Officer, Ocean Governance

Position description

For more than 30 years, Pew has been a major force in engaging the public and policy makers about the causes, consequences, and solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Our environment work spans all seven continents with more than 250 professionals working at the local, national, and international levels to reduce the scope and severity of global environmental problems, such as the erosion of large natural ecosystems that contain a great part of the world’s remaining biodiversity, and the destruction of the marine environment. Pew’s global environmental program focuses on science-based, nonpartisan, and sustainable solutions to help protect the planet and people. We work in partnership with governments, Indigenous rights holders, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, local stakeholders, scientists, and other researchers to advance public policy so that nature and communities can thrive.  

Since 1990, Pew has worked in North America, South America and Australia to protect large and critically important terrestrial ecosystems, including rivers and other freshwater resources, coastal temperate rainforests, interior mountain ranges, the northern boreal forests, Australia’s Outback, and Chilean Patagonia. We work to ensure these natural systems remain bountiful, functioning, and resilient, providing essential ecological services such as clean air and clean water, sustenance and food security for local communities and more broadly for the welfare of current and future generations. Our work relies on the sciences of conservation, sociology, biology, and economics to advocate for practical and durable solutions to the loss of biodiversity.    

In the sea, reforms to how our oceans are managed are essential to address overfishing, pollution, and loss of habitat. Pew began its oceans program in the United States, focusing on ending overfishing and protecting fragile marine habitat. Starting in 2005, Pew’s ocean conservation program expanded around the world and played a significant role in reforming marine fisheries management in the European Union and on the high seas and creating large scale marine reserves around the world. Our work is grounded in the best available science and pursues domestic and international conservation measures that are long-term and provide permanent, durable protections for marine ecosystems. We also work to address systemic threats to the ocean, including from plastics, over-and-illegal fishing, seabed mining, and climate change. 

Ocean Governance  

Many global environmental problems, from combating climate change to protecting biodiversity, ignore national boundaries and can only be addressed effectively through international cooperation. Because the ocean is an interconnected natural system governed by a patchwork of domestic and international jurisdictions, countries have long recognized the need for international cooperation to manage and safeguard its living resources.  

Pew’s ocean governance project is engaged in several lines of work where multilateral efforts would enable significant conservation outcomes. This includes reducing harmful fisheries subsidies that promote overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices through the World Trade Organization, protecting marine habitats in areas beyond national jurisdictions through our work on the U.N. high seas treaty and on the International Seabed Authority’s mining code, and working toward the adoption of a global biodiversity target by the Convention on Biological Diversity to protect at least 30% of global land and ocean areas by 2030, known as 30×30, to bolster Pew’s efforts to secure marine protections. 

Position Overview 

The officer, ocean governance, collaborates with project leadership to support the delivery of Pew’s objectives on a multifaceted portfolio working to address the threat of human activity on ocean life, and improve the resilience of ocean habitats and marine biodiversity to climate change by securing improved protection and management measures in international conservation agreements that address major gaps in ocean governance.  

Reporting to the project director, the officer represents the project to key decision-makers and partner groups; conducts advocacy and outreach efforts related to Pew’s efforts to secure an International Seabed Authority decision to pause seabed mining until sufficient science exists to ensure mining activities do not cause significant harm to the marine environment; and improves the resilience of ocean habitats and marine biodiversity to climate change through the implementation of the new treaty to establish high seas marine protected areas. The officer works closely with colleagues across Pew and engages with external organizations, including scientists, non-governmental organizations, government officials and industry representatives. 

Located in Pew’s Washington, DC or London, UK office, this position will participate in Pew’s core in-office days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and will have flexibility to work from home the remainder of each week.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are seeking employment without visa sponsorship. 

Responsibilities  

• Foster a work environment that is inclusive, equitable, diverse, and in line with Pew and the project’s related goals. 

• With the project director, support development and implementation of effective strategies to deliver the project’s objective to secure an International Seabed Authority decision to pause seabed mining until sufficient science exists to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment. 

• Support development and implementation of effective strategies and plans to deliver program objectives, to support development of high seas marine protected area proposals.  

• Conduct outreach to political capitals, regional organizations and at key UN missions in New York to support implementation of a new BBNJ treaty. 

• Develop and maintain broad substantive knowledge of international ocean policy and ocean conservation to inform and advance program priorities. Provide recommendations to guide development of Pew strategies and activities. 

• Partner with Pew operations staff including communications, conservation science, government relations. Ensure communication and outreach is an essential component of the program in target areas. 

• Support the development and management of grants, contracts, and contractors to advance the goals of the project. 

• Collaborate with other allies and organizations to maximize the impact of campaign strategies and identify potential partners and experts who will further Pew’s objectives. 

• Assist in the development and reporting of funding agreements as relevant. 

• Plan, organize, and coordinate virtual and in-person meetings and workshops of policymakers and other key audiences. 

• Represent Pew in key government meetings, coalition meetings, conferences, and events. 

• Participate in activities that support program and Pew-wide objectives. 

Qualifications

• Effective written and oral communication skills in English; additional language fluency in Spanish or one of the six U.N. languages is a plus. 

• Skilled at informing and influencing internal and external audiences through written and oral communications. 

• Aptitude to apply a non-partisan, evidence-based approach to projects and campaigns that require support across the political spectrum. 

• Time and project-management skills, including experience meeting deadlines on multiple different concurrent projects. 

• Proven research and analytical skills applied to public policy issues, including synthesizing and summarizing large amounts of information and focusing quickly on the essence of an issue. 

• Commitment to producing measurable results. 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.  

• It is likely that a successful candidate for this role will have at least 8 years’ experience. 

Key attributes and preferred experience 

• Develops and moves projects forward with a high degree of independence and autonomy. 

• Naturally develops and manages productive and collaborative relationships. 

• Effective diplomatic skills with the capacity to work productively with a wide array of different people and institutions that may disagree with and are in competition with one another. 

• Experience with policy advocacy and campaigns and working in different regions globally. 

• Experience in law, fisheries policy, international relations, or marine protected area science and conservation planning. 

• Experience working with governments and multinational institutions and general understanding of multilateral processes. 

Travel 

This position requires frequent international travel to meetings and conferences. 

Salary Range

$110,800 USD – $123,800 USD

Application instructions

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