Law & Policy Advisor/Lawyer Food, Oceans & Land Use, African Partnerships (Parental leave cover)

ClientEarth; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

An environmental organization is seeking a Law and Policy Advisor / Lawyer to support forest governance in West and Central Africa. The role requires fluency in English and French, a law degree, and experience in legal fields related to natural resource governance and community rights. This is a parental leave cover position, offering flexibility in work arrangements. The ideal candidate will engage with local partners and contribute to legal solutions for forest management.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Diversity and inclusion policies

Remote work options

Qualifications

• Fluent in English and French (CEFR level C2).
• Experience in a legal capacity focused on natural resource governance.
• Familiarity with environmental law and forest governance.

Responsibilities

• Manage project activities in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.
• Critically analyze laws and policies relevant to forest governance.
• Maintain relationships with in-country partners.

Skills

Outstanding written and oral communication skills in English

Outstanding written and oral communication skills in French

Analytical skills for legal and policy proposals

Experience working with national partners

Education

University degree in law

Job description

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to work of ClientEarth s Food, Oceans & Land Use (FOLU), African Partnerships team.

ClientEarth s FOLU African Partnerships programme works to build, implement and enforce effective laws, as a vital part of building governance systems that better and more equitably manage forests and other ecosystems. The programme is founded on long-term partnerships with lawyers and civil society organisations based in West and Central Africa. It has been shaped by international, regional and European initiatives aimed at addressing forest governance issues and drivers of ecosystem destruction (FLEGT Action Plan and Voluntary Partnership Agreements, EU Deforestation Regulation, Global Biodiversity Framework, Paris Agreement, etc.). Though each jurisdiction has its own unique challenges in relation to forest governance, the extensive expertise of our local partners, combined with ClientEarth s innovative use of the law, ensures that tailored and effective legal solutions are delivered in each country to strengthen legal frameworks.

In this role, the Law and Policy Advisor / Lawyer will primarily address issues relating to forest governance, climate change and community tenure rights in our focus countries across West and Central Africa, particularly in Côte d Ivoire and Ghana. The Law and Policy Advisor / Lawyer will use their experience and skills to support the legal capacity of civil society and other stakeholders to take part in the design and implementation of stronger legal frameworks around forest governance, community rights and forest-risk commodities (specifically timber, cocoa & minerals).

This is a parental leave cover position (six months with potential for an extension) and the successful candidate will be expected after a sufficient handover to take on and progress an existing portfolio of work.

Meet your Manager

In this role, you will report to Catherine Lalonde, Head of Food, Oceans, and Land Use, African Partnerships. Catherine joined ClientEarth in 2025 and is based in Brussels. She leads ClientEarth s programmes and impact strategies in Africa, built on long-term partnerships with lawyers and civil society organisations across West and Central Africa. Her work is grounded in regional priorities while ensuring alignment with ClientEarth s global mission and strategy.

Main Duties

• Managing ClientEarth project activities in Côte d Ivoire and in Ghana in coordination with the teams Project Manager and Officer, including planning, budgeting and reporting
• Critically analysing laws, legislative and policy proposals relevant to forest governance (including carbon market frameworks), land and community rights, forest-risk commodities (including minerals), gender and access to justice in the countries of engagement
• Maintaining positive working relationships with in-country partners (in particular with civil society organisations, international partners, national governments, as well as private sector representatives, as relevant).

Role requirements

• English and French at (CEFR level C2) with outstanding written and oral communication skills in both languages
• University degree in law
• Professional experience in a legal capacity (in an NGO, the public sector, private practice, or a relevant in-house role) with a focus on natural resources governance; human rights law and policy; environmental law; forest governance; land tenure
• Experience working with national partners in a developing country setting

Note to candidates: We know that long lists of criteria can be daunting 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.

Further Information

Have a question about this job? Please visit our Careers site for advice on applying, FAQs, and more.

Flexible working: We are proud to be a Flexa accredited Employer. Visit our Flexa Employer page for more information on our approach to flexible working. Our flexible working policy allows our people the choice to decide to work from home/another location in the country where their contract of employment is issued for 80% of their month, with the other 20% of their month being office-based See our Benefits page for more as well as our flexible working FAQ.

ClientEarth values diversity and inclusion and the benefits this brings. We aim to appoint the most suitable candidate at all times and welcome applications from people from all different backgrounds. See our equity, diversity and inclusion journey page for more.

Please note that Client Earth is only able to employ those who have the pre-existing legal right to work in Belgium or the UK.

ClientEarth is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal services to third parties.