Key responsibilities of the Program Lawyer include:

1. Climate and environmental programme support

• Support implementation of ZLHR's environmental and climate justice programmes.

• Contribute to the development and monitoring of climate-related deliverables.

• Help identify climate harms, environmental violations, and emerging climate justice issues.

• Keep programme activities aligned with ZLHR policies and strategic priorities.

• Introduce innovative legal, research, or advocacy approaches that strengthen programme impact.

2. Strategic litigation and legal services (climate and environmental focus)

• Support strategic litigation on climate change, environmental governance, pollution, land use, displacement, and energy transition.

• Draft legal opinions, pleadings, case summaries, and research memos.

• Take part in fact-finding missions and community consultations.

• Provide technical legal support to ZLHR's climate justice portfolio.

• Track litigation progress and contribute to case management.

3. Climate advocacy, policy, and research

• Conduct legal and policy research on climate change, adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, and environmental governance.

• Prepare policy briefs, technical papers, and advocacy materials.

• Support ZLHR's engagement in national climate policy processes and law reform.

• Contribute to public education and awareness initiatives.

• Develop advocacy tools or knowledge products that lift the quality of climate justice discourse.

4. Stakeholder engagement and partnerships

• Engage communities affected by climate harms, environmental defenders, CSOs, government agencies, and regional climate networks.

• Represent ZLHR at climate-related meetings, consultations, and technical forums.

• Deepen collaboration with environmental partners.

• Support documentation of fellowship activities for ACLFP reporting.

• Contribute to narrative updates, learning reports, and knowledge products.

• Maintain compliance with ZLHR policies.

6. Monitoring, evaluation, and learning

• Track the progress of climate-related interventions and litigation.

• Document lessons learned, innovations, and emerging climate justice trends.

• Contribute to organisational learning and reflection sessions.

7. Knowledge management

• Produce case summaries, legal analyses, and climate justice knowledge products.

• Support development of climate-related IEC materials.

• Contribute to ZLHR's knowledge management systems.

The Program Lawyer must meet the following criteria:

Education

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB).

• Registered Legal Practitioner, Zimbabwe.

• Additional training in environmental law, climate change, energy transition, or public policy is an advantage.

Experience and skills

• At least 5 years post-admission legal practice.

• Strong legal research, writing, and analytical skills.

• Background in public interest litigation, or administrative or constitutional law, an advantage.

• Ability to work with communities and civil society partners.

• Commitment to working cohesively with colleagues across programmes, sharing knowledge, and contributing to collective litigation and advocacy strategies.

• Sensitivity to diverse communities, including gender, disability, and inclusion considerations, and the ability to engage across languages where relevant.

• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills and respectful engagement.

Hazards and safety requirements

• Field travel to communities affected by environmental harm. All field visits will be conducted with appropriate safety precautions, and where appropriate, the Programme Lawyer will conduct field engagements together with designated ZLHR staff to ensure appropriate support and risk mitigation.