Senior Attorney and Director, China Environmental Law & Governance Project
NRDC Beijing Office
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is one of the most effective environmental
action organizations in the United States and abroad. Established in 1970, NRDC uses law,
science and the support of 1.3 million members and online activists to protect the planet and
ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things. We are a non-profit, nongovernmental
international organization headquartered in New York, and have offices in
Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing, China. Our staff of over
400 environmental lawyers, scientists, policy analysts and engineers work together protect the
world?s environment and curb carbon emissions through advocacy, law, policy change and
education, as well as on-the-ground project implementation support.
NRDC?s primary role in China is to support leading domestic efforts on pollution reduction,
energy efficiency, and more effective environmental governance. NRDC has been working with
local partners in China for 15 years to develop solutions that work, and has established a unique
program on environmental law and governance that is helping to resolve the difficult question of
how to turn the laws on the books into real environmental protection on the ground.
Position Summary:
The Senior Attorney and Director of the China Environmental Law & Governance Project serves
as a member of the China Program leadership team, and leads a team of professionals to
develop more effective environmental governance in China. This includes work to improve
environmental protection through legislative advocacy, capacity building programs, and
research on pollution reduction, rule of law, transparency, public interest litigation, and public
health. The Senior Attorney also serves as one of the senior representatives of NRDC?s Beijing
office, and engages in program outreach, fundraising and other institutional work for NRDC.
Essential Functions:
? Responsible for development and implementation of NRDC China Program efforts on law
and governance issues in China, including projects on environmental law, transparency,
public interest litigation, environmental health and climate governance.
? Build and manage relationships with key Chinese stakeholders, including policy makers,
judges, lawyers, NGOs, research institutes, international groups, multilateral groups, and
others.
? Engage in media communications on behalf of NRDC and the China Program.
? Supervise a team of professionals to achieve NRDC objectives.
? Lead fundraising efforts for the China Law & Governance Project.
Skills and Knowledge Requirements:
? J.D. or other advanced degree with at least ten years of relevant experience and 15 years of
overall working experience.
? Expertise in US and Chinese environmental law, policy, and governance systems.
? Project development, management, fundraising and media communication skills.
? Ability to think creatively and carefully in evaluating strategic direction.
? Environmental advocacy experience or demonstrated capacity to be an effective advocate.
? Ability to work in both English and Chinese.
? Exceptional research, writing, communication, and analytical skills.
? Ability to make decisions based upon sound judgment, analysis, and experience.
? Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to handle multiple tasks
and perform well under deadlines.
NRDC offers competitive compensation based on experience and a pleasant working
environment. Please include salary requirements in your cover letter. Please state your name
and the position title in the subject of the email and send to: xzhang@nrdc.org. Please
reference where you saw this posting. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. No
phone calls or faxes please. NRDC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
For further information about NRDC, please visit www.nrdc.org and http://china.nrdc.org/zhhans