Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Youth and Labour Engagement Officer - Braamfontein at WWF South Africa

Background

• The objective of this role is to enhance capacity and collaboration amongst South African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Youth and Labour for effectively participating in climate change governance for enhancing climate policy ambition, action and accountability and ensuring that South Africa’s contribution is consistent with the requirements of the Paris Agreement. The position will take on the specific role of the Secretariat and Activities Coordinator for the Climate Ambition to Accountability Project co-funded by the European Union (EU) and Swedish International Development Corporation Agency (Sida) and will report directly to Project Manager, Climate Action. The position is based in the WWF Johannesburg office.

Minimum Requirements    

• Post-graduate level qualification in Environmental Science, Environmental Politics, Development Studies, African Studies or equivalent
• 3 - 5 years of professional work experience in climate advocacy or climate activism, with at least 3 years of experience working with CSOs
• Knowledge of institutional landscape, domestic politics, and climate policy in South Africa
• Prior experience of civil society and labour engagement
• Familiarity with national climate policy landscape
• Ability to build, nurture, and maintain strategic relationships with a number of organisations.
• Prior experience of setting up organisational systems would be an advantage.
• Articulate and a confident communicator in English (Verbal and written), fluency in any other South African language would be considered an advantage.
• Ability to manage budgets efficiently and effectively would be considered an advantage.
• Soft skills: Team player, Excellent interpersonal, networking and communication skills, self-starter, systematic in approach, attention to detail, ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders in crunch situations and comfortable with presenting and public speaking.

Duties and Responsibilities    

• Provide strategic and tactical leadership in capacitating and coordinating South African CSOs (including labour), as key actors in climate change governance.
• Facilitate the creation and functioning of innovative multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• Coordinating with CSOs and existing networks, particularly with the South African Climate Action Network (SACAN)
• Capacitating the next generation of climate activists and climate policy advocates by supporting the functioning of Youth Climate Champions (YCC) Programme for facilitating strong youth engagement in climate policy processes
• Building strategic alliances with CSOs, youth and gender-based organisations.
• Responsible for organising project activities.

Specific Responsibilities:
Build a strong cross-cutting civil society community, including social partners (labour)

• Engage with CSOs, youth and labour unions to build a community of climate activists and policy advocates to ensure enhanced climate ambition, implementation, and accountability in South Africa
• In collaboration with existing CSO networks run the CSO Climate Action Secretariat (CCAS)
• Maintain the established financial support mechanism to facilitate participation of CSO representatives in climate relevant policy engagements, in-person or virtually.
• Engage key stakeholders within and beyond the CSO affiliates to explore partnerships for ensuring accountability of climate action.
• Maintain the established digital platform.
• Operationalise the Thematic Working Group (TWGs) on issues of strategic relevance.
• Support the implementation of the incubation fund which provides technical and financial support for conceptualisation of innovative partnership models that contribute towards climate governance, mitigation and adaptation.

Support the capacitation of a cohort of Youth Climate Champions

• Working closely with YCC coordinator to implement the YCC programme.
• Support and maintain the established YCC steering committee.
• Support hosting of workshop series, webinars, workshops to capacitate youth to participate in climate policy processes.
• Contribute towards development of training module(s) on climate policy, politics and participation for wider youth community. 
• Facilitate youth bootcamp attendees’ participation in climate policy processes.

Mainstream the cross-cutting issues into national climate policy

• Support development of climate policy briefs and engagements
• Organise Policy Dialogues between the Government and civil society.
• Organise intergenerational dialogues series.

Stakeholder engagement

• Work closely with YCC Coordinator to develop workshops and training for CSOs.
• Develop capacity of CSOs through knowledge building webinars, seminars and workshops along the themes identified by TWGs.
• Dissemination of research and policy proposals in accessible format for wider dissemination.
• Build, maintain and strengthen stakeholder relationships.

Other

• Conduct Annual Stocktaking Workshop (ASW) for reviewing the action.
• Coordinate monitoring and evaluation to ensure project success.