View Vacancy - BK - Climate and Energy Attaché, C4

Promoting a low carbon, high growth global economy is one of the key policy goals of the British Government and its missions overseas. The  Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has a regional network of climate and energy attaches in South East Asia whose role is to promote the climate change agenda  (in particular the Paris climate agreement) and  encourage low carbon transition in the region. This is done through advocacy and policy work, commercial engagement, and increasingly through strategic use of the UK government’s Prosperity Fund to promote economic reform in developing countries. This exciting and challenging role in the British Embassy in Bangkok will focus on how to encourage and facilitate Thailand’s contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and its transition to a low carbon economy. The job holder will work closely with other colleagues in the Prosperity, Trade and Political Sections of the Embassy, including the economic and communications officers.  The successful candidate will also work with colleagues based in other British Missions in the region, and officials in the FCO and other relevant Departments in London, and report to the Head of the Climate and Energy Network based at the British High Commission in Bangkok (with the Embassy’s Head of Prosperity as the Countersigning Officer).

This exciting and challenging role has two key elements:

1. Delivering the British government’s climate change & energy objectives in Bangkok, and informing UK policy through analysis and reporting of local policy and developments in these areas.

2. Pursing programme -backed diplomacy by providing policy input from the Thai perspective into two new proposed Prosperity Fund 5-year programmes covering South East Asia: one on Low Carbon Energy, and the other on Future Cities.

The successful candidate will work with the Head of FCO’s Southeast Asia Climate Change & Energy Network, the Head of Prosperity Programmes, and key personnel at the Embassy in Bangkok to:

• Provide accurate, timely and concise reporting and analysis on climate change and energy policy and developments in Thailand; in particular the Thai government ‘s ability to meet its Paris commitments and national determined contribution (NDC); and any progress on a transition away from coal ;
• Represent and communicate the UK’s climate and energy policies to Thailand, engaging with a wide network of Thai interlocutors in the public, business and NGO sectors;
• Provide  policy level input into the two new Prosperity Fund programmes on Low Carbon Energy and Future Cities, and other UK climate funding (e.g. International Climate Fund; NAMA Facility);
• Mainstream climate change and energy within the UK’s prosperity agenda, working closely with the Embassy colleagues to seek low carbon commercial opportunities for Britain ;
• Create and manage public diplomacy interventions and events on climate change, energy and low carbon development; working closely with the Embassy’s communications personnel,  as well as external partners and stakeholders;
• Support climate change and energy related visits, both to Thailand and the UK;
• Undertake research, reporting, representation and public diplomacy activities regarding international sustainability-related initiatives such as the Illegal Wildlife Trade, ICAO emissions reduction work, and initiatives on biodiversity and conservation.
• Contribute to the Embassy’s wider political and economic agenda, such as policy and crisis-related work.

The candidate will need to be flexible and resilient in his/her role to respond to changing needs within the Mission, whether to cover particularly acute work periods (such as humanitarian disaster) or as the Climate Change and Energy agenda and the Prosperity Fund evolves.

• Proven experience in policy analysis, with the ability to carry out research, and summarise findings in a concise and professional format;
• Experience of working on climate change and/or  energy issues
• Experience of working with and through networks of representatives from government, the private sector, media and international institutions;
• Strong interpersonal, representational and communication skills, with the ability to present convincing arguments in a public setting;
• Excellent command of written and spoken English and Thai
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, under pressure and to meet tight deadlines;
• Good IT skills: proficient in MS Office applications;