Policy Co-ordinator for Francophone Africa

Location: Dakar, Senegal
Contract: until December 2014
Working arrangements: Full-time, working mainly from home with occasional travel in the region.
Gross Salary:  US$22,000 per annum plus benefits including pension contributions and health insurance.

Deadline for applications: 11pm GMT on Friday 8th March 2013

The Climate Parliament (www.climateparl.net) is a global network of parliamentarians working to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.  We raise awareness among MPs of the dangers of global warming, and of the risks of relying on finite supplies of fossil fuels. We support parliamentarians in taking political, legislative, policy and budgetary initiatives to promote solar, wind, small hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal and other forms of renewable energy.

We are highlighting Sub-Saharan Africa’s vast potentials in renewables, advocating more ambitious national targets for renewable energy, and promoting stronger policy, legislative and financial incentives for the development of this sector. We also stress the importance of new grids to enable the transition to renewables. For off-grid villages, mini-grids can enable people to harness local energy resources such as solar, biomass and small hydro.  A large-scale regional supergrid can connect everyone who is on the grid to the areas with most abundant renewable resources. Around the world, Climate Parliament has had substantial success in initiating policy interventions for renewable energy. Could you help us to extend these achievements to Francophone Africa?

Person specification:

• A personal commitment to urgent action on climate change.

• Robust knowledge of the renewable energy sector, and substantial experience working on energy policy issues.

• Fluent written and spoken English and French.

• Good university degree in a relevant discipline.

• Familiarity with policy-making processes at a high level.  

• Proven research and writing skills.

• Co-operative, team worker.

• Desirable: Experience working with parliamentarians.

• Desirable: some familiarity with political processes in Senegal and/or Congo-Brazzaville.

• Women candidates are encouraged to apply.

Job description

Reporting mainly to the Director for Sub-Saharan Africa (based in Pretoria), the Policy Coordinator will:

• Co-ordinate Climate Parliament’s work in Francophone Africa, with a particular focus on Senegal and Congo-Brazzaville.

• Research and prepare policy briefs, papers and materials on the development of the renewable energy sector in Francophone Africa.

• Working with expert advisers, identify opportunities for parliamentary action to develop RE in Francophone Africa.

• Assist MPs in taking action on RE by drafting Parliamentary Questions, letters to Ministers or policy proposals.

• Liaise with partner organisations on research and policy initiatives.

• Play a leading role within the organisation by identifying the emerging policy and advocacy issues and by preparing the relevant research and policy materials for parliamentarians. 

• Support policy and research work involved in organising occasional international parliamentary committee hearings and the annual inter-regional Climate Parliament Forum.

• Help raise funds from development agencies, business leaders and foundations to expand the Climate Parliament's work in Francophone Africa.

• Carry out any other tasks the Climate Parliament may require.

To apply, please send a CV (resumé), as well as a covering letter explaining your suitability for the position (both as .PDF attachments), to recruitment@climateparl.net, with “Dakar Policy Coordinator”  as the subject line of the email. Please ensure your CV contains full contact details, including a telephone number. Please state where you first saw this job advertised.

Kindly note that we cannot respond to questions from individual applicants - if you believe you meet the person specification, please submit an application as directed above. If you are shortlisted, we will contact you by email in the first instance. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, you may assume that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion. Thanks for your understanding.

Non-Senegalese nationals must, at the time of application, be in possession of documents entitling them to live and work in Senegal.