Climate and Energy Specialist

The Climate and Energy Specialist at WWF will facilitate the organization's energy strategy, focusing on a just energy transformation in South Africa and globally. The role requires a master's degree, over 5 years of experience, and strong advocacy skills. Responsibilities include leadership in energy planning, policy engagement, and collaboration with stakeholders. This is an 18-month contract position based in Cape Town or Johannesburg.
Job Advert Summary:
(This is a 18 month contract position based in Newlands, Cape Town or Braamfontein, Johannesburg)

The Climate and Energy Specialist will play an essential role in facilitating WWF’s overall energy strategy and ensuring it is science-based. Working in the Climate Action team, this is a key role to help drive WWF’s vision of a just energy transformation in the South African and global context. A demonstrated extensive and deep technical knowledge base and skill set is therefore a critical requirement. This position also requires the ability to develop strong advocacy tools to build support for a net zero emissions target within civil society, labour and government as well as enable WWF and partners to embark on a well-evidenced campaign and roadmap to drive a broader just energy transformation, potentially informing the direction of finance to key transition industries.

The Climate and Energy Specialist will also interact with WWF globally as the network finalises its revised energy strategy, providing an African perspective into the global climate and energy debate alongside the Climate & Energy Practice Focal Point.

The position requires a strong technical support approach, as well as targeted and clear interactions with stakeholders and policy to facilitate WWF’s 2025 strategy.
• Minimum Requirements:

- A master’s degree in a relevant field (energy, economics, climate change and development) with more than 5 years working experience and knowledge of other aspects of the role.
- Experience in managing a small team to deliver key outputs in a timely manner.
- Experience in engaging with national policy processes, particularly within the energy space.
- Experience in convening stakeholders around a common objective and working with complex multistakeholder environments.
- Knowledge of and/or experience of engaging on international climate policy issues.
- An understanding of relevant South African policy, regulations and political economy around the just energy transition.
- Knowledge of energy modelling & scenario development
- Strong data and analytical skills
- Strong ability to build and nurture effective partnerships and develop advocacy plans.
- The ability to easily communicate technical aspects into easily communicable messages.
- Ability to communicate clearly and speak in public
- Comfortable working with stakeholders from many different constituencies
- Attention to detail
- Able to work independently
• Duties and Responsibilities:

- Provide leadership to WWF South Africa’s approach to our energy trajectory to 2050
- Lead development of the illustrative Integrated Energy Plan and annual workplans together with the Senior Manager Climate Action and the Energy Project Officer
- Ensure that WWFSA is recognised as the thought leader in the climate-energy space
- Coordinate inputs from team members and leadership around key energy policy engagements
- With the Senior Manager Climate Action, develop strategic engagement plans to facilitate uptake of policy advocacy.
- Cooperate with other members of the climate action and other portfolios to support cross
- cutting elements of climate action.
- Ensure the Head of Environmental Programmes, Delivery and Impact Leads and Chief Executive Officer of WWF South Africa are kept informed of key developments relating to climate and energy development, discourse and related topics.
- Coordination and inputs into the WWF network’s energy strategy
- Engage with WWF’s international energy community of practice to develop network energy strategy.
- Feed into WWF’s Africa and international energy statements and policy work
- External stakeholder engagement and advocacy
- Participate in building and strengthening organisational relationships with stakeholder groups that are key for WWF-SA’s energy transition work.
- Provide technical inputs and develop materials for use in climate-related stakeholder engagement.
- Design and facilitate workshops and engage in public forums to promote WWF’s vision for energy transition.
- Knowledge production, technical support and insights
- Produce and edit research reports around key topics.
- Manage consultants and specialists where necessary to support knowledge production.
- Contribute to the development of knowledge for key strategic outcomes.
- Strategically disseminate the knowledge within WWFSA and with all stakeholders.
- Work with the Strategic Communications team to develop internal and external communication material regarding the Climate & Energy work to meet Programme goals and broaden and engage constituencies
- Produce position statements in relation to climate and energy in South Africa.
- Develop technical content and media releases around key news items.
- Act as a representative spokesperson for WWF South Africa’s Climate and Energy work
- Policy engagement
- Managing and coordinate key elements of WWF’s climate and energy policy e