Sector Outline
Environmental Policy is a wide-ranging field that encompasses several sectors – Government departments, NGOs, consultants and others. Historically, Government departments developed most areas of national policy using their own staff, but this has altered in recent decades so that Government endorsed working groups of policy professionals develop policy in a more inclusive way. These policy professionals can come from NGOs, trade bodies, charities and consultancies. However, this often means that Government departments have become denuded in terms of their policy making ability.
There are also groups called Think Tanks which are expert groups providing evidence, generally on economic and political issues.
According to the LSE in its online Careers Resource (2020):
‘What think tanks do depends on their size and funding, but principally their aim is to publish and influence public policy debate. Most think tanks are non-profit organisations and may be based in the charity sector. Others are funded by particular advocacy groups, the voluntary sector, government, businesses, generate revenue from consulting or research or combination thereof. Although these policy institutes may have political bias they are usually independent of political parties and government. Think tanks conduct research into a range of issue oriented topics as well as broader business, political and economic areas including different aspects of social policy, political strategy and reform, the environment, security and the military, technology and economics using a variety of social science research methods. Think tanks are no longer a North American and Western European phenomena and indeed the past 10 years has witnessed the impact of globalization on the think tank movement. This is most evident in regions such as Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia. Here there has been a concerted effort by the international community to support the creation of independent public policy research organizations resulting in collaboration across geographical regions.
The think tank sector employs relatively few people. The smallest institute may have a core staff of 3 or 4 and employ extra staff when needed. The largest employ around 50.’
Career and Job Links
UK
LSE, Think tank careers globally by region
www.info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/careers/resources/type-of-organisation/think-tanks-by-region
www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/CareersAndVacancies/careersService/EmploymentSectors/PublicSectorPoliticsPolicy/ThinkTanks/Home.aspx
The Guardian’s list of Think Tanks
www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/sep/30/list-thinktanks-uk
Oxford University list of Think Tanks – also international think tanks listed
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/think-tanks
PubAffairs website
www.publicaffairsnetworking.com/public-affairs-jobs.php
The specialist recruiter Michael Page is a good source for UK Policy jobs
www.michaelpage.co.uk
www.michaelpage.co.uk/expertise/policy
Charity Job website
www.charityjob.co.uk
Guardian jobs website
www.jobs.theguardian.com/jobs/policy
Third Sector Jobs
www.jobs.thirdsector.co.uk/jobs/policy-and-research/
Environment Job
www.environmentjob.co.uk/jobs
Greenjobs
www.greenjobs.co.uk/
Europe
Politjobs
www.politjobs.eu/
Euro Brussels
www.eurobrussels.com/
EU Internships (stagiaires) – placements with EU departments
www.europa.eu/epso/working/training_en.htm
www.epso.europa.eu/job-opportunities/traineeships_en
Asia
ILO ‘Green Jobs in Asia and the Pacific’
www.ilo.org/asia/areas/green-jobs/lang--en/index.htm
UNDP
www.asia-pacific.undp.org/content/rbap/en/home/operations/jobs.html
UN Jobs
www.unjobs.org/themes/southeast-asia
Africa
African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)
www.afidep.org/jobs
Career Jet
www.careerjet.co.za/public-policy-jobs.html
North America
Green Jobs
www.greenjobs.net
Environmentalscience.org
www.environmentalscience.org/careers/environmental-policy-and-planning
Ecojobs
www.ecojobs.com/environmental-policy-and-regulation-jobs.htm
University of Maryland, Internships
www.ensp.umd.edu/internships/internships-policy
Yale School of the Environment – resources section
www.environment.yale.edu/careers/resources/jobs-sites
International Relations UDU
www.internationalrelationsedu.org/foreign-affairs-analyst
Global Policy Lab
www.globalpolicy.science/jobs
South America
UN Jobs Latin America
www.unjobs.org/themes/latin-america
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
www.intjobs.com/jobs_at/un_eclac_economic_commission_for_latin_america_and_the_caribbean/5279
Latin American Network Information Center (LANIC)
www.lanic.utexas.edu/enlace/resources
Oceania
NZ Government jobs
www.jobs.govt.nz
Australia Government/public service policy jobs:
www.apsjobs.gov.au
Ethical Jobs
www.ethicaljobs.com.au/policy-research-jobs
Global
SEI global internships and jobs
www.sei-international.org/working-for-sei
UN Jobs
www.unjobs.org/themes/public-policy
International Affairs Jobs
www.intjobs.com/
Environmentalscience.org ‘Environmental Policy & Planning Careers’
www.environmentalscience.org/careers/environmental-policy-and-planning
Global Jobs
www.globaljobs.org/
Bond – international development jobs
www.bond.org.uk/jobs
Institute for Transportation & Development Policy
www.itdp.org/careers
Impact Pool
www.impactpool.org/search
Global Policy Forum
www.globalpolicy.org/internships/general-information-on-internships.html
GPPI
www.gppi.net/about/jobs-internships/
UNDP Jobs
www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/jobs.html
National Institute for Research Advancement – links to research institutes in more than 50 countries
www.english.nira.or.jp/
www.english.nira.or.jp/directory/
Policy Library
www.policylibrary.com
Environmental Policy is a wide-ranging field that encompasses several sectors – Government departments, NGOs, consultants and others. Historically, Government departments developed most areas of national policy using their own staff, but this has altered in recent decades so that Government endorsed working groups of policy professionals develop policy in a more inclusive way. These policy professionals can come from NGOs, trade bodies, charities and consultancies. However, this often means that Government departments have become denuded in terms of their policy making ability.
There are also groups called Think Tanks which are expert groups providing evidence, generally on economic and political issues.
According to the LSE in its online Careers Resource (2020):
‘What think tanks do depends on their size and funding, but principally their aim is to publish and influence public policy debate. Most think tanks are non-profit organisations and may be based in the charity sector. Others are funded by particular advocacy groups, the voluntary sector, government, businesses, generate revenue from consulting or research or combination thereof. Although these policy institutes may have political bias they are usually independent of political parties and government. Think tanks conduct research into a range of issue oriented topics as well as broader business, political and economic areas including different aspects of social policy, political strategy and reform, the environment, security and the military, technology and economics using a variety of social science research methods. Think tanks are no longer a North American and Western European phenomena and indeed the past 10 years has witnessed the impact of globalization on the think tank movement. This is most evident in regions such as Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia. Here there has been a concerted effort by the international community to support the creation of independent public policy research organizations resulting in collaboration across geographical regions.
The think tank sector employs relatively few people. The smallest institute may have a core staff of 3 or 4 and employ extra staff when needed. The largest employ around 50.’
Career and Job Links
UK
LSE, Think tank careers globally by region
www.info.lse.ac.uk/current-students/careers/resources/type-of-organisation/think-tanks-by-region
www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/CareersAndVacancies/careersService/EmploymentSectors/PublicSectorPoliticsPolicy/ThinkTanks/Home.aspx
The Guardian’s list of Think Tanks
www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/sep/30/list-thinktanks-uk
Oxford University list of Think Tanks – also international think tanks listed
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/think-tanks
PubAffairs website
www.publicaffairsnetworking.com/public-affairs-jobs.php
The specialist recruiter Michael Page is a good source for UK Policy jobs
www.michaelpage.co.uk
www.michaelpage.co.uk/expertise/policy
Charity Job website
www.charityjob.co.uk
Guardian jobs website
www.jobs.theguardian.com/jobs/policy
Third Sector Jobs
www.jobs.thirdsector.co.uk/jobs/policy-and-research/
Environment Job
www.environmentjob.co.uk/jobs
Greenjobs
www.greenjobs.co.uk/
Europe
Politjobs
www.politjobs.eu/
Euro Brussels
www.eurobrussels.com/
EU Internships (stagiaires) – placements with EU departments
www.europa.eu/epso/working/training_en.htm
www.epso.europa.eu/job-opportunities/traineeships_en
Asia
ILO ‘Green Jobs in Asia and the Pacific’
www.ilo.org/asia/areas/green-jobs/lang--en/index.htm
UNDP
www.asia-pacific.undp.org/content/rbap/en/home/operations/jobs.html
UN Jobs
www.unjobs.org/themes/southeast-asia
Africa
African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)
www.afidep.org/jobs
Career Jet
www.careerjet.co.za/public-policy-jobs.html
North America
Green Jobs
www.greenjobs.net
Environmentalscience.org
www.environmentalscience.org/careers/environmental-policy-and-planning
Ecojobs
www.ecojobs.com/environmental-policy-and-regulation-jobs.htm
University of Maryland, Internships
www.ensp.umd.edu/internships/internships-policy
Yale School of the Environment – resources section
www.environment.yale.edu/careers/resources/jobs-sites
International Relations UDU
www.internationalrelationsedu.org/foreign-affairs-analyst
Global Policy Lab
www.globalpolicy.science/jobs
South America
UN Jobs Latin America
www.unjobs.org/themes/latin-america
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
www.intjobs.com/jobs_at/un_eclac_economic_commission_for_latin_america_and_the_caribbean/5279
Latin American Network Information Center (LANIC)
www.lanic.utexas.edu/enlace/resources
Oceania
NZ Government jobs
www.jobs.govt.nz
Australia Government/public service policy jobs:
www.apsjobs.gov.au
Ethical Jobs
www.ethicaljobs.com.au/policy-research-jobs
Global
SEI global internships and jobs
www.sei-international.org/working-for-sei
UN Jobs
www.unjobs.org/themes/public-policy
International Affairs Jobs
www.intjobs.com/
Environmentalscience.org ‘Environmental Policy & Planning Careers’
www.environmentalscience.org/careers/environmental-policy-and-planning
Global Jobs
www.globaljobs.org/
Bond – international development jobs
www.bond.org.uk/jobs
Institute for Transportation & Development Policy
www.itdp.org/careers
Impact Pool
www.impactpool.org/search
Global Policy Forum
www.globalpolicy.org/internships/general-information-on-internships.html
GPPI
www.gppi.net/about/jobs-internships/
UNDP Jobs
www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/jobs.html
National Institute for Research Advancement – links to research institutes in more than 50 countries
www.english.nira.or.jp/
www.english.nira.or.jp/directory/
Policy Library
www.policylibrary.com
