Centre for Environmental Rights – Advancing Environmental Rights in South Africa

The Centre for Environmental Rights is starting a new project aimed at securing the long-term ecological integrity of South Africa’s offshore marine habitats, and we are looking for a legal campaigner to lead this new project. This position is for a lawyer with a passion for conservation, the sea, and for environmental rights and justice, with a particular interest in marine law, marine spatial planning, marine protected areas and responsible off-shore mining.

The Centre for Environmental Rights strives to reflect South Africa’s racial, cultural and gender diversity within its staff complement. All suitably qualified candidates are encouraged to apply.

Location

Based in Cape Town

Qualifications, skills and experience

• An LLB or equivalent qualification, plus a tertiary legal qualification in mining law, marine law and/or environmental law
• Knowledge of the imperatives for the protection of our seabeds, through marine protected areas and otherwise, and sustainable use of marine resources, as well as those applicable to offshore mining
• Understanding of legal and procedural requirements for environmental decision-making and legal challenges around marine matters, protected areas and mining
• Demonstrable experience in legal and public interest campaigning
• Excellent networking skills, and strong capabilities in building support amongst a wide range of stakeholders
• Excellent strategic planning and project management skills
• A sensitivity to social issues and needs, and a commitment to high quality client service

Key responsibilities

• Leading the Centre’s work with key civil society partners on securing the long-term ecological integrity of South Africa’s offshore marine habitats through a broader legal advocacy strategy on marine spatial planning, offshore mining and related matters.
• Conducting national and international comparative research of the implementation of such a broader legal advocacy strategy.
• Networking and building stakeholder support for legal tools in support of such a broader legal advocacy strategy, including a moratorium on bulk marine sediment extraction, and further declarations of marine protected areas in line with existing government commitments.
• Providing hands-on expert legal advice, support and representation to the Centre’s clients, including communities and civil society organisations, on marine and coastal matters.
• Providing expert input into draft environmental policies and legislation.
• Facilitating the upload of available resources onto the Centre’s Virtual Environmental Law Library and other news items on our website, Facebook and Twitter.

Salary

The salary offered will be dependent on the level of experience of the successful candidate.