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About Greenpeace Africa

Greenpeace Africa is the direct offshoot of the Greenpeace movement that began in 1971. Working with local partners in more than 40 countries across the globe, they raise African voices to help find real, sustainable solutions for the entire planet and a greener environment. With investments in research, lobbying, quiet diplomacy and even sometimes high profile non-violent direct action, they are best known for promoting open and informed debate about the environmental choices people can all make. Today, Greenpeace is the biggest environmental group in the world known for their protests, including exposing over 30 years of illegal fishing in West Africa.

The Oceans Campaign, one of Greenpeace’s major campaigns in Africa, seeks to protect the oceans from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and pollution, as well as ensuring that any fisheries produce is consumed fairly and sustainably for key stakeholders who rely on the Oceans for their source of livelihood and protein.

Main Purpose of the Role

Reporting to: Oceans Campaign Senior Manager 

• As the Senior Political Adviser to the Oceans Campaign, you will develop, lead and implement a political strategy for Greenpeace Africa’s Oceans campaign and provide direction on the political and legislative components of the campaign to the team.
• You will build and manage relationships with key political allies and civil society partners for advocacy of the Oceans Campaign, while using their input to develop policy on specific issues relating to the campaign.
• You will be responsible for ensuring the coherence and synergy between the Oceans Campaign political strategy and the political strategies of other Greenpeace Africa campaigns.
• You will identify opportunities where political and legal achievements in Africa can contribute to the global oceans campaign objectives and work with regional and global teams to implement them.
• You will analyze sociological contexts, advise on strategy to be used, support the preparation, implementation and development of the campaign. 
• You will support the team for mobilizations actions activities.

Role Requirements

Issue Development

• Lead the development and implementation of the regional political, strategic and legislative components of the Oceans campaign.
• Develop scenarios and strategic political roadmaps for the campaign in support of the global strategies.
• Coordinate the development of policies on relevant issues to ensure that Greenpeace Africa can respond to new opportunities and influence the development and implementation of environmental legislation to meet campaign objectives.

Strategy

• Ensure coherence and synergy between political strategies for Greenpeace Africa’s local and regional Oceans Campaign and that of the global Oceans Campaign.
• Work with Greenpeace International political advisers, campaigners and project leaders to advise on and develop policies for support and to assist on campaigns.
• Identify potential international or regional political opportunities and ascertain which of the multilateral political bodies need to be influenced to meet organizational and campaign objectives.
• Advise relevant teams and the Oceans Campaign Senior Manager on intersections with Greenpeace Africa’s work in Climate and Energy, Forest or Food for Life campaigns.
• Analyze sociological contexts, advise on the strategy to be used, support the preparation, implementation and development of the campaign.

Representation

• Represent Greenpeace Africa and lead delegations to national, regional and international political forums, specifically on Oceans issues.
• Lobby key political targets to implement the African contribution to the global Oceans political strategy.

Networking/Relationship Building

• Develop, maintain and nurture extensive contacts and relationships with all relevant political bodies and NGOs in order to build effective networks and partnerships that promote the Oceans Campaign and organisational objectives.
• Identify and act upon opportunities to establish new internal and external networks. 

Communications

• Prepare and commission reports, substantive briefings, updates and talking points with the campaign and communications teams to ensure consistent external communication of issues.
• Represent Greenpeace Africa in all forms of media, both proactively and reactively to ensure all relevant issues are communicated to the external world.
• Actively represent Greenpeace Africa in the media on the political topics relevant to the Oceans campaign.

Research

• Maintain a general knowledge of recent and relevant environmental, legislative and political developments on oceans issues, ensuring that Greenpeace Africa is able to respond effectively to new developments.
• Research and analyze relevant topics for creating and adjusting political strategy or informing new policy positions within Ocean’s Campaign (in close collaboration with the global Oceans Campaign)
• Track and communicate all relevant environmental, legislative and political developments in the sector to the team.

Budgeting

• Ensure the most strategic use of campaign budgets including planning and managing spending cost effectively.

Preferred Minimum Qualifications, Experience and Requirements

• University Degree in Political Science, International Relations, Social Sciences or other relevant field. Ten years’ experience or more will be considered as equivalent to academic qualifications.
• Expertise in oceans and fisheries is essential.
• Fluent in written and spoken French and English.
• Experience in high level political negotiations in Africa and internationally with policy development and lobbying track record with national, regional and international political contacts and networks.
• Knowledge/Experience of working with various political bodies in Africa, including regional political and economic blocs West Africa, the AU and various civil society organisations and coalitions in West Africa.
• Knowledge of the political, socio-economic, environmental and developmental context on the continent and especially within West Africa.
• Ability to lead and coordinate delegations at external meetings.
• Flexibility and the willingness to travel frequently.