Policy Specialist - #591294

Job Description

Policy Specialist

Reports to: Director, Amazon Landscapes

Location: Ecuador, Brasil, Perú, Colombia o Bolivia.

Full Time

WCS is an international non-governmental organization based at the Bronx Zoo in New York City, dedicated to conserving wildlife and natural landscapes worldwide through science, conservation actions, and education. With programs in 65 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, WCS operates in the Andes, Amazon, and Orinoco (AAO) region, which includes Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. WCS hosts the Amazon Waters Alliance (AAA), made up of 29 organizations from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, the United States, France, and Peru. The Alliance's goal is to maintain the integrity and connectivity of the aquatic ecosystems in the Amazon Basin and the services they provide to the region and the world. The Alliance brings together diverse stakeholders to promote the conservation and management of these vital ecosystems. As the Technical Secretariat of the AAA, WCS advocates for freshwater issues and has led efforts, such as the inclusion of migratory catfish species in the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS).

Job Purpose

The policy specialist will lead the development, delivery and implementation of policy incidence and advocacy actions for AAA's strategic priorities, in collaboration with partners and allies, building influential relationships and contributing effectively to the debate by taking multiple perspectives on complex environmental issues. The policy specialist must have some national and preferably intergovernmental policy experience.

Responsabilities.

• Strengthen AAA's advocacy capacities: Desgin, develop and coordinate training initiatives for AAA partners in policy incidence and advocacy, providing optimized tools and methodologies that enable them to influence national and transboundary policies focused on the conservation of aquatic ecosystems and migratory species.
• Collaboratively develop and lead the implementation of AAA’s policy action plan: Framed by AAA’s Strategic Plan and Manifest, based on an understanding of policy needs at multiple scales, in close coordination with the communications team and the AAA Board of Directors, and proactively engaging AAA partners, design and lead the development of a multi-scale policy agenda and action plan (including an analysis of the AAA strategic plan, identification of priority policy needs, mapping key stakeholders and target audiences, definition of policy objectives and design of policy and/or advocacy strategies and activities, and a monitoring plan).
• Coordinate the transboundary AAA policy agenda and action plan: In coordination with the communications team and the AAA Board of Directors, and proactively engaging AAA partners, and based on the above, coordinate a transboundary policy agenda that also integrates the mandates, priorities, and challenges of Amazon countries and intergovernmental policy fora, including OTCA, UNFCCC, CBD, and CMS.
• Identify and take advantage of advocacy opportunities: Monitor public policies, legislation, international treaties and key events related to the management of aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity conservation in the Amazon region. Propose strategic actions to influence decision-making for the benefit of the Amazon Basin and/or its countries.
• Coordinate with specialists, technical working groups and communications teams to prepare policy products to deliver on the AAA strategy, including e.g. policy briefs, summaries, and presentations for decision makers; and provide actionable insights on priorities for action considering capacities, opportunities, and available resources.
• Facilitate transboundary policy coordination: Promote and facilitate dialogue and cooperation among governments, key stakeholders and Alliance partners in the alignment and coordination of policies that benefit Amazonian ecosystems and local communities.
• Cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with government representatives, multilateral organizations, NGOs and other key actors, generating spaces for dialogue and collaboration to influence public debate on the advocacy issues prioritized by the Amazon Waters Alliance
  
  

Qualification Requirements

Minimum Requirements and Job Skills:

• Availability for extensive travel requirements (up to 30% of the time).
• Bachelor’s Degree in Law (environmental law), Political Science, Ecology, International Relations or related disciplines
• 5 years of experience in public policy development, advocacy, drafting policy briefs and/or position papers in the environmental- or biodiversity conservation fields. Preferred experience in conservation or migratory species and/or management of aquatic resources.
• Proven knowledge of- and experience with the political and environmental context of the Amazon Basin.
• Experience in working with cross-border collaboration networks and inter-institutional articulation, particularly in the Amazon region.
• Preferred experience in dialogue facilitation and consensus building among multiple actors with different points of view, cultures, and languages.
• Fluency in Spanish (conversational Portuguese) or Portuguese (conversational Spanish).
  
  

Preferred Requirements

• Excellent communication and writing skills, with the ability to produce advocacy documents and coordinate high-level dialogues with governmental actors and civil society organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strategic relationships with stakeholders across industries, cultures, and countries.
• Collaborative profile, proactive, good organization, and teamwork skills, articulation, adaptability, and negotiation.
• Demonstrated experience developing external communications materials.
• Conversational proficiency in English.
  
  

To participate in this process, you must complete the following Google Form, as well as the form that LinkedIn redirects you to after clicking "Apply."

Google Form

https://url.us.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/9K4OCDkr3nCgKJ9nIWfgUjq4gc

Failure to complete both forms will result in disqualification, and you will not be considered for this position

Apply before: April 10th (inclusive).

WCS is an equal opportunity employer, and the organization complies with all employment and labor laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and engaging a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value. The organization provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organization does not discriminate for employment based on gender, race/ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, caste, genetic information or any other covered status or characteristic protected by laws and regulations/and similar categories.

It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that we do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based upon a person’s membership in one of these protected categories in areas such as recruitment, selection, job assignment, supervision, training, promotions, job grading, transfers, termination, compensation, benefits, educational opportunities, WCS sponsored recreational activities and facilities.

The organization complies with the spirit and intent of relevant local laws and WCS’s employment policies.

Salary Range

Competitive salary commensurate with experience