Legal and Policy Adviser

We are currently looking for a Legal and Policy Adviser to join our growing team to drive forward our strategic legal and policy advocacy. This is an exciting opportunity to help build an ambitious movement to phase out oil and gas extraction in the UK.

About Uplift

Uplift supports efforts to create a rapid and fair transition away from oil and gas production in the UK. We strategically support, connect and elevate ideas and voices to set in motion a just transition away from fossil fuel production commensurate with the scale of the climate crisis.

The role

As Legal and Policy Adviser, you will collaborate with Uplift’s team and key partners to ensure that our collective work is underpinned by robust and forward-thinking legal and policy analysis. From supporting strategic litigation and legal advocacy to ensuring our politics team have a sound understanding of relevant policy frameworks, this is a diverse role at the heart of our work pushing a just transition away from oil and gas extraction. 

Uplift has taken and supported high-profile climate litigation and used legal insight to generate front-page headlines linked to our campaigns. Most recently, we have won the legal case against the Rosebank oil field in the North Sea. We have also generated legal analysis to support a wider network to participate in vital public consultation processes. 

The successful candidate will have exceptional legal and policy research skills, an ability to think strategically about law and policy opportunities, and a keen interest in climate and energy-related policy and campaigns. A strong commitment to Uplift's mission and core values is also required.

Responsibilities

Core responsibilities include:

• Support the delivery of Uplift’s responses to ongoing policy processes, litigation, law reform advocacy, and legal analysis, advancing Uplift’s objectives.

• Support the Principal Legal Adviser in executing strategic litigation opportunities and providing analysis and support to external lawyers and experts throughout.

• Develop legal and policy analysis to support campaign, communications and policy strategies, including support for key partners.

• Track ongoing policy and legal developments across Uplift’s core areas of interest to support identifying key opportunities and gaps.

• Analyse, interpret and synthesise legal and policy developments to support the Politics team in advising our network.

• Provide fact-checking and ad-hoc policy and legislative analysis for the Uplift team to ensure accuracy in Uplift’s public communications.

• Contribute to the wider work of the Research, Policy and Legal team, including building and maintaining relationships with key external partners.

About you

Our ideal candidate will have: 

• Experience in a similar or related role.

• Policy or legal knowledge focussed on environmental or social justice. A formal legal qualification or policy and legislative experience would be beneficial. Direct experience on the energy transition, fossil fuels, renewables or a just transition would also be beneficial, but Uplift will support the right candidate in developing this expertise.

• A demonstrable ability to provide compelling and novel analysis, including defining and executing strategic research projects.

• Exceptional writing and synthesis skills, and a very strong attention to detail.

• Motivation, initiative, exceptionally high standards, a collaborative approach, and associated qualities needed to work in a dynamic organisation with an ambitious agenda.

• A strong commitment to Uplift’s mission and core values of equity and climate justice. 

Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the core of Uplift’s values and therefore we strongly encourage applications from candidates whose backgrounds or accessibility/support needs mean they have been traditionally under-represented in the climate and environment sector. If you are unsure if you meet the requirements or feel you will be disadvantaged by the process then please email us so we can see how we might provide support. 

Unfortunately, we can only consider candidates who are already eligible to work in the UK.
 

Location: Remote (within UK)
Hours: Standard working hours 9.00 - 17.30 
Benefits: 3% employer pension contribution, Employee Assistance Programme, consideration of flexible working requirements and work/workplace adjustments where required 
Starting date: ASAP 
Closing date: Sunday 9th March 2025 - 11pm
Proposed interviews: w/c 17th March 2025