Deadline for applications: Wednesday 21st February 2024, 23:59 CET
Based: in the Friends of the Earth Europe office, Brussels
Prefer to read the vacancy as a pdf? Click here.
Are you passionate about transforming the current growth-based, extractivist system to one that meets the needs of all within the limits of the planet?
Are you a strategic thinker with experience in developing and implementing a broad range of impactful campaigns and advocacy activities?
Do you like to lead coalition work and connect organisations and stakeholders?
Then we might have a great opportunity for you!
Friends of the Earth Europe is looking for a resource justice and new economies campaigner to work in our Resource Justice and Sustainability (RJS) programme. This is an excellent opportunity to be part of an environmental justice NGO working at the European level, a vibrant European network and international federation.
Friends of the Earth Europe is the largest grassroots environmental network in Europe, uniting more than 32 national organisations with thousands of local groups. We are the European arm of Friends of the Earth International, a global federation uniting over 70 national member organisations, some 5,000 local activist groups, and over two million supporters around the world. We campaign for a just, sustainable future at the EU level and across Europe. Our vision is of a peaceful and sustainable world, founded on social, economic, racial, gender and environmental justice and free from all forms of domination and exploitation.
The RJS programme is campaigning against the growth-based, extractivist, capitalist, wasteful and socially unjust socio-economic system. Europe’s growth-obsessed economic model relies on extracting ever-more resources from a finite planet, leading to environmental degradation, conflict and social inequality. We want to act and inspire action to wholly transform this model, and to dismantle the power structures maintaining and driving it, to a model that meets the needs of all within the limits of the planet. European economies were built in great part through colonisation of the Global South, extracting and depleting resources and appropriating human bodies and labour. This exploitative and unjust relation still exists today through neocolonialism. Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for resource justice and resource use reduction in Europe, and to galvanise collective action from governments and people to redesign an economy that serves the wellbeing of all and our shared planet. Explore more about the RJS programme’s work here.
For this position we are looking for a highly organised, creative, energetic, strategic and motivated person. You will be the primary campaigner on all issues regarding resource justice, resource use reduction, sustainable resource management, overproduction and overconsumption, critical raw materials, mining and circular economy, and will have a key role in supporting our work on new economies, beyond growth and degrowth. You will have a broad range of responsibilities, including developing positions and strategies, and implementing them by organising concrete activities and events. You will be working in several coalitions and alliances, taking a leading role in some, and will be involving groups at the national level in our work. You will engage with colleagues in other FoEE programmes, in particular those working on energy, biodiversity, and corporate power issues. You will report to and be task managed by the coordinator of the RJS programme.
Key responsibilities are to:
- Develop strategies for FoEE’s work on resource justice, resource use reduction, sustainable resource management, overproduction and overconsumption, critical raw materials, mining and circular economy. Support in developing strategies for our work on new economies, beyond growth and degrowth;
- Develop/coordinate and deliver activities, events and materials that contribute to campaign/project/RJS programme aims and strategies (for example webinars, public debates, policy briefings, reports, open letters, press releases etc.);
- Advocate our key messages and proposals with relevant stakeholders at EU and national level, including the European Parliament and the European Commission;
- Engage Friends of the Earth member groups in our work;
- Organise and facilitate civil society meetings and gatherings, online and in-person;
- Represent FoEE externally, including speaking at public events (for example panel debates organised by politicians/media, policy roundtables etc.);
- Develop good relations with media and be a spokesperson on relevant topics;
- Develop, in cooperation with our Communications team, accessible communication tools (including social media) that allow for increased public involvement;
- Develop alliances and close relationships with key external groups and stakeholders;
- Manage administrative and finance matters related to part of the programme and keep track of budget expenditures;
- Contribute to programme fundraising and lead on reporting to relevant funders;
- Maintain an overview of the key relevant research, ideas, events and policy developments in the areas of resource justice, resource use reduction, sustainable resource management, overproduction and overconsumption, critical raw materials, mining, circular economy, new economies, beyond growth and degrowth;
- Contribute to the development of the Friends of the Earth Europe organisation (staff meetings, trainings, overall strategic prioritisation, etc.).
Requirements:
- Strong commitment to, and passion to match, the values, vision, and mission of Friends of the Earth Europe;
- Experience in working with an NGO at national, European or international level in the sectors of environmental and/or social justice;
- Experience in managing campaigns including the various responsibilities involved (such as fundraising and reporting, research, planning, lobbying, communications);
- Creativity: able to think out of the box and find new ways to develop campaigns;
- Experience in dealing with stakeholders from different backgrounds: NGOs and other civil society organisations such as trade unions, FoEE member groups, activists and grassroots groups, academics, decision makers, Global South partners, researchers, media, politicians, etc.;
- Experience in managing, planning and delivering projects, events and bigger activities, including proven ability to adjust plans to rapidly changing circumstances;
- Confidence and experience in public speaking and facilitation, for example presentations for public events, facilitating large groups, being interviewed for TV etc.;
- Track-record of activities that show a technical and political understanding of several of the following issues: resource justice, resource use reduction, sustainable resource management, overproduction and overconsumption, critical raw materials, mining, circular economy, new economies, beyond growth and degrowth;
- Knowledge of how EU institutions and policy making work;
- Very good oral and written communication skills in English;
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team;
- Motivation to exchange with and learn from colleagues;
- Flexibility: able to attend evening/weekend meetings occasionally and undertake travel.
We offer
The position is offered as an 80-100% position in Brussels, Belgium for a period of twelve months. It can be made permanent succeeding that period. We offer a salary between €3,732 and €4,436 gross (for 100%), depending on a competency assessment.
FoE Europe offers an attractive benefits package, including a 13th month salary, lunch vouchers, an additional 5 days of holidays per year, pension scheme, hospitalisation and comprehensive travel insurance. We also offer full coverage of train travel in case of commuting within Belgium. FoE Europe offers amotivating working environment in an international NGO and office located in an environmentally-friendly NGO building.
To carry out the job, the person must be based in Belgium and with the right to live and work in the EU. The job is subject to FoEE’s teleworking policy, which allows for hybrid working, with a maximum of 3 days per week from your home (for full time roles) and allows flexibility to work from abroad.
Friends of the Earth Europe actively 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.
To apply
Send your CV and motivation letter describing how you meet the above-mentioned requirements by 23:59 CET on Wednesday 21st February to: jobs.rjs@foeeurope.org
We will contact short-listed candidates by Wednesday 28th February 2024. Due to the volume of applications, we will contact only short-listed candidates – thank you for your understanding.
Interviews are scheduled online for the week of 4th March and a remote written test (duration max 1.5h) will have to be done before the interview.
The ideal starting date of the post is 2nd April 2024, with flexibility in required cases to start maximum 3rd June 2024.
