Head of Climate, Natural Resource Management and Peacebuilding (Maternity Leave Cover)

International Alert is looking for an exceptional candidate to join our global team as Head of Climate, Natural Resource Management (NRM) and Peacebuilding. This comes at an exciting time for the organisation as we are slowly expanding our programming and advocacy work on the climate, natural resource management and peacebuilding nexus. Are you going to play a strategic role in leading and overseeing our ambitions growing our work on the nexus including the fundraising to enable this?

Reporting to the (interim) Peacebuilding Advisory Unit (PAU) Director, the Head of Climate, ​NRM and Peacebuilding will play a key role in assuring the quality and growth of our programming and advocacy on the climate, natural resource management and peacebuilding nexus. Often exciting, sometimes challenging, you oversee a small global Climate and NRM team (1 peacebuilding advisor and 1 advocacy advisor), providing the strategic oversight and direction on the nexus working with country and regional teams, Alert’s advocacy & communications team, fundraising colleagues and external partners.

We are looking for somebody bringing knowledge, experience and passion on peacebuilding in relation to climate change and environmental issues and who has a vision on how International Alert can develop cutting edge programming and advocacy on this issue. An important priority for this role will be to maintain and grow the available funding for Alert’s programming, research and advocacy work on the nexus. Furthermore, you have experience in relationship building, (complex) partner management skills and project management. You are a collaborator and keen to work with and support colleagues at the global and country offices, as well as explore and nurture relations with external stakeholders. With knowledge on the climate, NRM and peacebuilding nexus, you are able to oversee the programming, advocacy, training and research work of the people in the Climate and NRM team and guide others across the organisation. As well as a minimum of seven years’ experience in programme management, you will have some management experience, a demonstrable fundraising track record, exceptional interpersonal and communication skills and a strong understanding of peacebuilding and are able to contextualise this to climate change and environmental issues.

Role duties and responsibilities:

Provide strategic leadership on CC and NRM programming in Alert

• Shape Alert’s position and agenda on CC/NRM and ensure it is embedded in relevant Alert policy and programming work;
• Lead on implementing Alert’s 2021-2023 peacebuilding strategy for CC/NRM work, ensuring collaborations with colleagues across the organisation and beyond with partners, and lead on developing the post 2023 strategy for CC/NRM;
• Lead on and support the development and implementation of CC/NRM projects and external engagements with (potential) partners and networks;
• Maintain and share internally a sense of Alert’s evolving niche and progress on CC/NRM, including lessons learned.
• Stay up to date on current trends and developments important to the climate crisis, climate mitigation and adaptation, environmental and NRM issues, conservation and human security issues in order to inform Alert’s programming and advocacy;

Lead and support fundraising at global, regional and country level to maintain and increase funding for Alert’s peacebuilding work on CC/NRM

• Work at the global level and in collaboration with country and regional programmes to develop fundable ideas and project proposals to further build our CC/NRM portfolio in the sector aligned with the organisational strategy;
• Establish, build and nurture relationships with potential donors (bilateral, multilateral, trusts and foundations).

Oversee and support capacity building efforts with Alert colleagues and partners to strengthen, maintain continuity and grow Alert’s CC/NRM area of work

• Oversee the team’s assistance to programmes and country offices through training, research, analysis and monitoring, so that there is an organisational understanding of the issues and how we can address them – and maintain a network of experts who can do the same;
• Support and develop linkages with other thematic pathways within Alert, and work collaboratively with teams to build knowledge and understanding of specific approaches and methods to address issues related to CC/NRM.

Lead and support research and advocacy or other related activities and actively implement as appropriate

• Oversee, conduct and support research on CC/NRM as peacebuilding and security issues;
• Oversee the delivery of Alert’s influencing strategy on climate and conflict including our engagements with external networks and in external advocacy spaces.
• Produce and actively disseminate and otherwise represent advocacy materials for national and international policy makers and practitioners including: policy reports, briefing papers, articles, op-eds and blogs, and in private and public meetings.

Manage staff, financial, administrative and M&E resources for effective programme delivery

• Supervise staff including one CC/NRM Peacebuilding Advisor and one CC/NRM Advocacy Advisor;
• Work with the PAU director to develop and manage an annual working budget and to monitor financial performance;
• Ensure financial sustainability of CC/NRM capacity through effective resource planning;
• Manage and co-manage funds in compliance with Alert and donor / client requirements;
• Ensure the delivery of timely and high-quality narrative/financial/audit reports to donors/clients;
• Build and sustain effective relationships with current and potential donors/clients;
• Use appropriate Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) methods to assess the results of activities and projects.

Develop and maintain networks and relationships with key target audiences

• Expand and maintain contacts in national and international institutions and participate in international forums;
• Represent Alert as a spokesperson at external events;
• Conduct outreach and networking with other organisations working in related areas and establish and maintain collaborative activities and strategic alliances.

Contribute to Alert generally

• Contribute to team-wide communications and knowledge management, and participate in organisation-wide events and discussions on related topics/projects;
• Any other tasks as may be reasonably required.

Please note, these are just some of the requirements of this role. For the full job requirements, please click here to read the job description, the person specification of which will form the basis of shortlisting.