About the Role:

The KLC is looking to further build our in-house carbon expertise by growing our practice, in order to support Indigenous people with the establishment and management of new carbon projects. This will involve supporting traditional owners (TOs) engage in the carbon economy, in order to generate untied income to help realise TO aspirations and strengthen the capacity and capability of Native Title groups to manage their country.

You will work closely with the KLC’s Land and Sea team and our growing Fire Operations & Carbon team, as well as a number of longstanding partner NGOs, corporate partners, government departments & agencies and policy makers.

The role will involve undertaking research and analysis on legislative and policy issues relating to Indigenous rights and interest in carbon, focusing on the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011 (the CFI Act) and related legislation.

This work will maximise benefits and participation in carbon for Indigenous people in the Kimberley.

Working with the Carbon Program Manager you will also undertake research to support Indigenous carbon project development for native title holders and traditional owners in the Kimberley. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Participate in policy and method co-design workshops run by the Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water and other government bodies
• Participate in carbon farming and nature repair methodology development, ensuring new methodologies align with traditional owners’ rights and interests
• Develop trusting relationships with Government
• Research and analyse legislative and policy issues relating to environmental markets
• Prepare briefs and requests for advice from the KLC legal team
• Develop solutions to complex legislative issues facing carbon and nature repair projects
• Mentor team members on environmental markets legislation and policy
• Provide input into feasibility studies for new carbon and nature repair projects
• Ensure project applications are complete and accurate
• Provide technical support to the Carbon Program Manager and Environmental Markets and Policy Manager to manage complex issues

Selection Criteria:

Essential

• Ability to rapidly digest, analyse and evaluate Australian environmental markets policy and legislation including the ACCU Scheme and Nature Repair Market
• Understanding of Australian legislative processes
• Highly developed technical writing skills including an ability to develop briefing papers and concise, impactful written materials with a high level of technical proficiency
• Highly developed verbal communication skills, including briefings and forum presentations
• Highly developed environmental scanning skills
• Ability to communicate complex policy and legislative issues to diverse audiences

Desirable

• Undergraduate degree in law, natural resource management, environmental management, or more than 5 years’ experience in related roles
• An understanding of Indigenous carbon projects, including their co-benefits
• Experience participating in legislative and policy development including writing policy submissions to Government
• Experience in technical, environmental or economic regulatory management
• Experience in risk management
• Knowledge of Indigenous land and sea management
• Demonstrated well developed organisational skills, time management skills and the ability to prioritise and broker solutions to complex problems