View Vacancy – Climate Change, Environment & Energy Officer (AUT24.420)

Who are we? 

The British Embassy Vienna  is part of a network, representing British political interests overseas. We are currently looking for a Climate Change, Environment & Energy Officer who is a dynamic self-starter with excellent communication skills, to cover a period of maternity leave for the jobholder.  

Main purpose of job:

The successful candidate will lead the British Embassy’s work on climate, environment and energy-related business, a priority mission for the UK government. Delivering high quality insight and analysis on domestic climate and energy developments in Austria, this role presents an opportunity to connect with a wide range of stakeholders, driving forward the UK-Austria bilateral relationship in these areas.  

Duties will vary, but will include: engaging and lobbying on UK priorities; leading on the delivery of public diplomacy events; strengthening relationships with relevant stakeholders; visits and social media profiling of the embassy’s climate, nature and energy work; pursuing UK objectives in relation to the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; and engaging collaboratively with colleagues from across the embassy – in particular colleagues in the Department for Business and Trade and the Science and Innovation Network – to deliver green growth objectives. 

The policy environment is dynamic and evolving but as a priority area of work for the Foreign Secretary, this is an important and high profile role within the embassy. The job requires resilience and flexibility and in return, the embassy offers an inclusive and supportive workplace culture where individuals and teams thrive.  

Roles and responsibilities:

Working in the political team, the job-holder will be responsible for:

• Reporting to colleagues in the embassy and across the network on Austrian policy developments, advising on local sensitivities and priorities e.g. efforts to diversify away from Russian gas imports and how the new government approaches the green agenda;
• Lobbying Austrian officials on UK policy developments and initiatives e.g. building a Global Clean Power Alliance. This will include advising on and supporting engagement between senior officials (including Ambassadors) and Ministers, and engaging with the Austrian government to promote UK priorities;
• Coordination with colleagues from a range of UK government departments on opportunities to deepen our relationship with Austria where our interests align e.g. clean power and green tech. This includes identifying how climate and energy can cut across our other priorities such as health, defence and gender equality;
• Broadening the embassy’s network by building relationships with a range of local stakeholders, including working level contacts in sub-national authorities, businesses, academia and civil society (including think-tanks and NGOs);
• Conceptualising and organising public diplomacy events, with project funds, on climate and energy, often in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade and/or the Science and Innovation Network;
• Providing support to the UK’s multilateral missions to the UN and OSCE as required;
• Supporting the work of the political section and taking on corporate responsibilities within the wider embassy as required, eg as part of the crisis response team.

Our Ideal Candidate shows: 

• Full professional proficiency in German and English (written and spoken, minimum of C1 level for CEFR framework*);
• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field, for instance, Climate and Environmental Science, Climate Diplomacy, Public Policy, Public Administration, International Relations etc;
• A minimum of 2+ years of experience working for an organisation in a relevant field, for example, working for/with national or regional government, international organisations or agencies, preferably in affairs relating to climate and energy;
• Strong understanding of international climate change policy, with relevant experience including from university or previous professional work experience;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills;
• Experience of managing diverse and senior level relationships.