Open Society – Unit Manager, Climate Governance and Just Transition

Deadline: 27 June 2022
Open to: applicants with minimum 7 years of experience in the area of climate governance and just transition, with a focus on Europe
Location: Brussels, Berlin

Description

Do you want to help make the world a better place with your expertise and networks in the area of climate justice and climate governance? Open Society is seeking a Unit Manager based in Berlin or Brussels to lead their work to advance effective climate governance and a just transition in Europe and worldwide.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable and open to the participation of all people. Open Society is active in more than 120 countries, and it’s the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights.

Our Europe and Eurasia Program is leading our grant-making and advocacy work in the region protecting and advancing democracy, rule of law, human rights and supporting people-centered transformations of our societies, with a focus on the digital sphere and the green transition. They are seeking a highly motivated individual to lead our new work area on Climate Governance and Just Transition, which seeks to foster systemic solutions to the climate crisis by advancing open society values of democratic ownership and participation, transparent and accountable governance as well as social justice in the green transition of European societies as well as in furthering Europe’s role to support these green transitions in the Global South.

As Unit Manager, Climate Governance and Just Transition at the Europe and Eurasia Program at Open Society you will:

Co-design and implement our long-term strategy on this issue focusing on (1) supporting a just and people-centered green transition in Europe and Eurasia and (2) advancing climate action in Europe in support of a more effective and accelerated global transformation towards sustainability, resilience and climate justice.
Build and maintain broad coalitions to advance our change goals in this area, with our grantees and partners in civil society, business, government and the philanthropic sector as well as within the OSF network
Oversee the grant-making budget of 5-8 Million Euros per annum
Supervise and guide team members to ensure a high level of team performance and advance the professional development of individuals
Represent OSF to key stakeholders in government, civil society and business, including at public events and policy debates
Contribute to the development of overall program strategy and other cross-cutting initiatives or processes at the Europe & Eurasia Program and OSF in general.

Eligibility

Minimum 7 years of experience in the area of climate governance and just transition, with a focus on Europe;
Sound understanding of the climate and societal transformation discourse in Europe and worldwide, with particular expertise in the areas of just transition and/or climate governance/democracy and how the climate crisis intersects with open society issues and principles;
Demonstrated success in developing and advancing social change strategies in this area, ideally from a Europe-wide or cross-country perspective;
Comprehensive understanding of the structure and workings of the European and international eco-system of actors and networks working on climate governance and just transition issues.
Ability and willingness to work with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders and to build and maintain broad and effective social change coalitions
Excellent written and spoken communication in English, including drafting and editing skills.
Commitment to listening and working with humility; ways of working that are respectful to all people; and that support Is able to articulate a deep understanding of and vision for change based on experience and/or knowledge and is able to use that understanding to develop and implement a strategy for achieving the vision.

Benefits

Ample opportunities to learn and grow, from annual professional development allowances to onsite trainings and learning conversations with visiting experts.
Top-notch benefits and perks designed for your well-being and a healthy work-life balance. With some variability according to location, this includes generous time off, flexible work arrangements, employer-paid health insurance, generous retirement savings plan, progressive paid parental leave, reproductive and family planning support, sabbatical opportunities, and much more.
A commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that enables everyone to bring their full self to work and make a positive impact on the world.