Senior Renewable Energy & Shared Prosperity Project Manager: Policy and Engagement

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is seeking an experienced manager to drive policy research and engagement with private sector actors on shared prosperity and human rights in renewable energy systems.

Reports To: Head of the Natural Resources and Just Energy Transition programme

Location: Remote (with occasional international travel), in or around the CET time zone. Location in South Africa is highly desirable.

Contract Duration: March 2025 – December 2026 (with the possibility of extension)

Weekly hours: Full time (35 hours a week).

Salary: GBP 37,500-41,000, commensurate with experience and adjusted according to location (the range is aligned to London cost of living; if based in another location, the range will be adjusted down accordingly)

Closing date: 28 February 2025

Recruitment process: Selected candidates will be invited to a test and two interviews in March 2025, with a starting date in April / May 2025.

TO APPLY: Complete and return this application form via our jobs portal. Kindly note that the application form is required; we will not accept CVs. If you need any additional support, please reach out to Bea Ocampo at [email protected]

About the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre

BHRRC is a UK-registered NGO, which serves as the headquarters for a network of entities registered in New York, Berlin, Sydney, and Bogotá and a team of over 80 experts located in nearly 30 countries.

With partners and allies worldwide, BHRRC seeks to put human rights at the heart of business to deliver a just economy, climate justice, and end corporate abuse. We seek to deliver our mission through three strategic goals: 1) shared prosperity for society 2) corporate duty of care for human rights and environmental justice; and 3) safe and enabling environments in which communities and workers can advocate for their rights and interests, including through free and fair negotiations.

Our model of change and approaches are detailed in our 2025-2029 Strategy and include:

1. Building collective power with partners and allies
2. Influencing decision makers in governments and businesses
3. Increasing corporate transparency and accountability

BHRRC has four priority programmes: rights of workers in global supply chains; rights of communities seeking responsible natural resources use and a just energy transition (NR & JET); rights of people to accountable digital technologies; and civic freedoms and rights of human rights defenders (CF & HRDs) protected from attack and restrictions. Across these programmes, we pursue our advocacy aims through developing evidence-based research, facilitating engagement between rightsholders and the private sector, closely engaging with progressive companies and their investors, and other decision-makers, and promoting respect for and protection of the rights of the marginalised, including by supporting rights capacitation at the grassroots level. Gender and racial justice lenses are designed into all our work.

About the position

The position is part of the NR & JET Programme, with close working relationships with BHRRC regional teams in Asia and Africa, and regular interactions with the CF & HRDs programme.

The Project Manager will support BHRRC’s efforts to advance shared prosperity and rights-based renewable energy operations in support of a fast and fair energy transition. They will support dissemination of the key findings and asks of the Renewable Energy Benchmark (to be updated in 2025). They will lead on targeted policy analysis, coordination of corporate engagement and advocacy activities with wind and solar developers, wind turbine and solar panels manufacturers, and facilitation of dialogues between rights holders, CSOs and companies.

The focus of the position is global, with emphasis on two key countries: Indonesia and South Africa. Other countries in focus for the position could include Mexico, Brazil, India and Kenya.

Key Responsibilities

Corporate Engagement and Advocacy

• Lead on engagement and advocacy with key wind & solar companies on policy priorities identified by the Renewable Energy and Human Rights Benchmark (to be updated in 2025) – with a focus on shared prosperity/benefit-sharing policies, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, the protection of Human Rights Defenders, and responsible mineral sourcing policies.
• Lead on the activation of a small network of corporate champions in the wind & solar sector to support the development of a small civil society-led network of corporate actors as well as partners and allies in the grassroots, climate justice and Indigenous Peoples movement.
• Organise workshops with companies, presentations to investors and their coalitions – online, or in-person, including in South Africa.
• Work closely with BHRRC teams in South Africa and Indonesia, as well as in other countries of focus as needed, to advocate with progressive companies and investors for adoption of policies and positions on salient human rights issues

Project management and reporting

• Oversee activities’ budget and lead on design and implementation of specific activities, in coordination with relevant regional teams.
• Collaborate with the MEAL officer, finance and development teams to regularly assess and report on activities’ progress, ensure gathering of feedback from partners and support Head of programme in project reporting.

Policy & Research

• Support documentation of case studies gathering challenges and successes in wind & solar projects, from a human rights perspective and with a focus on co-ownership and management of assets, in Indonesia and South Africa and other countries as needed.
• Lead on development of policy briefings for external publication critically examining energy transition policies in South Africa and Indonesia from a business and human rights perspective, including on issues of shared prosperity, and provide internal advice as needed.

Working with partners and supporting cross countries exchanges

• In coordination with partners and allies, including existing civil society networks in South Africa and Indonesia, ensure rights holders are represented in engagement with private sector actors.
• Support in-country convening(s) and cross-border sharing between Indonesian and South African civil society on essential features of shared prosperity in renewable energy projects, including through direct community ownership.

External representation

• Represent BHRRC in key fora as needed, including through speaking on panels, doing presentations to external audiences
• Engage with business associations in the wind and solar industry, relevant standard setters and provide key recommendations to influence policy and standards development in support of a rights-respecting energy transition.

Skills and Experience

Required

• 5-7 years of experience doing policy, research, campaigning/advocacy and working with local partners in the climate justice and/or energy transition space. A clear understanding, vision, and strategic insight on human rights in business and the global economy.
• Proven track record engaging with private sector actors in a policy and advocacy capacity. Strong knowledge of the wind and solar industry. Knowledge of challenges and drivers of success in co-ownership project models in the wind and solar sector
• Proven experience in working with multi-cultural teams, being able to lead and adapt to others as needed. Excellent communication and coordination skills are needed, and being a team player. Able to work efficiently and methodically to support achievement of deliverables; strong prioritization skills; self-motivated and comfortable working independently within agreed framework while maintaining communication with a global team in different time zones and geographies.
• Expertise in business and human rights, energy transition, Human Rights Defenders protection and/or Indigenous rights in the energy transition,. Proven ability to integrate the view of rights holders, intersectional gender and racial justice principles into programmes.
• Provenability to effectively communicate to a broad range of audiences, through a range of channels (briefings, benchmarks, blogs, dashboards, etc.), especially on digital platforms. Excellent writing ability and English language skills are required. Strong speaking skills and experience representing organisations to external audiences are critical.
• Exceptional and demonstrated project management skills, including designing, planning and coordinating engagement activities (workshops, webinars etc) and proficient use of Excel and Word.

Preferred

• Familiarity with renewable energy policies and landscape in South Africa and Indonesia highly desirable. Familiarity with the same in Mexico, India and Brazil also a plus.

The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is a diverse, global team. We are committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in this area of work and seek to directly address that through our hiring practices. We particularly encourage applications from women, BAME applicants, people with disabilities, and people who identify as LGBTQI+ or Indigenous.