Friends of the Earth Europe is looking for a
Communications Officer
Deadline: midnight, 4th July 2021.
This is a full time position based in Friends of the Earth Europe office, Brussels.
Do you have a strong sense for a news story?
Can you design creative communications that stand out from the crowd?
Do you have a unique authentic voice to bring to struggles for social and environmental justice?
Friends of the Earth Europe (FoE Europe) campaigns for sustainable and just societies and for the protection of the environment. It unites 32 national organisations with thousands of local groups and is part of the world’s largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International, calling for economic, environmental and social justice.
The communications team works with all FoE’s campaigners to resist root causes and false solutions to environmental and social injustices, mobilise people power, and communicate transformative solutions. You’ll be part of a team sharing responsibilities for all external and internal communications.
The job
External communications strategy, planning and delivery
- Lead on the development of communications strategies, messaging and activity plans in close collaboration with campaigners and colleagues in Brussels and in Friends of the Earth groups around the globe
- Coordinate communications plans between campaigns/teams
- Project manage the production of communications tools and materials – including, but not limited to, reports and briefings, videos, graphics, adverts, event and action materials – in coordination with member groups, partners and external suppliers
- Undertake basic design work for use in publications and on the website
- Draft, edit and proofread materials including reports, briefings, opinion articles, and letters
- Contribute to creative brainstorming for campaign activities
- Ensure the adherence of communications materials with Friends of the Earth Europe’s identity guidelines and agreed messaging, protocols and ways of working, including intersectional and anti-racist communications approaches
- Do detailed monitoring and regularly evaluate communications activities and make recommendations for continuous improvement
Media relations
- Be in contact with Brussels-based journalists, understand their needs and interests, and advise colleagues on their media relations
- Write and edit press releases, statements, briefings, and other media materials, and ensure their targeted distribution
- Coordinate proactive media work with communicators in member groups and international coalitions to maximise national and international coverage
- Make pitches and follow-up calls to journalists to promote events, stories and opinion articles
- Organise photo opportunities, stunts and actions, press briefings
- Keep the media contact database up-to-date
- Manage reactive media work by dealing with incoming media enquiries, alerting colleagues and coordinating responses
- Be available occasionally out of hours for urgent media requirements
Website & social media
- Keep the Friends of the Earth Europe website up-to-date and populated with relevant resources and materials
- Maintain and develop Friends of the Earth Europe’s social media and web presence, especially Facebook and Twitter
- Contribute to the long-term development of Friends of the Earth Europe’s web and social media presences
- Monitor and analyse media coverage, web traffic and social media statistics and make recommendations for improvements
Internal communications & network support
- Contribute to the production, distribution and monitoring of Friends of the Earth Europe’s newsletter and other internal communications
- Contribute to the maintenance of an active network of communicators from member organisations
- Contribute to capacity building for colleagues and member organisations, e.g. media interview skills, communications strategy and narrative, values and frames in communications, storytelling,
- Contribute to the writing, editing and proofreading of funding applications and reporting to funders
Other tasks
- Actively participate in team meetings and processes such as planning and budgeting
- Support other team members and be able to stand in for them when necessary
- Manage projects with FoEE member groups or other partners, e.g. EU funded projects, other multi-partner multi-deliverable projects
Skills
Essential
- Demonstrable commitment to the values, vision and mission of Friends of the Earth Europe
- At least 2 years relevant communications experience in a busy network-based organisation working on multiple topics
- Strong sense of a news story and good understanding of journalists’ needs
- The ability to write easy-to-understand, engaging copy
- Native speaker standard of English
- Excellent attention to detail
- Diplomacy and negotiation skills
- Strong organisation and time-management skills to be able to juggle multiple tasks and deadlines
- High levels of motivation, strong team member, creativity, flexibility, sense of humour, easy-going, political awareness
Desirable
- Knowledge of EU institutions and Brussels media
- Knowledge of and experience with working with values and frames and storytelling in communications
- Experience of website CMS (especially WordPress)
- Experience of CRM systems (especially CiviCRM)
- Experience of using social media channels for campaigning
- Experience of design software like Adobe Photoshop
- Experience of video-editing software
- Experience of managing projects and project deliverables
- Knowledge of other European languages
The position requires occasional evening and weekend work as well as occasional international travel.
We offer a salary between Euro 2.641 and Europe 3.108 gross per month, depending on experience.
FoE Europe offers an attractive benefits package, including a 13th month salary, lunch vouchers (Euro 8- per worked day), an additional 5 days of holidays per year, pension scheme, hospitalisation and comprehensive travel insurance. We also offer full coverage of travel by public transport in case of commuting within Belgium. Conditions are according to Belgian legislation; hence the position is open solely to persons with the right to live and work in the EU.
FoE Europe offers a motivating working environment in an international NGO and office located in an environmentally-friendly NGO building.
Friends of the Earth Europe welcomes candidates of all descriptions, regardless of age, sexual orientation, marital status, wealth, religious, philosophical or political beliefs, language, present or future state of health, disability, physical or genetic characteristics, gender, pregnancy, parental status, change of sex, nationality, race, skin colour, ancestry, nationality, descent, national or ethnic or social origin. FoE Europe strives to make our office as diverse as possible.
If you feel you meet our criteria, and feel inspired by the objectives and challenges of the position, please send a letter of motivation and a CV and the task described below, to comms.officer@foeeurope.org by midnight on Sunday 4th July 2021.
Your CV should be maximum 2 pages and should summarise your experiences – education, employment, activism, volunteering, relevant lived experience, etc. There is no need to include a photo.
Your letter of motivation should be maximum 2 pages and should answer these questions; (i) why would you like this job? (ii) how do you meet the essential and desirable skills, including examples of your past work and experiences? (iii) what could you contribute to the FoEE team?
Please complete the following task and send it with your application:
Friends of the Earth Netherlands / Milieudefensie recently won a historic legal case against Shell. The Dutch court ruled that Shell must reduce its climate emissions. You can read more about the verdict and its implications here.
Draft a 100 word letter to the editor of the Financial Times spelling out the significance of this ruling for the fossil fuel industry in Europe.
Interviews are planned to take place in the week of 12th July.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted – thank you for your understanding.