WWF International is seeking:

a TRADE AND INVESTMENT OFFICER based at WWF International in Gland

WWF-World Wide Fund for Nature is the world's largest independent conservation organisation with a network active in more than 100 countries.

WWF wishes to appoint a TRADE AND INVESTMENT OFFICER based at WWF International in Gland (the post is initially for one year, with the possibility of renewal)

The Trade & Investment Unit at WWF International focuses on integrating environment and sustainable development objectives into international trade and investment agreements, formulating policy recommendations on trade and investment in environmentally sensitive sectors, particularly those impacting negatively on biodiversity, sustainable management of natural resources, and lobbying and campaigning for implementation of these policy reforms at national and international levels.

The Trade and Investment Unit is hiring a Trade and Investment Officer to enhance this work programme. This is a demanding role, requiring a range of policy analysis, lobbying and communication skills, offering unique job satisfaction in return for creativity and hard work. The ideal candidate has to have a track record on the economics, environment and sustainable development policy interface, preferably with a focus on international trade.

The major duties and responsibilities of this officer will be with regard to the:

1. World Trade Organisation (WTO) - further develop a methodology for environmental assessment of trade agreements, in cooperation with NGOs, government and intergovernmental partners. The Trade and Investment officer will implement this assessment in the context of the next round of WTO trade negotiations; contribute to WWF's preparations for the WTO High Level Meeting on Trade and Environment, scheduled for the first half of next year; and provide support on other WTO work, as necessary.

2. WTO, agriculture and the environment - the officer will provide key support in the preparation of a WWF work programme, which seeks to maximise the conservation and sustainable development benefits of agricultural subsidy reform, in both developed and developing countries.

3. Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) and other possible multilateral investment negotiations - the officer will provide technical and lobbying support for WWF's ongoing campaign to reform the MAI, shifting the focus of this work as necessary to other multilateral fora in which investment negotiations may start. The officer will exploit synergies and overlap in his/her work on the environmental assessment of trade and investment liberalisation, and will contribute to and help further develop analyses of the environmental effects of investment flows and liberalisation in specific economic sectors, such as mining.

4. Provision of technical support on trade and investment issues to the WWF network - as requested by other WWF offices and units within WWF, with a focus on WWF's priorities including its global campaigns on Forests, Climate Change, Endangered Seas and the Living Planet, and ecoregional-based projects in the field.

The key requirements for the post are:

• a first degree in economics and preferably a post graduate qualification covering some combination of economics, ecology and international relations;

• three years experience on environment/economics policy interface, preferably with lobbying experience. Alternatively a track record in developing environmental assessments of trade or other economic agreements, including a publication record on this issue;

• fluency in written and spoken English indispensable, and in French desirable. Knowledge of other languages, notably German, would also be useful;

• ability to collate and synthesise technical information and write it in a form that is accessible to government policy makers and NGOs; and

• ability to work with diverse groups of people, including in groups (e.g. leading seminars), both to develop new policies and lobby for their adoption.

Please send your CV and covering letter to Miriam Fuhrer, Human Resources Department, WWF International, Avenue du Mont Blanc, 1196 Gland, Switzerland. The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 10 November 1998.