Executive Director of the Legal Response Initiative, London - deadline 24 February

Role

The function of this position is to lead and manage the operations of the Legal Response Initiative (LRI).

Background

The LRI is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee whose purpose is to facilitate the provision of pro bono legal advice and legal capacity-building services in relation to the UN climate change negotiations to least developed countries. It focuses on least developed countries because they are likely to suffer the worst impacts of climate change yet have fewest resources available to address them, including a lack of legal resources to engage in the UN process in a meaningful way.

The LRI uses a network of experienced lawyers, based internationally and in the UK, who provide rapid response, high-quality, free legal advice in response to queries from developing country delegates and NGOs during the negotiations. The LRI also publishes briefing papers on key issues and participates in workshops and conferences for developing country delegations, with the aim of creating and sustaining relevant local legal capacity.

The LRI is the recipient of funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) pursuant to the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) programme.
In 2010 the LRI won the prestigious FT European Innovative Lawyer Awards (category: climate change and sustainable energy) and was the British Legal Awards' CSR Initiative of the Year.

More information about the LRI is available on its website: www.legalresponseinitiative.org

Principal Responsibilities

The role encompasses all aspects of the management and coordination of the Legal Response Initiative. Principal Responsibilities include:

• Overseeing LRI preparations for all UNFCCC intersessional meetings and Conferences of the Parties and coordinating the activities of the LRI during these meetings;
• Ensuring compliance with the procedural, management and output requirements of the funding agreement under the CDKN programme, including preparation of annual and quarterly workplans for LRI activities;
• Ongoing liaison as required with representatives of least developed country delegations, the LRI's complex multi-stakeholder network including pro bono legal advisers and their firms, chambers and other institutions, on-the-ground liaison officers, and directors and advisory committee members;
• Management and supervision of any volunteers assisting the LRI on an ongoing basis;
• Overseeing the production of independent assessment of LRI performance and impact;
• Ongoing administrative and financial management of the operations of the LRI;
• Organisation of, and participation in, all LRI Board/Advisory Committee meetings and teleconferences and distribution of minutes therefrom;
• Reporting on a regular basis to the Directors and the Advisory Committee;
• Maintaining organised systems for information management; and
• Ensuring maintenance and regular updating of LRI website.

Person specifications

• Qualified lawyer;
• Understanding and knowledge of international public law, international environmental law, and/or climate change law;
• Excellent team management, financial planning, budgeting organisation and decision-making skills;
• Excellent communication, problem solving and customer service skills;
• Ability to engage/network with government officials/senior lawyers;
• Right to live and work in the UK;
• Fluency in written and oral English;

Remuneration

£45,000 to £50,000, depending on experience.

Application Process

Please send a CV (no more than two pages) and cover letter (no more than two pages) setting out your motivations for applying for the position, how you meet the specifications set out above and why you are the most appropriate person for the position. Please also set out a key legal issue which you think will be relevant in 2012 and briefly (no more than 250 words) give your reasons for selecting it.

Please provide details of at least two referees whom we may contact in the event that we would like to offer you the position.

The deadline for applications is 5pm, Friday 24 February.

Selected applicants will be called for interview (by person or by telephone) during the week commencing 5 March 2012.

The successful applicant should be available to start with the LRI by the end of March 2012.

If you have any urgent queries, please email coordinator@legalresponseinitiative.org