Climate Policy Specialist

The Colombia Climate Policy Specialist position is a mid-level role that will be responsible for analyzing climate and forestry policy, REDD+, and carbon market regulation as well as cultivating and maintaining strong and positive relationships with indigenous and local community representative groups and relevant government and non-government stakeholders in the country. The Colombia Climate Policy Specialist position will be based in Bogota and be a member of two teams within WWC: the Colombia Support Unit Country Team and the Global Policy and External Affairs Department (PEAD) based in the UK.

**Essential Duties and Responsibilities include**:

- Conduct comprehensive policy and legislative research on domestic climate policies, Nationally Determined Contributions, forest conservation strategies (REDD+), and carbon market regulation with a view to ensuring that findings contribute to our advocacy work in favor of private sector REDD+ projects and thus the direct investment flow to indigenous and local communities and their territories, as well as the implementation of safeguards.
- Take a leadership role in implementing the advocacy strategy in collaboration with the Colombia Country Director, actively driving engagement and fostering collaboration with key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Environment, Peoples Forest Partnership, Asocarbono, and other relevant organizations and entities in Colombia.
- Establish and maintain strong relationships with key governmental and non-governmental actors, building a robust network of contacts. This includes managing an up-to-date list of key contacts and strategically leveraging these relationships for effective climate policy advocacy.
- Support the development and execution of communication and engagement strategies targeting diverse audiences, including the general public and expert communities, aiming to nurture public policy debate on climate change and REDD+ in Colombia.
- Create impactful presentations, reports, and training materials that are tailored for local use in Colombia and can also be utilized globally to should effectively communicate key climate policy concepts, advocacy positions, and promote understanding among various stakeholders.
- Provide valuable insights and recommendations for internal strategies and initiatives that facilitate the company's adaptation to regulatory and public policy changes that can impact our operations, identifying and proposing measures to address emerging challenges and capitalize on new opportunities.
- Provide support for feasibility studies related to new projects, contributing to the evaluation of potential climate policy implications and identifying strategies to align projects with relevant regulations and policies.
- Occasionally, and only upon request, support the Latin America regional office and PEAD with specific policy and regulatory matters in other Spanish-speaking Latin American countries.
- Fulfill additional duties as assigned, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability in addressing evolving needs and priorities.

**Requirements**:
**_ Knowledge and experience:_**
- Bachelor's degree with a specialization or Master's degree in environmental law, environmental policy, natural resources, economic development, international development, sustainable, public policies, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of proven and relevant work experience in the public sector or in a regulatory affairs role for a for-profit or non-profit organization.
- In-depth understanding of national climate policies, REDD+ policies, laws, and their interrelationships with forest and land use sector strategies in Colombia.
- Familiarity with policy, legal, and institutional frameworks relevant to the implementation of private REDD+ projects, including forest and land licenses, and land titling.
- Experience working in the field with rural populations in far flung Pacific and/or Amazon sites is highly appreciated.
- Language: Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, with business-level oral and written proficiency in Spanish.

**_Skills and Abilities:_**
- Proficiency in accurately interpreting legal documents and effectively communicating their contents.
- Strong communication and reporting skills, with the ability to maintain effective communication channels between different teams at the national and international levels.
- Substantial capacity in public speaking, handling interviews, communicating effectively, and fostering favorable media relationships when necessary.
- Strong relationship-building skills, impactful influence, and persuasive abilities, leading to a positive and significant impact in the relationships established.
- Ability to work within the timelines and procedures defined by standard policies.
- Excellent prioritization skills in a busy and fast-paced environment.
- Collaborative team player with a willingness to acquire and share new knowledge with colleagues and teams in diffe