Principal Sustainability Advisor, Energy and Global Energy System Transition (Maternity Cover)

This is a rare opportunity for a senior and experienced professional to join the energy division at a global sustainability organisation and play a leading role in the drive for a clean and affordable energy system for all.

Forum for the Future is one of the most influential, vibrant and highly respected organisations operating in the sustainability sector today. Now in its 20th year, the non-profit has evolved its strategy for delivering a more sustainable future by moving from working one-to-one with leading UK businesses to system innovation at a global level. At its heart is the belief that no one company can enable significant change alone and that making a real difference lies in ambitiously facilitating system change through massive collaborations.

Energy and food are the principal focus of Forum’s work. With its large network of dedicated partners, which include Unilever, EDF Energy, Marks and Spencer, Kingfisher, Pepsico and many other industry leaders, the organisation is uniquely positioned to tackle the most complex sustainability challenges with real solutions that have the potential to be taken to scale.

Creating a sustainable energy system is a huge challenge. There are solutions and examples of best practice on how we as a planet can shift to clean, affordable and secure energy sources and manage our demand for energy smartly, but the problem is that these are often dispersed, localised and difficult to access or find. Although we are seeing positive change happening, such as the rise of renewables and the increasing investment in efficiency, to create transformational changes at a global level will require widespread learning from best practice on the ground and collaboration with like-minded organisations. And that’s where you come in.

The successful applicant will work with Forum’s energy team, its regional offices and other businesses and organisations in the field to help ensure we create change at the global level by learning from leading practices and applying that knowledge to Forum’s work in the UK, India and the Asia Pacific region as we continue to expand our global presence.

You will play a pivotal role by bringing your global perspective to the design of projects across these regions to ensure that they add up to bold system change. Working with Forum’s Head of Energy and Director of Programmes, you will also manage Forum’s work in coordinating action with other organisations to reach strong international agreements and shift investment to clean energy solutions.

Serious contenders will have deep experience in ‘energy system transition’ and will have worked in academia, public affairs, a think tank or other related NGO. From this, you will bring a strong network of collaborators in the energy transition field, with whom you have worked, and share insights and ideas. You will also share Forum’s drive for creating transformational change in the energy system through smart interventions that lead to real, on the ground impact at scale.

The Principal Sustainability Advisor position will certainly be challenging, but it also offers the individual the chance to be a significant contributor in a team at the cutting edge of change in a leading global sustainability organisation. If that sounds exciting and you feel you have the expertise to help create real change, then this role could be for you!

This is a full time, fixed term contract for one year.

Closing date: 9am Monday 2 March 2015

Letter to applicants
Job description
Application form
Equal opportunities form
Staff benefits
Annual Report

Please send your completed application pack by email to recruitment@forumforthefuture.org or by post to Sophie Kennedy, 19-23 Ironmonger Row, London EC1V 3QN. Your application should include a completed application form and an equal opportunities form. The equal opportunities form will be detached from your application and will not form part of the shortlisting or selection process.

Please note that due to the number of applications we receive we are unable to respond to all individually. Therefore if you have not heard from us by close of business on Thursday 5 March 2015 we will not be taking your application further.