Transport Policy and Engagement Manager

Position description

Join Climate Group in advancing bold climate solutions in Japan. We are looking for a Policy and Engagement Manager to strengthen partnerships, advocate for ambitious climate policies, and support businesses and policymakers in accelerating the transition to clean energy, low-carbon transport, and sustainable industry. 

This role is an opportunity to make a real impact by engaging key stakeholders, shaping policy discussions, and driving collaborative action. If you are passionate about climate justice and systemic change, we’d love to hear from you! 

About the role

The Policy and Engagement Manager will deliver this vision by driving stakeholder engagement and advocacy activities in Japan, playing a strategic advisory role to identify opportunities for greater impact. The role will coordinate activities across Climate Group campaigns and build and maintain trusting relationships with key Japanese stakeholders on behalf of Climate Group.?

Key responsibilities will include:

Join vision and coordination

• Become familiar with local and global advocacy campaigns operating in Japan, to help identify areas of synergy and embed shared asks in engagement work (e.g. the efforts in the steel industry transition by organisations in the Japan steel climate advocates group such as SteelWatch, Transition Asia, WWF). ?
• Work in Japan and internationally across Climate Group’s Energy, Transport and Industry campaigns to identify key opportunities for collaboration and coordination, aligning efforts for our programmatic delivery in Japan.
• Work with Climate Group colleagues to build, develop and maintain relationships with potential and existing partners in Japan (including JCLP, ISEP, JCI, REI).?
• Support the coordination of meetings and convenings between local stakeholders and Climate Group teams.? 

Corporate engagement

• Oversee growing and engaged networks of corporate members for EV100 and SteelZero.?
• Coordinate engagement with companies with operations in Japan to understand the barriers they are facing on climate action, and how RE100, SteelZero and EV100 can support their ambition including through co-operation on projects.?

Knowledge leadership

• Monitor and advise global colleagues on the Japanese policy landscape and play a key role in our strategy development for advocacy work in the country, including advising on key upcoming ‘policy moments’ in Japan and advising on how Climate Group events in the Asia region could be made most effective.?
• Serve as a key liaison between the Japanese market and our global campaign teams, facilitating two-way communication.?

Policy and advocacy 

• Through policy working groups and other bilateral engagement with our members, build consensus on the policy requirements that companies need to meet their RE100, EV100 and SteelZero commitments.?
• Secure support for advocacy statements prepared through our corporate commitment campaigns and present key messages to relevant government stakeholders.?
• Develop and maintain relationships with key decision-makers and policy-makers in Japan to support advocacy in line with the goals of RE100, EV100 and SteelZero.?
• Maintain and strengthen existing channels of communication with the METI green steel study group, and other policy & advocacy opportunities that may emerge, to build awareness and understanding of SteelZero and Climate Group’s other campaigns?
• Represent Climate Group initiatives at key stakeholder meetings in Japan.

Communications and events

• Support engagement with municipalities/prefectures on transport decarbonisation through direct engagement, research, and aggregating knowledge.?
• Collaborate with our communications team and in country partners such as the Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC) to influence public debates generating enthusiasm around the economic opportunities associated with industry decarbonisation in Japan.?
• Celebrate examples of operational success from businesses as well as local government through case studies and media profiles.???
• Implement communications work around the corporate leadership of our domestic and international network, and advocacy positions developed through these initiatives.?
• Build relationships with local media organisations in Japan for wider platforming of our work and messages. Represent Climate Group initiatives at relevant events, in the media and within relevant networks in Japan.??
• Deliver a range of peer learning sessions linked to global priorities. This will include supporting a second EV conference in Japan attended by fleets, auto manufacturers and government representatives
.?? 
About you

We value strengths and a passion for learning – if you meet most of the criteria below, we encourage you to apply.

Essential

• Commitment to the mission of the Climate Group.
• Understanding and experience of energy, industry and transport markets in relation to climate, including the policy context on these issues in Japan (or ability to acquire those quickly).? 
• Strong communications and relationship skills to engage with businesses, partners and decision makers.? 
• Self-organised and effective project manager.? 
• Good team worker and ability to coordinate with colleagues and external partners.?? 
• Fluency in English and Japanese

Desirable

• Experience in (international) corporate environments and sustainability – ability to engage businesses confidently at senior levels.? 
• Understanding and significant experience of policy processes in Japan and advocacy strategies 

About Climate Group

Climate Group drives climate action. Fast. Our goal is a world of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with greater prosperity for all.

We focus on systems with the highest emissions and where our networks have the greatest opportunity to drive change. We do this by building large and influential networks and holding organisations accountable, turning their commitments into action.

We share what we achieve together to show more organisations what they could do. We are an international non-profit organisation, founded in 2004, with offices in London, Amsterdam, Beijing, New Delhi and New York.

Climate Group is an international organisation, and we want to reflect that in our staff. People who work for us, and people who apply, need to feel heard, safe, and included. That is why we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion throughout our application process and in our offices. We encourage applications from people of all ages, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, and ethnicities, as we value a wide range of experiences and perspectives.

Where you’ll work

The role will be based in Japan and would be integrated into relevant RE100, EV100 and SteelZero meetings and engage directly with UK-based colleagues as required. Their direct supervisor and main contact for day to day issues would be based in the UK.  

The role will require occasional international travel.

What we offer

At Climate Group, our people are at the heart of what we do. You’ll join a global community of bold, ambitious doers committed to driving climate action fast.

This is a fixed-term 12-month position with the possibility of renewal. You will be engaged via Professional Employer Organisation.  

The salary offered is JPY 9,700,000 – JPY 10,300,000 per annum, based on experience. 

Many of our people work flexibly in different ways, including part-time. Please talk to us at interview about your preferred ways of working and if it works for the role and the team, we’ll do our best to accommodate.

Beyond working alongside friendly, motivated colleagues who will support and challenge you, we offer a fantastic benefits package:

• Generous holiday allowance: 17 days annually, plus public holidays and 3 extra days for our Christmas to New Year closure 
• Sickness provision: of 2 paid weeks in any 52 week period
• Flexible and hybrid working: Supporting your work-life balance
• Investing in you: Learning and development opportunities to help you thrive in a global, purpose-driven organisation 
 

Application instructions

Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on globalvacancies.org