About the IGN

 

The Institute for Global Negotiation (IGN) is a non-profit association based in Zurich that promotes and supports the use of negotiation as an essential tool in building a more equitable, peaceful, and sustainable world. The Institute fulfils this by providing education and training in the field of negotiation and facilitating the sharing of negotiation experience among its members and the wider public. At the core of the Institute’s activities is a network approach that encourages the sharing of lessons learned and the development of best practices in specific fields.

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Description

 

The climate crisis is arguably the greatest challenge facing humanity and is one of the key focus areas of the Institute. The Institute is therefore launching the project ‘Negotiating for Climate Action: Engaging Practitioners and Empowering Youth’ and is seeking to appoint a passionate Programme Manger to establish and implement a number of activities as part of this unique program.

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The Programme Manager is responsible for overseeing the organisation of a community of practice for frontline climate negotiators and to develop and implement a skill-focused, mentorship-based training programme for youth from low- and middle-income countries. The training program ‘Youth Climate Incubator (YCI) will empower young climate change advocates with the tools they need to conceive, design, and negotiate for climate action projects focused on mitigation within their communities.

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The YCI will bring together youth to participate in an online 12-session training, comprising of approximately 30 hours of direct contact and 70 hours of individual study and climate action. In parallel, each participant will be paired with a climate action mentor who is either located in the same country or has significant on-ground experience of that country. Over the duration of the programme, participants will regularly consult with their mentors to identify a target climate-action outcome that they would like to achieve within their community and mobilize the necessary resources to achieve it. As part of the program, participants will have a chance to pitch their projects to partner institutions for grants and investment. These projects should lead to concrete GHG emission reductions which will be monitored to gauge the effectiveness of the program.​

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Main Duties and Responsibilities

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Under close supervision of the programme leads, the programme manager will be responsible for coordinating resources to deliver the following programme outcomes:

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1. Carry out a desk review of existing youth climate entrepreneurship/incubator programmes in developing countries. Identify best practice, lessons-learned complete a report listing the programs and identifying potential candidates for partnerships.

2. Design and facilitate peer-to-peer workshops for frontline climate practitioners alongside members of the management team. Write a summary analysis of best practices based on the workshops.

3. Coordinate, train, and oversee junior researchers who will carry out interviews of potential youth climate change mentees and write a summary analysis report of the commonly identified needs using accepted qualitative analysis methods.

4. Contribute to the design of the online learning environment on which the 12-session course will be hosted in close collaboration with colleagues from the IGN.

5. Work closely with programme directors, instructors, and climate entrepreneurship mentors to design and establish the 12-session curriculum, including both online instruction and offline self- study tasks. Coordinate the smooth operation of the curriculum by coordinating between the instructors, mentors, and IGN support staff.

6. Develop the application process for youth climate entrepreneur mentees and coordinate the collection, evaluation, and selection of candidates for approximately 50 places on the programme.

7. Establish and maintain timely communication with all programme mentors, mentees, instructors, and other vested individuals, including the general public.

8. Coordinate with IGN staff to ensure all individuals affiliated with the programme follow programme protocols and submit invoices in a timely manner for contract remuneration.

9. Coordinate the collection of outcomes data and assist the programme directors in analyzing programme data and preparing outcomes reports for funding agencies and other relevant stakeholders.

10. Assist with the revision of the programme and development of an e-learning simulation of the programme based on feedback and programme assessment data.

11. Assist the programme leads in applying for additional funding and establishing strategic partnerships for the ongoing sustainability of the programme.

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Additional Duties of the Programme Manager:

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• Collate and manage incoming data and ensure data integrity, as applicable

• Provide programme update reports to the programme managers on a regular basis

• Track all programme deliverables, establish work tasks, and follow-up with instructors, mentors, and other programme staffs as needed

• Serve as a professional representative of the IGN generally and the international youth climate entrepreneurship incubator specifically.

• Create and maintain positive relationships in the community which will aid to procure and retain mentors, mentees, trainers, strategic partnerships, and the sustainability of the programme.

• Adhere to professional ethical standards in the conduct of the work, including student/trainee confidentiality

• Facilitate online assessments of the training programme

• Coordinate, attend and participate in team meetings, conferences, and workshops as required.

• Demonstrate cultural competencies in interactions with programme participants

• Collaborate and work with all internal and external partners such as trainers, mentors, mentees, teachers, and other programme staffs

• Identify and report issues and incidents to the Programme Managers promptly and effectively

• Identify and suggest improvements that can be implemented to promote team and programme success

• Undertaking additional tasks as assigned by the Programme Managers from time to time

• Maintaining currency of practice and updating knowledge and skills relevant to the position

 

Note that the position may require periods of more intense work and periods of less intense work. For example, in preparation for and implementation of the online training programme.

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Qualifications and Skills

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Our ideal candidate would meet the following criteria:

 

Education:

• 4-year undergraduate degree in business, climate change related field, environmental economics, international development, environmental science, energy, industrial/organizational psychology or related social science, or education.

 

Experience:

• minimum of 3 years’ experience working in a related context (i.e., business incubation, project management, post-secondary training / education, climate policy, climate finance, finance institutions).

• teaching or training experience at the post-secondary (College, University) level, including online teaching/training experience.

• knowledge of word processing, presentation, online videoconferencing, and online teaching programs.

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Social skills:

• The candidate must possess highly developed social emotional intelligence and ability to create a positive community atmosphere. The candidate must possess positive “can-do” attitude, be able to quickly shift to potential solutions when challenges arise rather than dwelling on the problem itself, an entrepreneurial mindset, and willingness to try different methodologies and change course quickly based on feedback. The candidate must possess a high level of tact and diplomatic skill, combined with an ability to create consensus, and mediate between individuals in conflict.

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Languages:

• Proficiency in written and spoken English is essential. Fluency in additional languages is an asset.

 

Whilst we have attempted to encapsulate our ideal candidate in these criteria, we recognise that the right person might not fit this profile exactly. We are eager to hear from all potential candidates who feel that they have what it takes to do this job well.

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Start and Duration

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Proposed Start date: 20 November 2023 (or by agreement)

End date: 31 October 2024, subject to an additional minimum 1-year extension if project deliverables are met and funding remains secured.

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Location of Work

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This is a remote work position, and the individual can be located in any country, with location within a 6-hour time zone of Zurich preferred.

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Remuneration

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Up to USD $24,000 for the initial 12-month contract. The individual will be expected to work 30 hours per week and will submit a monthly invoice for work completed, pro-rated to the number of hours worked. The maximum billable is 120 hours per month. Funds will be electronically transferred on a monthly basis to a bank account indicated by the successful candidate.

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Application Process

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To apply for this position please email the following documents to climate.action@global-negotiation.org 

• Cover letter highlighting relevant experience (maximum one page)

• Curriculum Vitae/Resume

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Applications will be reviewed starting from Saturday 4th November 2023 and will continue until the position has been filled.

 

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Questions

If you have any questions regarding the position, please contact climate.action@global-negotiation.org