Location

1 Victoria Street, London

About the job Summary

The International Climate Finance (ICF) unit plays a pivotal role in delivering on UK’s commitment to tackle global climate change, which is one of the most important issues of our times. Under the International Energy and Climate Directorate in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, it concentrates policy, strategy, programme management and communications experts working to support other countries in addressing climate change and responding to the worst challenges it poses.

We are looking for a highly motivated individual with sound analytical thinking, stakeholder engagement and communications skills to join ICF’s central Strategy and Communications team. The team oversees the ICF portfolio of climate mitigation projects, ensuring alignment with wider policy objectives and impactful communications with our stakeholders to help us further our goals.

The UK is going to host the next international climate talks, known as COP26, so this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to contribute to the government's efforts to mobilise global climate action. In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, as countries consider green and sustainable ways to recover their economies, it will be also more important than ever before to increase awareness and understanding of the important support ICF provides. The role offers an opportunity to work on a variety of high-profile issues delivering policy and communications priorities in a stimulating and fast-paced environment.

As well as delivering a range of climate mitigation programmes in developing countries, ICF delivers on associated policy areas, such as leading on international green finance, supporting climate finance issues in the UN climate negotiations and working with Multilateral Development Banks to mainstream climate into all their work.

Job description

Communications is an increasingly significant part of the team’s remit underpinning our strategic objectives at a time of strong public momentum to tackle climate change. Communications Officer will be supporting the team to implement ICF Communications Plan, leading on a number of deliverables and helping to build confidence in the value and integrity of ICF programming. It’s more important than ever before to increase awareness and understanding of what we do and why we do it – both internally and externally in order to maximise support for international climate action, particularly in the run up to COP26 and beyond.

The successful candidate will work on a range of proactive and reactive tasks alongside programme and policy colleagues from across ICF, the wider BEIS International Climate and Energy Directorate, COP26 Unit and other government departments. This will entail effectively responding to briefing requests and providing strategic communications contributions in support of ICF policy development and relevant ministerial activity.

The role will crucially involve close collaboration with the BEIS Communications Directorate and FCO communications teams around the world, leading and managing relationships with our international stakeholders and delivering high quality communications outputs to engage with our key audiences. As part of this, you will be expected to think monitor and evaluate ICF communications outputs and outcomes and produce reporting to help us improve and demonstrate positive results.

You will be also responsible for managing ICF’s relationship with other international donors to the Multilateral Development Funds (such as the Green Climate Fund and Climate Investment Funds), ensuring coordination and coherence as we work collectively to mobilise $100 billion in climate finance by 2025. To perform this role effectively you will therefore need to form strong relationships with programme teams, policy and communications colleagues in order to ensure our narratives are precise, up-to-date and reaching the right audiences.

As priorities can change quickly in this dynamic team, you will need to be able to make quick informed judgements and demonstrate strong prioritization skills to deliver effectively and to tight deadlines, while keeping the relevant parties updated.
 

Responsibilities

You will be a results-driven team player with excellent interpersonal skills and the confidence to work autonomously and interact and build relationships with a variety of individuals, including senior stakeholders, across a variety of professional and cultural backgrounds. You will be able to utilise this knowledge and your creativity to tailor communications to maximise impact and understanding. You will bring experience of working on a wide range of complex policy or communication projects.

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate:

• Experience of working in a fast-paced environment and managing multiple competing priorities to short deadlines.

• Excellent written and oral communications skills, using a variety of channels and adapting communications method and tone to suit a variety of audiences and purposes.

• An understanding of modern communication methods, digital communication and social media.

• Proven ability to apply insight and evaluation findings when planning effective communications.

• Track record of developing and managing successful stakeholder relationships to deliver strategic results for an organisation.

• An awareness of and interest in climate change, environmental and international issues.

• Strong judgement, political awareness and diplomacy skills – able to work on complex, often sensitive issues and deliver messages with clarity and persuasiveness.

About the team

The International Climate and Energy (ICE) Directorate in BEIS leads on a variety of issues that enable the UK to achieve its climate change and energy objectives through bilateral engagement, the UN and other international fora. The directorate leads HMG policy for the UN Climate Summits, which delivered the historic Paris Agreement in 2015.

As part of ICE, ICF is a multidisciplinary team of over 100 people that provides Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to developing countries to support them to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The UK has committed to spending at least £5.8bn of ICF between 2016 – 2020 which will double to £11.6bn between 2021 – 2025. This is delivered cross-Whitehall via three departments (DfID, BEIS and Defra) who share a common objective but have a different focus. BEIS is currently responsible for a growing portfolio of international mitigation projects that focus on low carbon energy, preventing deforestation, decarbonising cities, buildings and wider infrastructure.

BEIS ICF has grown significantly over the last 18 months and will continue to expand as we work towards COP26 and delivering the uplift in funding, providing significant development opportunities for new joiners. You will find that colleagues bring great passion and commitment to their work and a team that provides a supportive, inclusive environment for everyone. We support flexible working and actively seek to bring together a wide range of skills, backgrounds and experience, as we believe that our diversity makes us stronger.

ICE has a Diversity & Inclusion Group - if you would like to talk to someone in this group about what it's like to work in the Directorate, please get in touch via [email protected] and we can put you in touch.