Climate Campaigner - International Rivers

Position Available - Please Post
Climate Campaigner
Berkeley, California

International Rivers supports communities around
the world in protecting their rivers, watersheds
and human rights. We work to halt destructive
dams and encourage better methods of meeting
needs for water, energy and protection from
floods. We have more than 20 staff based in our
Berkeley main office and six other locations
around the world.

We need a dynamic, skilled and experienced
climate campaigner. The main focus of our climate
work is on preventing carbon offset schemes from
harming efforts to address the climate crisis and
from furthering the destruction of rivers. It
also includes education and advocacy work on
greenhouse gas emissions from dams; and on the
impacts of climate change on rivers and water
management and the ways in which societies can
best adapt to these impacts.

Our Climate Campaigner reports to the Executive
Director. The Campaigner is responsible for
research and analysis, writing, advocacy and
lobbying, information dissemination and
networking, fundraising, and supervision of
volunteers, interns and consultants. This
full-time position is based in Berkeley,
California, and requires international and
domestic travel.

Primary Responsibilities

… Monitor and seek to influence policy and
political developments related to the Kyoto
Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and
other carbon offset initiatives, in particular
those developments related to hydropower, and
including the actual and proposed use of offsets
in carbon trading schemes in Europe, the US and
elsewhere;
… Submit comments to the CDM, and assist others
to submit comments, on specific hydropower
projects proposed for CDM credits. Work to ensure
that CDM decision-makers act upon these comments;
… Monitor scientific and policy developments
relating to greenhouse gas emissions from dams
and produce materials to explain these
developments to non-specialist audiences;
… Monitor literature on impacts of climate change
on water resources management and ways of
adapting to these impacts. Promote effective use
of climate adaptation funds in the water sector
and seek to prevent international agencies and
governments using climate change as a
justification for building destructive water
infrastructure projects;
… Write and produce briefings, reports, press
releases, opinion pieces and blog entries and
help maintain our climate web pages;
… Cultivate relationships and do interviews with
print, radio, and TV journalists;
… Give presentations at public events and
represent International Rivers at conferences and
other meetings.
… Assist International Rivers partner groups
around the world to understand and influence the
CDM and other international climate-related
processes;
… Participate in and help to build activist
coalitions on climate issues, including to ensure
that CDM offsets are excluded from initiatives to
address climate change at the state, regional and
federal levels in the US.

Skills and Experience Required:
… At least three years' experience in climate
and/or clean energy/energy justice advocacy;
… Graduate degree in relevant subject or equivalent experience;
… Familiarity with international climate policies
and politics, particularly related to the design
and implementation of carbon trading and offset
and schemes;
… Strong analytical capacity and ability to
develop and implement effective media and
political strategies;
… Excellent English-language written and verbal communication skills;
… Ability to work independently and as part of a
team; manage a variety of tasks and work under
time pressure;
… Project management skills and experience;
… Demonstrated ability to work in coalitions and
thrive in diverse cultural settings;
… Willingness to travel and work outside standard hours;
… Authorization to work in the US.

Desired Qualifications:
… Demonstrated interest in and understanding of
dam, river and water issues, and of campaigns
seeking to influence international financial
institutions and corporations;
… Experience living in the Global South and
working with Southern civil society organizations.
… Experience promoting stories to the international media;
… Ability to read technical documents and converse in Spanish or Chinese;
… Experience in the use of online organizing strategies;
… Experience raising funds from foundations.

Salary and Benefits
Competitive Bay Area non-profit salary plus
excellent benefits (including vacation, 401(k)
and health insurance).

Application Procedures
To apply, send a cover letter, resume and three
writing samples (and where possible links to
further on-line samples) to International Rivers,
ATTN: Climate Campaigner, 1847 Berkeley Way,
Berkeley, CA 94703, USA; or fax +1 510 848 1008,
or email to jobpost@internationalrivers.org, with
Climate Campaigner in the subject line. Deadline
for applications: 11 March, 2008.

International Rivers is an equal opportunity
employer and encourages applications from all
qualified candidates regardless of age, class,
disability status, ethnicity, gender, race and
sexual orientation.

International Rivers offers a stimulating, casual
and flexible work environment.