Policy Assistant

Reports to: Mishy Singano, Director, Policy

Location: Remote (Global) and/or Hybrid (WEDO’s office is in Brooklyn, NY, USA). Candidates based in Global Majority/Global South countries are encouraged to apply.

Organizational Overview

The Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) is a women’s global advocacy organization based in New York. Officially founded in 1991 in the run-up to the Earth Summit (UNCED, 1992), WEDO, a champion for women’s rights, has built a reputation as a trailblazer in promoting human rights, gender equality and the integrity of the environment, notably in sustainable development. 

Position Summary 

The Policy Assistant plays a crucial and dynamic role in supporting WEDO’s day-to-day policy work at the intersection of gender and environmental justice. This role will support WEDO’s policy engagement across several platforms, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD), and the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). In addition to policy advocacy, this role will support movement-building and the coordination of feminist leadership within these policy spaces and in coalitions such as the UNFCCC Women and Gender Constituency (WGC), the UNDRR Women and Gender Stakeholder Group (WGSG), the CBD Women’s Caucus, and the CCD Women’s Caucus.

As a key support role across a range of policy spaces and skill sets, this position offers excellent growth potential.

Responsibilities Include, but are not limited to:

• Help organize and coordinate learning sessions, webinars, bilateral meetings, and side events (setting up Zoom, interpretation, slides, email invitations, and other logistical and administrative support) related to core WEDO work and to our role in coalitions. Attend and contribute to coalition meetings (e.g., CBD Women’s Caucus, Women and Gender Constituency), take notes/write meeting summaries, and assist in preparing collective advocacy documents;
• Assist with drafting and reviewing advocacy documents and submissions for multilateral processes, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD), and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR);
• Help identify grassroots leaders and activists for participation in global processes, and contribute to coordinating travel arrangements for selected delegates attending Conferences of the Parties (COP) and other key events;
• Support the planning and execution of advocacy campaigns, including coordinating activities, mobilizing supporters, and maintaining communication with allies;
• Help develop and maintain systems for coordinating inputs, messaging, etc. across various constellations of stakeholders, including tracking final versions of drafts, sign-off processes and publication timelines;
• Provide support in the development and implementation of WEDO’s annual global policy work plan and strategy.

Desired Skills 

• Demonstrated commitment to WEDO’s vision and deep alignment with its feminist values;
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and ability to prioritize and follow through with all aspects of the work; 
• Skilled in building and sustaining relationships with internal teams and external stakeholders;
• Self-directed and nimble – you don’t need daily direction from a manager to know how to spend your time. You are an “expert learner” and are naturally curious and good at figuring things out;
• Strength in project management and coordination, with sharp attention to detail and knowledge of relevant tools and/or systems; 
• Familiarity with international settings and remote work, comfort and/or affinity for online platforms (Zoom, Slack, time zone converter, Dropbox, Google Docs, Doodle, etc); 
• Excellent written and verbal interpersonal and communication skills, including comfortability in synthesizing outputs from meetings, calls and policy discussions tailored to diverse audiences, purposes and tones; 
• A positive attitude and sense of purpose– you know your value and find serving in a supportive role rewarding.

Desired Experience

• A combination of education and experience equivalent to at least two years of experience in global advocacy and movement-building in a nonprofit environment (ideally social justice, environmental, or human rights organizations) with a focus on human rights, gender equality, environmental and/or social justice being a plus;
• Experience working with and supporting diverse, global constituencies.

Core Competencies

• Continuous learning: You absorb information from your colleagues and your work. If something doesn’t make sense, you ask questions until it does, and you apply what you learn in your work.
• High volume, high efficiency: You maintain systems for keeping tasks from slipping through the cracks. You’re able to juggle competing demands and prioritize without sacrificing quality. You get back to people in a timely manner and take pride in providing clear, helpful information. 
• Attention to detail: You notice and fix errors that others might overlook. When mistakes happen (which they will!), you address them quickly and look for ways to prevent similar errors.
• Ownership and resilience: You gather information, seek input, and drive work forward to the finish line. You think 3 (or 30) steps ahead to develop solutions, anticipate problems, and course-correct when needed. You hold a high bar even when things are hectic and bounce back from setbacks by turning each hurdle into a learning opportunity.
• Relationship-building: Part of your job is connecting with people from many different backgrounds. You create opportunities to deepen connections and build authentic, mutual relationships with teammates and members, families across lines of difference, such as race or other identities. You truly welcome viewpoints that differ from your own, and you’re able to “sit with” discomfort when people express themselves in ways that aren’t familiar to you.

Work Culture and Benefits

WEDO is an equal opportunity employer and encourages, promotes and supports diversity in all aspects of its work. WEDO provides a flexible and comprehensive benefits program at minimal cost to the employee. WEDO offers a rewarding, friendly, supportive, and collaborative work environment. 

For US-based staff, WEDO offers health insurance coverage for employee and family members, paid time off, and employer 401(3)b contributions when eligibility criteria are met. For non-US based staff, a social protection payment is offered in addition to the base salary to cover benefits at a similar level (to be determined with the full-time contractor upon hire). 

Non-U.S. based Candidates

Global candidates will be hired as independent contractors. If applying for a remote position, and based outside the U.S., you will be asked to provide your consultancy rate of pay (within the base pay salary provided).

Time-zones

While we do not have location restrictions for applicants, preference may be given to candidates in time-zones within 8 hrs of WEDO's global office in NY (-5UTC) to maintain core shared working hours of 9am-12pm ET. 

Our Hiring Process 

WEDO offers, upon request, accommodations for candidates with disabilities during the application, interview, and hiring process, such as captioned video calls or additional accommodations as required. If you require accommodations during the application or interview process, please contact admin@wedo.org. Please refrain from reaching out regarding application status.

Tentative Timeline

January 15, 2025: Deadline for applications.

January 21-22: Selected applicants will be invited to schedule interviews. 

January 23-24, and 27: First round interviews for selected candidates will be conducted via Zoom.

Mid-February: Potential time-bound practical assessments (for which candidates’ time will be compensated), and second-round interviews.

February: Offer will be made. 

Mid-March: Ideal start date.