Opportunity Green is looking for a Director of EU Policy & Brussels Office

The deadline for applications is Sunday 29th September 2024.

Location: Brussels, Belgium, with travel to London once a quarter

Location type: Remote initially, then office based over time

Reporting to: Chief Strategy and Impact Officer

Annual salary: €85,000 EUR plus employer-contributed pension

Contract type: Permanent, 4 day full-time work week (Monday – Thursday)

Candidate level: Director

Background

Established in 2021, Opportunity Green is a fast-growing not-for-profit organisation that helps to identify and unlock opportunities to tackle climate change. We build ambitious coalitions, support climate vulnerable countries in international negotiations and find innovative legal pathways to fight climate change.

We believe it’s possible to reduce international emissions in line with a 1.5°C pathway to zero by 2050 and we find bold and impactful solutions to make that goal a reality. Our work focuses on equity, justice, and accountability, and ensures no one is left behind on the journey to global decarbonisation. In many sectors, changes in law and regulation are needed to speed up the pathway to decarbonisation and this is where we focus our efforts. These sectors include but are not limited to, shipping, aviation, buildings, and steel.

About the team

We are a small but mighty team of lawyers, economists, and policy experts dedicated to achieving climate justice. Our team has grown significantly over the past two years, and we have more plans for growth both in areas of work and with a new Brussels entity.

We are now looking for a Director of EU Policy & Brussels Office to establish and build out our work with the EU institutions. This role is our first hire in Brussels. Alongside your core policy work, you will also oversee the day-to-day functioning of a newly established office and lead Opportunity Green’s work on the ground in Brussels. Eventually, you will lead a small team focused on influencing EU policy. In 2025 we plan to hire three more people to the Brussels-based team.

About the role

This is a super exciting opportunity for someone to establish and set the tone for a new ambitious climate NGO expanding into Brussels with a track record of growth and impact.

The European Union is a climate leader on almost all fronts. Opportunity Green already engages with many parts of the Institution, but we want to ensure that we can maximise our influence with a seasoned Brussels operator at the head of our new Brussels office. Our mission is to close the gaps in global climate action and that means focusing on sectors where emissions are not yet reducing such as: aviation, shipping, buildings, steel and agriculture. The head of our Brussels office will work with all teams across OG wherever they have projects that require influencing the EU institutions, but you will also be responsible for your own projects.

We are looking for someone who can think strategically about the EU’s role in international climate mitigation and adaptation and who can work to increase the EU’s ambition. There is a very real possibility of heading and building an OG Brussels team over time, and potentially managing people in various offices across the EU. The role will provide a substantial opportunity to shape OG’s strategy on the EU institutions across the organisation.

You will begin your role with a focus on ensuring that the SASHA Coalition has the right strategy and is speaking to the right policymakers. There is even potential for you to lead the SASHA team. However, especially in the first year of this role, there will also be a need for you to help OG’s London based operations team get the Brussels office set up and running, establishing the systems and processes needed, and helping with practical elements such as opening a Belgian bank account, and so we are looking for someone who would be comfortable juggling the practicalities of a start-up Brussels operation (as our CEO Aoife did with the London office).

You will report to the Chief Strategy and Impact Officer and once a quarter you will travel to London for team office days.

Profile

We are looking for a candidate with:

• A passion for using their EU policy skills to tackle climate change and the ability to represent Opportunity Green with the EU Institutions.

• An inspirational leader who can work with policymakers to provide them with what they need to increase their ambition.

• A hands-on approach, willing and able to do what needs to be done to set up a new office in Brussels.

Desirable skills and experience:

We do not expect any candidate to have all the skills listed below but rather we look for transferable skills and potential as well as experience.

• Experience working with policymakers to improve and drive ambition in Brussels, with the understanding of how policy is made at the EU level and how NGOs can influence this.

• Experience of generating realistic, ambitious and implementable policy ideas to drive climate ambition.

• Ability to get to grips with technological and policy details around aviation, shipping, buildings, steel and/or agriculture as necessary and to know when that detail is needed in policymaker meetings.

• Experience running or setting up an office/entity in Brussels.

• Experience leading a small team and working with staff to inspire the greatest possible impact, including remote staff.

• An engaging public speaker, with the ability to represent OG at conferences, in public speaking engagements, meetings, etc.

• Experience of working with the media to become a trusted contact and generate strategic communications moments.

• Ability to think critically, independently and creatively.

• Experience of philanthropy and fundraising for an NGO.

Terms and conditions

Diversity and inclusion:

Diversity and inclusion are important principles at Opportunity Green. We believe that diversity and inclusion make teams stronger and more effective. We are committed to fair and equitable employment practices, and we are striving to ensure that a variety of voices and experiences are included in our organisation. Our commitment to diversity and our parental leave policy are available to view on our website, here.

We will consider all applicants who meet most or all of the essential competencies regardless of their identity or background. That said, we know that diverse candidates may be reluctant to apply for jobs where they don’t meet 100% of the criteria outlined in the job description. We encourage anyone to apply who can demonstrate a variety of skills and experiences relevant to meeting the requirements of this role.

We recognise that many diverse experiences and perspectives are not represented in our current workforce and are seriously underrepresented across the non-profit sector in general, and as such, we particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities, people of colour, people from marginalised backgrounds, and members of the LGBTQIA+ communities. We will use positive action under the Equality Act 2010 to appoint from these groups if two candidates are equally qualified. We also value flexible working and are open to those who would want to work part-time in this role.

What we offer

The successful candidate will be offered an annual salary of €85,000 plus an employer-contributed pension. Please note that Opportunity Green has fixed salary scales, with the possibility of step increases with strong performance. When hiring we always hire at the bottom of a band and do not enter into negotiations with new employees as negotiations have been historically shown to disadvantage women and minorities.

We take our team’s well-being and professional development seriously. In addition to a competitive salary, we offer:

• A commitment to work/life balance, with a 4-day work week at 28 hours.

• A generous holiday entitlement of 20 days’ holiday per year, plus bank holidays and office closure between Christmas and New Year’s that does not count towards your holiday entitlement (and expectation that you fully disconnect when taking time off).

• A progressive parental leave policy, including 26 weeks paid leave for both parents.

• Lots of flexibility within a hybrid working arrangement, with regular opportunities to come together as a team.

• Support for your professional development as part of Opportunity Green, with a budget to support your learning & development plus opportunities to lead projects, publish content, learn from experts, work directly with policymakers and stakeholders, and take part in conferences and events.

However, it is important to note that while this role is permanent, employment is always reliant on Opportunity Green continuing to receive philanthropic support from our funders, which we expect every member of the team to play their part in working towards.

To apply for the post

To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV/resume following the below guidelines and respond to the application process questions (below) by clicking on the following link.

To minimise the risk of unconscious bias, we ask that applicants remove certain identifying elements from their CVs. If you do not remove these details, we reserve the right to withdraw your application from review.

• Photos

• Name – if needed, please use ‘Applicant’

• Age

• Email and/or phone number

Please prepare your responses to these questions to be filled out in the application form, with maximum 250 words per answer.

1. This will be OG’s first hire in Brussels. You will need to be passionate about representing Opportunity Green to impact EU policy making for the better, and also be able to help us set up the office and, over time, lead a growing EU team. What stands out about OG that makes you want to work for us, and what experience do you have of leading teams?

2. OG’s mission is to close the gaps in global climate action, focusing on sectors where emissions are not yet reducing with a need for a “brave but not reckless” NGO to act. What areas of EU policy should OG consider working on, knowing this?

3. We are looking for someone who has experience achieving impact within the complicated world of the EU institutions, and ultimately to affecting positive change on EU policy. What experience do you have of this to date? And what impact have you had that you are most proud of at EU level?

Unfortunately, if you do not already hold the right to work in the EU and/or require sponsorship to continue working in the EU, Opportunity Green will not be able to consider your application at this time.

What happens next?

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an online interview to discuss their experience and suitability for the role. After this, candidates that are most suitable for the vacancy will be invited for an in-person interview in our London office, for which there may also be a short task. Train travel between Brussels and London and one night accommodation will be refunded if required, with a defined maximum.

Online interviews are likely to take place beginning of w/c 7th October. In person interviews will follow shortly after this.

We reserve the right to ask for references during the recruitment process.

If you have any questions, or you need additional requirements and/or reasonable adjustments at the application stage, please contact Karem Armstrong at Karem@darylupsall.com.

The deadline for application is Sunday 29th September 2024