Director, UK Lead Climate Negotiator, International Climate Finance and Strategy

at  Department for Energy Security Net Zero

JOB SUMMARY

Tackling international climate change is a critical role for DESNZ. The International Net Zero Directorate leads this work across Government, in close partnership with FCDO, Cabinet Office, No.10, HM Treasury and Defra.
We are looking for someone to join our leadership team with proven international negotiations experience. This is a very high-profile reputational role working at the heart of a critical multilateral process so will need to demonstrate their ability to drive outcomes, leverage relationships, be quickly able to gain the confidence of a wide and varied set of stakeholders and make critical decisions at pace. You’ll have analytical and policy skills and the ability to operate effectively across government to deliver. You will oversee a fantastic team of policy officials working in this priority area, leading through change and ambiguity and ensuring we continue to deliver as a high performing team.

JOB DESCRIPTION

As the UK’s Lead Negotiator for the UNFCCC, you will need to have excellent interpersonal, influencing and communication skills to build and maintain strategic relationships. You will be working in a very dynamic and fast paced environment and so must be comfortable dealing with change and new and novel issues, be able to show excellent judgement and the ability to provide robust advice and identify key issues quickly and confidently from complex, technical negotiations. The successful candidate will provide leadership and direction to the International Climate Negotiations and Engagement team to develop and deliver overall UK negotiations policy and strategy.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Represent the UK externally as lead climate negotiator in the G7, G20 and UNFCCC process; building relationships with international counterparts and institutions to maximise influence and enhance UK reputation.
• Lead the UK’s climate negotiations and engagement team to develop and deliver overall UK negotiations policy and strategy, working across UK departments to ensure wider UK interests are met.
• Oversee the development and cross-Government agreement of positions and strategy for delivering key COP negotiating objectives throughout the annual UNFCCC timetable.
• Advise and support DESNZ Ministers on approach to climate negotiations across all international fora.
• Role model cross-DESNZ working to contribute to overall International Net Zero strategy and ensure a positive working environment in which wellbeing and the DESNZ values are prioritised; even during stressful periods.