Legal Policy Manager

Role:Permanent

Salary: €4,310.34 per month plus 8% employer-contributed pension; 4 day full-time work week (Monday – Thursday).

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To minimise the risk of unconscious bias, we ask that applicants remove certain identifying elements from their CVs. Further information is provided below but please note that, if you do not remove these details, we reserve the right to withdraw your application from review.

*We are re-advertising this role with revised requirements.*

About us

Established in 2021, Opportunity Green is a fast-growing not-for-profit organisation that helps to identify and unlock opportunities to tackle climate change. We build ambitious coalitions, support climate vulnerable countries in international negotiations and find innovative legal pathways to fight climate change.

Our advocacy team works with UK and Brussels policymakers to drive ambitious decarbonisation measures, with a current focus on the aviation and shipping sectors. We make policy interventions, engage with policymakers at all stages of the policymaking process, and deliver clear, helpful and engaging support.

Our legal team works on climate legal actions relating to the aviation, shipping, agriculture, finance, steel and medium-heavy duty vehicles sectors in the UK, EU, and internationally. We provide strategic legal analysis to support decarbonisation in these sectors; undertake legal interventions, including legal challenges and litigation; and engage in legal advocacy, including submissions to international courts, states, and the United Nations.

Since opening our Brussels office last year, our small but well‑regarded EU advocacy team has already built strong relationships with key stakeholders and is contributing meaningfully to policy conversations. At the same time, our legal team has been delivering outsized impact for nearly five years, supported by a strong collaborative culture and shared purpose.

What’s the role?

The role focuses on supporting and advancing Opportunity Green’s policy and advocacy objectives in the aviation sector at EU level. We are looking for a Legal Policy Manager with strong Brussels policymaking experience to help shape and deliver Opportunity Green’s advocacy in the aviation sector, particularly around the upcoming review and proposed expansion of the EU’s Emissions Trading System (aviation ETS), as well as other key EU aviation legislation.

You will join our Advocacy team, working from our Brussels office, collaborating closely with our mostly UK‑based legal team to ensure strategic alignment. This role is ideal for someone with a strong policy and advocacy background who is also comfortable providing legal analysis to strengthen arguments, strategies, and outcomes.

You will help translate legal insights into clear, persuasive policy briefings, consultation responses and shared resources for NGOs that raise ambition on aviation decarbonisation and help address perceived legal or regulatory barriers, initially with a strong emphasis on aviation ETS. This is a significant opportunity to make a tangible impact on climate outcomes, requiring strategic thinking, initiative, and adaptability.

Stakeholder engagement and advocacy skills are central to the role. You will engage directly with Brussels‑based policymakers, including those in the EU institutions, as well as NGOs and other partners, to influence policy debates and maximise the impact of Opportunity Green’s work.

We are looking for someone who is analytical and organised, but above all a strong communicator and collaborator with a passion for climate advocacy. As Opportunity Green continues to grow, you will also contribute to wider organisational work, including supporting funding proposals, developing campaign strategy, providing policy and legal input into communications, and participating in internal committees.

About the candidate

We are looking for a candidate with:

• A passion for using their skills to tackle climate change and as a lever for systemic change, and an understanding of the importance of legal tools to achieve this.

• Strong understanding and demonstrated experience of the Brussels policymaking environment, preferably with demonstrated ability to influence.

Desirable skills and experience:

• Strong EU policy knowledge and experience applying this, is essential, as is at least some experience with the Emissions Trading system (ETS), ideally including the aviation ETS.

• A legal background, indicated by way of a law degree, qualification or other equivalent professional experience is essential.

• Ability to understand and strategize around high-quality legal analysis and write reports and policy briefs with excellent attention to detail.

• Strong communication skills, including ability to distil complicated legal arguments into clear, compelling narratives.

• Ability to work independently and manage workload effectively.

• Committed to collaboration, curiosity and continuous learning.

• Demonstrates good judgement and takes responsibility for delivering outcomes within their area of work, escalating issues where appropriate.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Experience collaborating with external stakeholders, including non-legal experts (e.g. other NGOS, legal counsel, policy makers, funders).

• Language skills in any other European language are desirable, but not essential.

• Line management experience is desirable.

Diversity and inclusion

Diversity and inclusion are important principles at Opportunity Green. We believe that diversity and inclusion make teams stronger and more effective. We are committed to fair and equitable employment practices, and we are striving to ensure that a variety of voices and experiences are included in our organisation. Our commitment to diversity and our parental leave policy are available to view on our website,here.

We will consider all applicants who meet most or all of the essential competencies regardless of their identity or background. That said, we know that diverse candidates may be reluctant to apply for jobs where they don’t meet 100% of the criteria outlined in the job description. We encourage anyone to apply who can demonstrate the variety of skills and experiences relevant to meeting the requirements of this role.

We recognise that many diverse experiences and perspectives are not represented in our current workforce, and are seriously underrepresented across the non-profit sector in general, and as such, we particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities, non-white people, people from marginalised backgrounds, and members of the LGBTQIA+ communities.

To learn more about our application process and receive advice on how to prepare in such a way as to showcase your full potential, please find our Application Guidehere.

What we offer

The successful candidate will be offered an annual salary of €60,000. Please note that Opportunity Green has fixed salary scales. When hiring we always hire at the bottom of a band and do not enter negotiations with new employees as negotiations have been historically shown to disadvantage women and minorities.

We take our team’s well-being and professional development seriously. In addition to a competitive salary, we offer:

• A commitment to work/life balance, with a 4-day work week at 28 hours.

• 8% employer-contributed group pension plan

• A generous holiday entitlement of 20 days’ holiday per year, including 4 extra-legal days, plus bank holidays (in Brussels) and office closure between Christmas and New Year’s that does not count towards your holiday entitlement (and expectation that you fully disconnect when taking time off).

• A progressive family leave policy, including 26 weeks’ paid leave for both parents, as well as other support.

• Lots of flexibility within a hybrid working arrangement, with regular opportunities to come together as a team.

• Support for your professional development as part of Opportunity Green, with a budget to support your learning & development plus opportunities to lead projects, publish content, learn from experts, work directly with policymakers and stakeholders, and take part in conferences and events.

However, it is important to note that while this role is permanent, employment is always reliant on Opportunity Green continuing to receive philanthropic support from our funders, which we expect every member of the team to play their part in working towards.