Writer/Editor - UK team

Closing date for applications:  9am BST on Friday 20th July 2012.

Location: London, Kent or nearby, working from home. 

Contract: One year, with possibility of extension.

Salary: £25,000 per annum, with benefits including pension, healthcare and income protection.

Written exercise: Selected candidates will be asked to complete a one-hour written exercise from home on Monday 23rd July.

Interviews: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interviews in London on 25th and 26th July.

Help create a brighter future

The Climate Parliament is a UK registered charity chaired by Sir Graham Watson MEP, a senior member of the European Parliament.  We coordinate  a global network of legislators 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, and support legislators in taking political, legislative and budgetary initiatives to promote solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal and other forms of renewable energy.

We recently launched a major new project working with democratically-elected members of parliament in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East. In these regions we are collaborating closely with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  The Climate Parliament builds networks of MPs and assists them in launching initiatives in their parliaments, while UNDP provides technical advice to sustain these initiatives.

We are stressing the importance of new grids to enable the transition to renewables: regional supergrids can link together the areas with the most abundant renewable resources – solar power in deserts, hydropower in the mountains, wind power on windy coastlines – to create a reliable supply of energy for everyone. Meanwhile, village-level mini-grids can enable those without access to electricity to harness local resources such as solar, biomass and small hydro.  The Climate Parliament works hard to introduce ambitious national targets for renewable energy and stronger financial incentives for investment in the sector.

The Writer/Editor will be responsible for producing much of the organisation’s written output, including reports, funding proposals, articles and parliamentary toolkits. Working closely with both the Secretary-General and the Policy Communications Coordinator, s/he will play a vital role in donor liaison, taking chief responsibility for keeping donor agencies briefed on the progress of the Climate Parliament’s work, as well as taking the lead on drafting new project proposals to extend the reach of our networks.  S/he will be closely involved in keeping MPs around the world informed about progress in our work and relevant policy developments.  In another aspect of the job, s/he will also be closely involved in organising international meetings of interested MPs, including meetings coming up later this year in Sri Lanka, Qatar and Brussels.

Person specification

Essential:

• Personal commitment to urgent action on climate change;

• Good university degree in a relevant discipline;

• Flawless written English, with an acute eye for detail;

• Flowing, clear writing style;

• Strong IT skills (most staff collaboration among our global team is managed online);

• Co-operative, team worker - whilst also self-motivated and able to work efficiently without close supervision;

• Proven ability to manage a varied workload, working to multiple concurrent deadlines;

• Well organised; 

• Calm under pressure.

Desirable:

• Fundraising experience;

• Experience of donor liaison in the NGO sector;

• Proven skills in internet-based research;

• Competence in French or Arabic;

• Knowledge of international development and/or renewable energy policy.

Job description – the Writer/Editor will:

• draft funding applications and project proposals;

• write regular reports on Climate Parliament activities for donor agencies;

• proof-read and edit articles, reports and parliamentary toolkits drafted by other members of staff or external consultants;

• conduct research on renewable energy policy and draft briefings and toolkits for MPs and staff;

• assist in the creation of powerpoint presentations for the Secretary-General and/or other members of staff;

• write news articles for the Climate Parliament website and email updates for our global network of legislators;

• assist in organising international meetings – finding the right MPs and experts to invite, following up on invitations, handling travel arrangements and logistics.

• carry out any other tasks that the organisation may require.

Gender balance is important for the Climate Parliament and women candidates are encouraged to apply.

To apply, please send i) a CV (resumé); ii) a covering letter explaining how you meet the person specification; and iii) a brief sample of your writing on a relevant subject (all as .PDF attachments), to recruitment@climateparl.net. Put “Writer/Editor” as the subject line of your application email. Please ensure that your CV contains full contact details, including a telephone number. Please state where you first saw this job advertised.

Non-EU nationals must, at the time of application, be in possession of documents entitling them to work in the United Kingdom. 

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.