Policy Advisor - Trade and Climate Change

About Us

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 300 experts come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.

Scope

IISD’s Trade Program aims to harness the power of trade rules and related measures as tools to promote inclusive economic growth and environmental sustainability.

Supporting national governments and multilateral organizations to design and implement frameworks that balance economic growth, environmental protection, and social justice constitutes the core of our work.

Position Description

The successful candidate will work with national governments and other stakeholders in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia to conduct research and develop policy recommendations at the intersection of climate and trade policy. They will be part of a team implementing a multi-year project that supports the reduction of carbon emissions in Southeast Asia while advancing a Just Transition and promoting gender equality and social inclusion.

A key focus for the successful candidate will be supporting governments in addressing the competitiveness implications of climate policies, including both risks and opportunities, as well as in responding to trade and climate measures (such as border carbon adjustments) implemented by other jurisdictions. The work will involve close collaboration with other IISD teams working on energy and fiscal policies, including economic modelling and policy advice.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct economic research, in collaboration with colleagues and partners in project implementation countries (Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines), on the competitiveness impacts of climate policy choices.
• Work with industry and government in the focus countries to assess and respond to border carbon adjustment policies implemented in other jurisdictions.
• Engage with industry and labour representatives to share information regarding the competitiveness impacts of climate policies domestically and abroad.
• Develop trade and climate policy recommendations in collaboration with partners.
• Coordinate activities with colleagues in IISD’s Energy and Fiscal Policy teams, as well as project management, communications, and monitoring and evaluation teams.

Detailed Description of Responsibilities

Strategy, Vision, and Leadership

• Identify challenges, opportunities, and emerging issues related to trade and climate policy in Southeast Asia.

• Support the establishment and implementation of strategic partnerships with academia, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and civil society in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
• Promote a culture of high performance, improvement, and shared learning.
• Manage own time and inputs into projects to deliver outputs on time and to budget.

Research, Policy, and Communications

• Lead economic research projects on trade and climate topics in collaboration with consultants and partners. Translate research results, including economic modelling outputs, into non-technical language. Identify and describe the policy implications of research results.
• Produce high-quality written outputs for a variety of audiences and in a variety of formats, including reports, policy briefs, and technical guidance documents.
• Present research and policy recommendations to a variety of audiences. Respond verbally to questions and communicate clearly on complex topics.
• Collaborate with communications professionals to develop messaging and engage with audiences in the media, including social media.

Operations and Program Management

• Set up and manage activities, outputs, and research programs, ensuring that plans are devised and implemented, risks are identified early, and risk-management strategies are employed.
• Contribute to the measurement and reporting of results from project implementation.
• Keep up to date with current IISD policies related to project, expenditure, and records management.

Relationships and Outreach

• Develop and maintain relationships with partners in government and non-governmental organizations in Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
• Create and maintain a network of contacts active in trade and climate policy in Southeast Asia through, for example, participation in professional forums, regional conferences, industry and civil society associations.

Candidate Profile

Knowledge, Skills, and Qualifications

• A university degree or equivalent in economics, environmental economics, or a related subject. Ability to analyze data and modelling results.
• 4 to 7 years of professional experience in policy development and implementation gained through work in government, the private sector, or an international or non-governmental organization. Demonstrated knowledge of policy processes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Ability to explain complex topics in simple terms.
• Knowledge of trade policy, including tariffs, non-tariff barriers, and related measures.
• Experience collaborating with private industry representatives, particularly those in the steel, cement, aluminum, chemicals, or other heavy industrial sectors, to assess public policy impacts. Knowledge of the key trade policy issues facing these sectors.

• Ability to communicate effectively and build positive relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.

Job Requirements

• Frequent international travel.
• Must work effectively in a remote, asynchronous team with minimal supervision.

Assets

• Experience working in or directly with the heavy industrial sectors of the Philippines, Indonesia, or Vietnam.
• Fluency in one or more official languages of the Philippines, Indonesia, or Vietnam.

For more details on what we are looking for in our candidates, please refer to the IISD competencies on our website.

Position Details

Location: Remote-based, Manila or Jakarta.

Salary: Salary commensurate with experience.

Employment type: Full-Time

Job Type: Newly Created Role

Duration: 12 Month Term

Application Deadline: The Candidates Will Be Reviewed on a Rolling Basis, and the Position Will Be Closed Once Filled.

Start Date: May 2, 2026

Candidates must hold appropriate work authorization for location where they expect to be based without any sponsorship from IISD.

Application Procedure

All submissions must be in English.

Applications will only be accepted through Bamboo HR.

• A CV (no longer than two pages)
• A one-page letter of motivation
• IISD Voluntary Self-Identification Questionnaire (optional)

Only those candidates we wish to interview will be contacted. Resumes will be kept on file for 1 year.

IISD is committed to fostering a more equitable and sustainable world and welcomes candidates who uphold our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition, to correct the conditions of social injustice and disadvantage in employment around the world, we encourage candidates from historically marginalized groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, and those who identify themselves as 2SLGBTQIA+, to apply for this position. Preference will be given to the equity-deserving groups during the hiring process. We offer reasonable accommodations in our recruitment process and seek applicants’ advice on how best to accommodate their needs. Please self-identify and answer our employment equity questionnaire on our applicant tracking system when you apply.

IISD does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, caste, ethnicity, religion, colour, disability, marital status, pregnancy, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

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