Business Engagement Lead @Institute for Human Rights and Business

The Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) is inviting applications for the position of Business Engagement Lead – JUST Stories, a fully remote international consultancy role designed for experienced professionals passionate about climate action, human rights, business transformation, and stakeholder engagement.

This unique opportunity places successful candidates at the forefront of one of the most important global conversations of our time: ensuring that climate transitions are not only environmentally effective but also socially inclusive, equitable, and sustainable for workers and communities.

The position offers an annual compensation package equivalent to £70,000 per year, provides the flexibility of remote work, and allows professionals from around the world to influence how businesses, investors, governments, and communities navigate real-world climate transitions.

About the Institute for Human Rights and Business

Founded in 2009, the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) works to create a more just and regenerative global economy where:

• Workers and communities can effectively exercise their rights.
• Businesses integrate respect for people and the environment into their operations and decision-making.
• Financial institutions leverage their influence to promote responsible business practices.
• Governments establish policies that encourage rights-respecting and environmentally responsible business conduct.

Through research, policy engagement, convening activities, and collaborative initiatives, IHRB seeks to make respect for people and the planet a core part of everyday business operations.

Understanding the JUST Stories Initiative

The JUST Stories initiative was developed to address a major challenge in climate action implementation.

While governments, businesses, and investors increasingly commit to climate goals, many transition efforts fail because workers and communities are often excluded from decision-making processes. Such exclusions can lead to:

• Community resistance.
• Project delays.
• Reputational risks.
• Financial losses.
• Poor long-term outcomes.

JUST Stories demonstrates that climate transitions become more effective, durable, and investable when workers and communities are actively involved in shaping decisions.

Phase I Achievements

Between 2024 and 2026, JUST Stories documented real-world examples of people-centered climate transitions, including:

1. Coal transition initiatives in Australia.
2. Solar energy and salt-pan worker transitions in India.
3. Affordable housing transitions in Catalonia.
4. Agricultural transition projects in Brazil.

These stories were developed through participatory field research and translated into actionable insights for policymakers, businesses, and investors.

Phase II Objectives

From 2026 to 2028, the program will expand significantly by producing:

• 2–3 new stories focused on people-centered decarbonization.
• 2–3 stories focused on community-led climate adaptation and resilience.

The Business Engagement Lead will play a central role in ensuring that lessons from these stories reach influential decision-makers and drive meaningful changes in business practices.

About the Business Engagement Lead Role

This is not a traditional communications, marketing, or public relations position.

Instead, the role focuses on helping senior business leaders, investors, policymakers, and sector experts understand and apply lessons emerging from JUST Stories.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing influence strategies that ensure the stories inform real-world climate transition decisions.

Working closely with IHRB’s Head of Just Transitions and research teams, the Business Engagement Lead will help translate field-based insights into practical guidance that organizations can implement.

Key Responsibilities

1. Develop Influence Strategies

The successful candidate will:

• Identify key decision-makers and stakeholder groups.
• Map priority audiences across sectors.
• Analyze transition maturity levels among stakeholders.
• Design targeted engagement approaches for each story.

2. Create Practitioner-Focused Materials

The role involves transforming research findings into practical resources, including:

• Practitioner briefs.
• Sector-specific guidance documents.
• Business-focused learning materials.
• Decision-making resources for executives and investors.

These materials should provide insights on:

• Governance adaptations.
• Commercial trade-offs.
• Decision sequencing.
• Stakeholder engagement approaches.
• Transition implementation strategies.

3. Lead Business and Investor Engagement

The Business Engagement Lead will:

• Build relationships with senior corporate leaders.
• Engage investors and financial institutions.
• Conduct targeted briefings.
• Facilitate strategic conversations.
• Expand IHRB’s global private-sector network.

4. Manage Sector Forum Participation

Responsibilities include:

• Identifying high-impact conferences and forums.
• Positioning JUST Stories contributors at relevant events.
• Developing engagement materials.
• Representing IHRB in external discussions.

5. Design and Deliver the Annual Dilemma Forum

One of the most important responsibilities will be organizing an invitation-only annual forum involving:

• Approximately 35–40 senior practitioners.
• Representatives from 25–30 organizations.
• Structured peer-learning sessions.
• Real-world climate transition challenges.

Unlike traditional conferences, these forums focus on practical problem-solving and collaborative learning.

6. Develop Digital Masterclass Series

The role includes overseeing the creation of educational masterclass content featuring:

• Climate transition leaders.
• Business practitioners.
• Industry experts.

These masterclasses will be designed for internal organizational learning and professional development.

7. Influence Monitoring and Learning

The successful candidate will establish systems to:

• Track engagement outcomes.
• Monitor practitioner responses.
• Evaluate influence strategies.
• Assess long-term impact.
• Support donor reporting requirements.

Desired Skills and Experience

IHRB is seeking a highly experienced professional who can effectively bridge the worlds of research, climate action, business strategy, and stakeholder engagement.

Ideal candidates should demonstrate expertise in:

Business Engagement

• Stakeholder management.
• Corporate engagement.
• Executive relationship-building.
• Strategic influence.

Climate and Sustainability

• Climate transitions.
• Decarbonization.
• Adaptation and resilience.
• Sustainable development.

Facilitation and Convening

• Peer-learning design.
• Forum facilitation.
• Multi-stakeholder engagement.
• Strategic dialogue management.

Research Translation

• Converting research into actionable insights.
• Producing practitioner-focused content.
• Knowledge dissemination.
• Executive communication.

Compensation and Benefits

The selected candidate will receive:

• Consultancy fee of £5,833 per month.
• Equivalent annual compensation of £70,000.
• Fully remote work arrangement.
• International collaboration opportunities.
• Extensive networking with business, finance, and climate leaders.
• Opportunity to influence global climate transition practices.
• Contract running through 29 June 2028.

Work Location

This role is fully remote and open internationally.

However, applicants must be located in time zones that substantially overlap with Central European Time (CET) or are west of CET to facilitate collaboration with colleagues working across:

• Europe.
• Africa.
• North America.

Candidates must:

• Have legal work authorization in their country of residence.
• Provide their own laptop and equipment.
• Maintain reliable internet connectivity.
• Be willing to travel internationally when required.

Important Application Dates

Application Deadline

5 July 2026 (11:00 PM UK Time)

Interview Schedule

• First-round interviews: Week commencing 13 July 2026.
• Second-round interviews: One week later, including a short assessment exercise.

Expected Start Date

As soon as possible following the recruitment process.

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

The Business Engagement Lead position offers a rare opportunity to shape how businesses, investors, governments, and communities approach climate transitions on a global scale.

By connecting real-world stories with decision-makers, the successful candidate will help ensure that climate action becomes more inclusive, equitable, practical, and sustainable.

For professionals seeking to combine expertise in sustainability, human rights, business strategy, and stakeholder engagement, this role represents a highly impactful career opportunity with global reach and long-term significance.

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