Job Description

Location: London (remote working within the UK is possible)

Hours: Full-Time or Part-Time (5 or 4 days per week)

Remuneration: £90,000 -£105,000 depending on experience

About FILE

The Foundation for International Law for the Environment (FILE) is a not-for-profit philanthropic organisation working to accelerate legal action on climate change. 

Through grant-making and in-house legal expertise, we empower our partners to deliver strategic, innovative legal interventions and we support lawyers in their own countries to bring their own cases. 

Legal action can unlock the systemic changes in finance, policy and social systems needed to protect all of us from climate change. The power of the law is both direct (changing policy and practice) and indirect (signalling the wider shifts taking place across these systems).

FILE is a ‘regrantor’ - this means we do not bring legal action in our own name. We receive grants from our philanthropic donors (a small group of like-minded climate foundations) and make onwards grants to partners who align with FILE’s charitable aims and purposes. We do not seek to make any profit from our activities either in a relevant financial year or in the longer term.
 

The Role

This exciting new role will have primary leadership of FILE’s regional strategy within Europe. It is a rare opportunity for an experienced, knowledgeable strategist and leaders to apply their understanding of how civil society can drive impact on climate, nature, and justice through legal and associated narrative and movement strategies in Europe.

This will include representing FILE at a senior level with funders, partners and our peer re-grantors, as well as developing and maintaining relationships with FILE’s European grantees.

It is a key strategic role within FILE, sitting alongside our other Regional Directors, reporting to FILE’s Director of Program Strategy, and with key relationships with other senior members of the Strategy team and other FILE departments.

FILE’s work in Europe is focused on driving governments’ ambition on, as well as holding corporations accountable for their major contributions to, the interconnected crises of climate, nature, and environmental justice. Given Europe’s position as a major economy, with global supply chains, there are strong connections between our work in Europe and our partners and communities in the Global South. 

Key Responsibilities

Each of these is conducted in close collaboration with relevant colleagues across FILE’s strategy teams, as well as FILE’s Research, Impact, and Learning, Grant Management, and Philanthropic Partnerships teams:

• Leading development and implementation of FILE’s Europe strategy, supporting civil society to build for legal, narrative, and movement-building strategies to address the climate and nature crises and in pursuit of environmental justice 
• This includes integrating  climate, nature, and justice priorities appropriately into FILE’s Europe strategy - including a focus on finance, corporate accountability and supply chains, and driving governmental ambition 
• Identifying new grantees, shaping grant-making priorities, and stewarding grantees through the grant-making process, as well as supporting existing grantees including with respect to issues of safety, security, and resilience 
• Supporting the expansion of the community of practitioners to reinforce legal capacity, generating innovation and learning, proactively influencing global legal action and sharing knowledge of impact and learning 
• Convening meetings of strategic partners to discuss key European priorities 
• Performing a leadership role within philanthropy to deepen the understanding of philanthropy of strategic priorities for addressing the climate, nature, and justice crises in Europe in a just and equitable manner 

Key Outcomes 

• FILE has a well-considered Europe strategy that reflects our organisational climate, nature, and justice priorities, including a focus on legal, narrative and movement-building approaches 
• FILE colleagues and external partners have a trusted thought partner and collaborator on implementing FILE’s strategies in Europe 
• FILE’s grant-making in Europe is supported and guided with cutting-edge strategic expertise 
• High quality convening(s) of European civil society and relevant legal practitioners and peers, to catalyse innovation and strengthen connectivity 
• An engaged group of funders, ready to deepen their support for our partners’ work in Europe 

About you 

We know that long lists of criteria can be discouraging and that some candidates will not apply for a role unless they feel they are 100% qualified. If you feel you meet at least some of the essential criteria, we still encourage you to apply. 

We also recognise that skills and experience can be gained in unexpected places, so we welcome applications from candidates who feel they have relevant skills for the role, gained from a wide range of professional, lived and learned experiences.

Essential criteria 

• A strong commitment to reforming corporate and financial governance, strengthening government ambition, and prioritising the rights of communities most affected by climate change and environmental harms
• A demonstrated ability to develop and deliver impactful litigation strategies against corporations, financial institutions, governments and public bodies on climate, environmental, and/or human rights grounds
• Expertise in linking legal strategies to other strategies to advance systemic change
• A demonstrated ability to play a leadership role within climate, nature, and/or justice movements, and to work equitably and effectively with multiple perspectives and build trust with diverse partners 
• An ability to lead and manage complex strategic and organisational projects
• Considerable knowledge relevant civil society and legal partners in Europe
• A willingness to travel (at least four times a year, or more if working remotely) to meet FILE staff and partners
• An ability to work flexibly as part of a team spread across time zones, which will involve some meetings outside of standard working hours
• A developed understanding of the power dynamics within climate, nature, and justice movements in a European context, as well as funder positionality and responsibility.
• A professional standard of written and spoken English 

Desirable 

• Legal qualifications, bar membership, or legal practice certificate (or equivalent) in a relevant European jurisdiction
• Experience of building and / or maintaining external networks, bringing expert practitioners and / or civil society together 
• A professional standard of other major European languages could be useful, but is not essential, as we typically find our European partners are comfortable working in English 

Location

FILE has offices in London and the Netherlands. We are advertising this role for candidates based (and with the right to work) in the UK, or the Netherlands but will also consider applications from other locations where we are able to do so.

Therefore, please note that this role will be advertised in multiple locations, but we are only hiring for one position. Please apply to the job post for your preferred location.

Working for FILE

FILE is a collaborative community of individuals who share a passion for climate, nature, and justice. We bring together knowledge and experience to support our mission.

Our people are empowered to lead their work both individually and as part of a wider team in order to make impactful change. As a relatively young organisation with the ambitious mission to change global systems, our roles are ideally suited to those who are highly strategic, flexible and adaptable, and open to growing in line with the Foundation.

FILE is committed to challenging inequality and values diversity, equity and justice in all areas of life. Our mission, work and impact is global, with staff and partners from across the world and a range of lived experiences. We firmly believe that we are strengthened by the diversity of our partners and staff.

At FILE, we actively work to create an inclusive culture where colleagues feel welcomed, heard and supported to succeed and thrive.

 

How FILE supports its staff

FILE is committed to creating a workplace that supports our staff to do their best work and develop professionally. FILE offer a generous annual leave policy and additional time-off work to support wellbeing. Amongst other benefits, FILE offers private healthcare and a contribution to a pension scheme.

FILE is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and encourage candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our team to apply.

Join us in making a tangible difference in the fight against climate change by creating spaces where diverse voices come together to drive impactful solutions.

Applications

Please apply on our website and upload your CV. This role is open for applications immediately and we accept applications on a rolling basis. If you are interested, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible. The role will close on the 16th of April.

Diversity & Inclusion

As an equal opportunities employer, FILE is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.