN in engagement with the ASEAN Secretariat on climate and environment issues.   

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?:

The UK Government champions diplomatic efforts to prevent global climate change. In 2019  the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report concluded that ‘limiting global warming to 1.5°C would require “rapid and far-reaching” transitions in land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities. Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would need to fall by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching ‘net zero’ around 2050.’ 

As the Co-Presidency of the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP26), the UK is committed to working with the UN and our Presidency partners, Italy, to prevent catastrophic climate change. We hope that all the parties to the 2015 Paris Agreement will commit to more ambitious greenhouse gas reductions before or at COP26. This is critical to safeguard our future.

The jobholder will work to promote more ambitious commitments on climate change by Indonesia, in the context of COP26, and will also work with UKMIS ASEAN and the regional climate change team in Singapore on engagement with the ASEAN secretariat on climate and environment issues. The role will involve lobbying senior officials in the Indonesian government and ASEAN secretariat, and raising broader awareness on the risks of climate change among the public and wider stakeholders. After COP26 (November 2021), the role will focus on implementation of COP26 commitments, and supporting the development of longer term engagement with Indonesia and ASEAN on climate and environment issues. 

We are looking for a pro-active, engaged individual with a passion for making a difference, and an understanding of the importance of this issue.

• Full responsibilities of the jobholder would be as follows:
• To support implementation of the UK’s COP26 strategy in Indonesia, working closely with the existing energy and climate change teams as well as colleagues from across the Embassy. 
• Leading on specific elements of the COP26 agenda in Indonesia, such as adaptation and resilience and the promotion of nature based solutions including ocean conservation.   
• Raising awareness about the risks of climate change and importance of the COP26 negotiations among the Indonesian population and key decision-makers.
• Liaising with senior officials in Indonesia on policy and operational elements of delivering COP26. This will include advising and supporting engagement between senior officials (including the Heads of Mission) and Ministers with some translation/interpretation if required.
• Planning and implementing engagement with non-Government actors. This will include building relationships with working level contacts, representatives of businesses, and civil society actors
• Managing visits and climate events. This could include planning and advising on visit agendas, coordinating with media colleagues, and supporting in events as required.
• Working with regional teams in Jakarta and Singapore, support implementation of the UK’s COP26 strategy in ASEAN, including assisting on event delivery.  
• Track and report on ASEAN’s climate policy priorities, including analysing key ASEAN strategies and monitoring Ministerial meetings. 
• Support UK Mission to ASEAN in liaising with ASEAN Secretariat on climate policy, advising policy regional leads on ASEAN structures and ways of working as appropriate. Support the UK’s engagement with other ASEAN bodies.
• Support engagement with the ASEAN Secretariat on the ASEAN Joint Statement on Climate Change to COP26.

This is a challenging and exciting opportunity to play an influential role on what may be the most important issue of our lives. 

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

•    Budget for events and other interventions in support of our COP26 climate strategy – size to be confirmed.

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

The British Embassy Jakarta and UK Mission to ASEAN encourages all staff to develop their capabilities, through both formal training (courses) and informal opportunities (job-shadowing, coaching, on-the-job training etc). The majority of our formal learning and development opportunities are drawn from FCO resources. All staff are encouraged to share their skills and experience with colleagues, through informal training or coaching/mentoring. 

Any other information (or specific local Post requirements):

• Some evening and weekend work is required on occasion. Embassy Standard Terms and Conditions apply and provide for time outside of working hours to be compensated through Time-off-in-Lieu;
• The job may involve some travel, including to the UK, regionally and within Indonesia. A willingness and ability to travel is required.

We intend this position to last for at least one year. Due to budget limits, at present we can only offer a six month contract. However our intention is to secure funding for this position for at least 12 months and we would seek to extend the contract as soon as budget is secured. 

• Fluent in both spoken and written Bahasa Indonesia
• Fluent in both spoken and written English
• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field, for instance, Public Policy, Public Administration, International Relations, Climate and Environment Science, etc.
• A minimum of 2 years’ experience working for an organisation in a relevant field, for example, working for/with national or regional government, international organizations or agencies.
• Some understanding of international climate change policy.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience of managing diverse relationships.