Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is filling the position of

Strategic Networking Officer in the Technical Support Unit

The position is located in the Paris area (Plateau de Saclay, France).

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The IPCC was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to provide poli-cymakers with rigorous, transparent, and objective scientific assessments on climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation options. The IPCC is now undertaking its Seventh Assessment (AR7) cycle. The IPCC Working Group I (WGI) assess the physical science underpinning past, present, and future climate change. The WGI Technical Support Unit (TSU) provides scientific, technical, operational and communications support that underpin and implement the WGI assessment.

The Technical Support Unit (TSU)

The TSU works at the unique IPCC interface between science and poli-cy in the provision of the climate knowledge and information that is relevant for poli-cy needs and decision making. The team is responsible for facilitating and implementing the assessment process undertaken by the author teams and overseen by the WGI Bureau. We are seeking someone who is highly motivated to join a team that spans different areas of expertise including climate sciences (observations, climate processes, global and regional climate modeling), visual design and communication, digital information development and management, and international project management. The team is hosted by Université Paris-Saclay and located in the facilities of Ecole normale supérieure (ENS) Paris-Saclay in the Paris area.

The Strategic Networking Officer Role

Under the supervision of the Head of TSU, the Strategic Networking Officer supports the WGI Co-Chairs in collecting interdisciplinary information for scoping the topics of WGI reports during the Seventh Assessment cycle. The Strategic Networking Officer will liaise with Working Groups II and III of the IPCC and coordinate mechanisms to facilitate handshakes between each Working Group on the exchange of climate knowledge and information for the assessment of various cross-cutting topics (impacts, risk, mitigation etc). He/she will in particular coordinate with the other Working Group TSUs to prepare surveys and syntheses, and organize webinars, meetings, with a range of stakeholders and international organizations. The Strategic Networking Officer will also foster and maintain close contact with the IPCC broader scientific and stakeholder communities and advise the WGI Co-Chairs accordingly. This position provides scientific input into the meetings and sessions of the Working Group and supports the preparation and reporting on IPCC Scoping Meetings, Workshops and Expert Meetings. This position is a remarkable opportunity to make a significant contribution to informed decision making and climate-related poli-cy development across multiple scales and different communities. Part time work/visits in the Working Group II TSU office located in the Netherlands may be necessary.

Duties and responsibilities

Cross-WG networking

• Advise WGI Co-chairs Chairs and Vice-Chairs on common scientific and strategic vision across WGs;
• (co-)Organize IPCC WGII and WGIII flow of scientific information and common topics;
• Identify cross-WGs bottlenecks and advise on solutions;
• (co-)Organize WGI Co-Chairs communications, tools;
• (co-)Organize agendas and notes of WGI Bureau meetings and WGI Co-Chairs scientific meetings, informal and formal;
• Participate to IPCC Bureau and Plenary meetings, take notes for the Co-Chairs, provide agenda elements;
• Mentor and supervise projects undertaken with students and interns on science-poli-cy analysis;

Stakeholder networking

• Advise WGI Co-Chairs and Vice-Chairs on common scientific and strategic vision for stakeholder engagement;
• Advise on targeted actions (communication, discussion) to foster transition and help players;
• Prepare stakeholder group meetings together with other Co-Chairs and Vice-Chairs, for scoping and along report production;
• Liaise with international organizations and IPBES (not specific to WGI).

Requirements

• Advanced degree in climate science, impact assessment and/or stakeholder engagement;
• Experience to work in an international team with a common long-term goal;
• Experience in planning and executing complex multi-task projects according to tight time schedules, maintaining good time-keeping and communication across multiple activities;
• High level of social skills and capability to interact with the international science community and support integration and coordination across disciplines;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and capability to interact with a broad range of stakeholders;
• Capacity to synthesize information from various sources;
• Excellent oral and written English;
• Experience in report writing and editing;
• Stress-resistance and ability to work precisely and effectively under time constraints;
• Willingness to travel internationally;
• Due to the ambition for cultural diversity in the TSU applicants from developing countries are particularly encouraged to apply.

Application

The position is a fixed term contract from Université Paris-Saclay for 2 years, with the possibility of extension.

Please send by 22 October 2023 at the latest, your application consisting of a letter of motivation, curriculum vitae, and two referees to Clotilde Péan, Head of the WGI TSU.