Summary:
This new position is an exciting opportunity to be at the heart of a growing area of UK-Brazilian collaboration, working to safeguard globally important forests. The post holder will be required to help oversee BEIS’ (UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) existing forest and land use initiatives in Brazil, enhance implementation and troubleshoot where risks and issues arise; increase the integration of these initiatives with Federal and State policies, and work closely with climate and energy teams across the UK government network in Brazil to increase the impact and visibility of our programme support and our climate/energy work in Brazil.. They will also develop a vision for how BEIS could grow the UK-Brazil forests partnership in the future, and support UK policy and industry initiatives. Climate and Energy work is a core part of the UK-Brazil relationship, and this role sits alongside major programme and policy initiatives involving a range of UK government departments (Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department for International Trade).
UK International Climate Finance (ICF) is a £5.8bn portfolio of Official Development Assistance (covering the period 2016-21) which includes a range of innovative projects designed to help developing countries achieve a low carbon transition. This includes helping developing countries turn their Nationally Determined Contributions for emissions reductions into stronger policiesand, tangible progress on the ground. BEIS is providing £2bn of this ICF support, with a significant portion focussed on helping partner countries halt deforestation.
Brazil is a major recipient of international support to address deforestation. It has made world-leading progress to halt forest loss and place sustainability at the heart of rural development. BEIS’ support includes:
- £43m of results-based finance through the REDD for Early Movers (REM) programme to support the States of Acre and Mato Grosso to strengthen forest governance and foster forest-friendly industries in their territories.
- A share of BEIS’ £19m investment to extend the Partnerships for Forests (P4F) programme to Latin America, which is supporting work to achieve legal and sustainable commodity supply chains, with public, private and civil society partnerships.
BEIS’ finance focusses on top-down work with the national and regional governments to improve forest governance and law enforcement, making deforestation riskier. A significant portion of the support is results-based, flowing to Brazilian States only when they demonstrate that that they have reduced their deforestation rates. Our funding also works bottom-up to work with communities and businesses that utilise standing forest or intensify production on areas where forest has already been lost, reducing the need to expand into forest land.
Major commodity producers and consumer goods companies worth over £2 trillion in annual sales are committed to removing deforestation from their supply chains by 2020, including major UK businesses. However progress against these ambitions has proved challenging in many cases. The UK imports large volumes of Latin American commodities, that are presently linked to land use change, e.g. soya. The UK’s finance and policy initiatives in Brazil can make a major contribution to efforts to source these commodities sustainably while promoting green prosperity in Brazil.
Responsibilities:
1. Programme oversight (50%)
– Assess and influence implementation of BEIS programmes to help ensure delivery partners are meeting agreed standards, local and global benefits are maximised and costs, risks and issues are controlled. Work confidently with programme and project management processes. Help BEIS hold delivery partners to account, and help programmes exceed expectations: e.g. by building greater political momentum; integration with other policy and finance initiatives; and better outcomes for businesses and private investors.
– Develop effective network of relationships with the Brazilian Federal and State Governments, particularly with Acre and Mato Grosso, private sector stakeholders, civil society and indigenous peoples organisations.
– Work to ensure new programmes have a successful start to operations in Brazil, including particularly advising BEIS and our delivery partners on work to establish the new Partnerships for Forests programme, including a UK sustainable soya initiative, as well as the initial phase of delivery of REM in Mato Grosso and the second phase of REM in Acre.
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– Lead on the preparation and coordination of key visits (BEIS monitoring missions to Brazil; ministerial visits) and senior-level meetings that will increase the profile of our programmes and help secure measures needed to strengthen their implementation. Publicly represent the Embassy and UK government as a credible interlocutor..
– Lead progress reports and lesson sharing for London-based teams, identifying and analysing risks and opportunities and how to address them. Provide evidence-based recommendations to senior management at the Embassy and in London.
– Ensure coordination between UK programmes and initiatives supported by other donor agencies, identifying opportunities for multilateral cooperation where possible.
– Work with other donors, government entities and regional stakeholders to effectively raise the profile of BEIS forest and climate programmes, supporting key events to showcase our work to help deliver low carbon energy and transport infrastructure in Brazil, enhancing the UK’s position as a major partner of strategic importance for Brazil.
2. Develop options for expanding the partnership (20%)
– Scope options for new BEIS International Climate Finance and policy initiatives that could deepen the UK-Brazil forest and land use partnership. Assess the strategic value of the options and carry out due diligence on how they are managed in practice. Influence key organisations and individuals to help shape the initiatives to meet both BEIS’ and Brazil’s needs. As part of this build and apply expertise in how BEIS makes investment decisions and prioritises policy efforts.
– Lead on the preparation and coordination of key BEIS scoping missions setting up productive dialogues that support the assessment of potential new partnerships.
– Lead on briefings and reports to London-based teams on the progress assessing potential new initiatives, identifying, analysing and flagging risks and opportunities and how to address them. Provide evidence-based recommendations to senior management at the Embassy and in London.
3. Integrate BEIS finance and policy initiatives with the wider UK government Brazil network (30%)
– Proactively seek collaboration opportunities amongst Embassy and Consulate teams to support the UK’s low-carbon agenda in Brazil by e.g. ensuring BEIS’ finance and policy initiatives interact effectively with Department Environment, Food and Rural Affairs programmes, Prosperity Fund and political and communication teams, and Department for International Trade..
– Play an active part in the corporate life of the Embassy (potentially also as a member of Embassy Committees) to maximise the overall well-being of staff.
– The job holder will be expected to manage his or her own administrative tasks and support the wider team on administrative tasks as and when required.
– At least 5 years of relevant professional experience;
– Able to demonstrate strong interpersonal, communication and relationship skills
– Solid knowledge of Brazilian State-level and Federal climate, forest, agriculture and land-use policy and institutional frameworks
– Experience working for, or closely with, private sector organisations
– Experience of helping to develop, and manage the delivery of, significant projects or programmes; preferably with international stakeholders
– Fluency in written and spoken English and Portuguese – excellent communication, adjusting for audience
– Experience providing administrative and logistical support
– Excellent presentation skills
– Ability to work well and have a flexible approach to work whilst under pressure
– Team player, driven by values
– Relevant post-graduate course
– At least 3 years of experience of developing and delivering major forest and climate programmes e.g. REDD+ programmes or public-private partnerships to reduce the deforestation impacts of commodity supply chains
– Experience of international programmes
– Experience of working with or for Multilateral Development Banks
– Knowledge of UK climate policy and capabilities
**This position may be based in Sao Paulo, Rio Di Janeiro, OR Brasilia**
This position will be a 12 month contract.
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