View Vacancy - Head of Climate, Energy and Future Cities Policy - Internal vacancy

To lead policy engagement on climate change, energy and future cities issues building strong networks across Government and Congress, Industry and the non-governmental sectors while leading a high-performing team and working with teams across the Embassy to contribute to our Global Issues policy objectives.

The Head of Climate Change, Energy and Future Cities Policy Team will have overall responsibility for leading policy engagement efforts on three key elements of the UK-Mexico bilateral relation: Climate Change, Energy and Future Cities Policy. The successful candidate will be charged with leading a small but established and high-performing team, as part of the broader Global Issues Policy Team (which covers other economic issues such as trade, education and anti-corruption). This fast-paced role requires a wide network of contacts across Government and Congress, Industry and the non-governmental sectors. The candidate should thrive on the challenge of juggling many different work streams at the same time often with minimal supervision. 

For the 2017-18 financial year, the key objectives for the Climate, Energy and Future Cities policy team are:

- Accelerate Mexico’s transition to a low carbon economy, helping it meet its Paris commitments using British expertise, technology transfer and mobilisation of private capital.

- Support energy reform implementation (inc. via the IEA) to develop robustly-regulated markets.

- Define an Embassy Strategy to transform key cities in three core sectors: infrastructure, urban mobility and digitalisation (including Big Data, Industry 4.0 and e-commerce).

- Help Mexico meet the SDGs, including stronger biodiversity conservation and efforts to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

Roles and responsibilities: 

1. Strategy/Policy (30%).  Provide policy leadership and support to help Mexico implement:

• Energy reform in Mexico: widening engagement with government and business stakeholders, building strong links to UK counterparts, overseeing implementation of the UK/Mexico Energy MoU.
• Climate commitments (both domestic and international) such as the Paris Agreement: maintaining the Embassy’s strong climate network amongst government, business and NGOs.
• Sustainable Infrastructure: oversee policy thinking on a new BEIS-funded climate initiative to drive private sector finance into sustainable infrastructure in Mexico and LatAm.
• Sustainable Development Goals: overseeing a new Embassy Strategy for Sustainable Development which extends UK-Mexico cooperation on issues such as Illegal Wildlife and Forestry.
• Future Cities: create a new Embassy Strategy covering infrastructure, digitalisation and mobility.

This includes providing policy analysis/advice to HMG in London to help maximise the ‘soft power’ benefit of our energy, climate and future cities work; including as lead policy advisor on Ministerial contacts.

2. Communications (20%).  Maximising the impact of our policy work in these areas through public diplomacy, including:

• Build a deep and comprehensive network amongst key stakeholders in the UK, Mexico and other countries in the region to facilitate political and technical dialogues where relevant.
• Represent the Embassy and HMG at senior official level in Ministries such as Energy, Environment, Communications & Transport, Urban Development, and relevant subordinate agencies.
• Take part in Embassy taskforces to the regions of Mexico to position the UK as partner of choice.
• Maximise the visibility of our climate, energy and future cities work through Embassy public diplomacy efforts (working with Press and GREAT Teams).

3. Mainstreaming policy across the Embassy (30%).  Support the commercial and programme objectives of the Embassy by:

• Advising relevant DIT teams (energy, infrastructure, financial services) on securing UK commercial wins via new markets created through our policy dialogue, setting up systems for ensuring that DIT’s commercial intelligence is fed in to HMG analysis of market barriers.
• Providing policy direction to ensure programmes such as the Prosperity Fund, Newton and Chevening are targeted at the optimal issues and using diplomatic, programme, communications and commercial levers in a complementary way.
• Overseeing the creation of a new ICF-funded programme which blends a Sustainable Infrastructure Programme (implemented by the IADB), technical assistance and a new Minister-led climate partnership.
• Leading on donor coordination with the Mexican Government, World Bank, IADB, US, EU and other key governments in the areas of energy, climate and sustainable development.

4. Management (10%):

• Line manage a team of 4 policy officers (1xC4, 2xB3, 1xS1), countersigning a further 4 officers from other parts of the Embassy.
• Provide ‘virtual’ policy management to two cross-cutting Embassy teams (10-person Energy Team, 8-person Future Cities Team) and policy management to the green finance aspects of the 5-person Financial Services Team.
• Accountable for local budget of c.£10k per year for travel and expenses.
• Oversee contact with IADB’s VfM management of a multi-million pound multi-year ICF programme, advising BEIS on any need to escalate problems with effective management of the programme.

5. Corporate (10%):

• Play an active part in the corporate life of the Embassy (including if necessary as a member of Embassy Committees) to maximise the overall well-being of staff.

• Graduated from Climate Science, Public Policy, International Development or related courses with at least 5 years of experience on a related field/activity to this job description and able to demonstrate strong interpersonal, leadership, communication and relationship skills.
• Solid knowledge of Mexican climate change policy and institutional framework.
• Be a flexible and creative problem-solver, able to come up with innovative solutions to complex problems, and coordinate coherent and compelling programmes and projects.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Spanish.
• Project/Programme management experience, preferably with international stakeholders.
• Experience providing administrative and logistical support.
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) and ability to adjust to different audiences.
• Excellent presentation skills.
• Ability to work well and have a flexible approach to work whilst under pressure.
• Team player, driven by values.