Communication Officer in the IPCC Working Group I Technical Support Unit

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Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is filling the position of

Communication Officer in the Technical Support Unit

The position is locatedin the Paris area, at Gif-sur-Yvette (France).

TheIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

TheIPCC was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEnvironment) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1988 to providepolicymakers with rigorous, transparent, and objective scientific assessmentson climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as toput forward adaptation and mitigation options. The IPCC is now undertaking itsSeventh Assessment (AR7) cycle. The IPCC Working Group I (WGI) assesses thephysical science underpinning past, present, and future climate change. The WGITechnical Support Unit (TSU) provides scientific, technical, operational andcommunications support that underpin and implement the WGI assessment.

TheTechnical Support Unit (TSU)

TheTSU works at the unique IPCC interface between science and policy in theprovision of the climate knowledge and information that is relevant for policyneeds and decision making. The team is responsible for facilitating andimplementing the assessment process undertaken by the author teams and overseenby the WGI Bureau. We are seeking someone who is highly motivated to join ateam that spans different areas of expertise including climate sciences(observations, climate processes, global and regional climate modeling), visualdesign and communication, digital information development and management, andinternational project management. The team is hosted by UniversitéParis-Saclay and located in the facilities of Ecole normale supérieure (ENS)Paris-Saclay in the Paris area.

Role

TheTSU is seeking a climate science communications specialist to join amulti-disciplinary team in a dynamic, international working environment. The CommunicationOfficer will work closely with our Information Design and Graphics Officer andin close collaboration with the IPCC Communications Action Team. The successfulcandidate will coordinate, with the WGI Co-Chairs, Vice-Chairs, Authors and TSU,the communication and outreach of the WGI contribution to the AR7. He/she willtake on the challenge of communicating and increasing literacy of the conceptsand results of the assessment in an international context to stakeholders, aswell as the broader non-specialist audience, develop impactful messages toincrease the accessibility and impact of the WGI assessment. He/she will alsobe responsible for the preparation and management of the launch of the WGISeventh Assessment report to the media and public scheduled for 2028. This willinclude working closely with the IPCC Secretariat to refine and execute acommunications strategy to reach targeted audiences through a variety ofcommunications and outreach efforts, playing a leading role in the preparationof outreach materials including presentations and products tailored forcommunicating the assessment findings to the general public. Together with theIPCC Secretariat, the Communication Officer will oversee the public launch ofthe report, including the global media strategy, the embargoed pressinformation package and the press conference. This also includes preparing andtraining Authors and Bureau members to serve as spokespeople, contributing tothe organization of stakeholder engagement activities, as well as outreachevents and media briefings.

Responsibilities

• Briefing of Authors on best practices forcommunicating assessment results (chapter executive summaries, FAQs, Summaryfor Policymakers);
• Communication to facilitate understanding, impact anduptake of the WGI products in the work of stakeholders, including governments,IPCC observer organisations and UNFCCC;
• Communication of WGI products to the broadernon-specialist public and fostering climate literacy;
• Organisation of stakeholder engagement activities,outreach events and media briefings, including media training, in collaborationwith the IPCC Head of Communications and Media Relations and the WGI co-chairs;
• Expansion of media coverage and impact of WGI,including social media, tracking of media pickup and audience perception;
• Coordination of the development of the WGI blog.

Requirements

• A good understanding of climate science communicationin an international context;
• A good understanding of challenges of communicatingclimate science assessments in the global context of communication trends andscience ethics;
• Capacity to understand and communicate climate scienceconcepts and findings, including translating complex information for a broader,non-specialist international audience;
• Ability to collaborate with climate scientists fromaround the world and with different areas of expertise, and train them tocommunication challenges;
• Outstanding social skills and capability to interactwith the international science community;
• Experience with press engagement, including pressconferences, management of incoming requests from global media, storyplacement, and interview booking.
• Proficiency in drafting press releases, talkingpoints, opinion pieces, and pitches.
• Experience in developing communication resources inmultiple media, e.g. graphic, written, video, audio, social media (inparticular Bluesky, LinkedIn);
• Previous experience in IPCC or similar work, processand context would be an asset.

Otherrequirements

• Academic education related to climate science would bedesirable;
• Over two years’ experience in leading climate sciencecommunications efforts;
• Motivation to work in an international team with acommon long-term goal;
• Ability to plan, organize and execute complexmulti-task problems;
• Capacity to work in a team environment;
• Flexibility, entrepreneurship, and interest ininnovation;
• Experience in planning, organizing and executingmulti-task workloads;
• Stress-resistance and capacity to respect timeconstraints;
• Willingness to undertake international travel;
• Fluency in written and spoken English;
• Proficiency in French would be an asset.