The AYCC is a youth-led organisation with an exemption from the Anti-Discrimination Act - we seek applications only from people under the age of 30. We value passion, initiative, talent and lived experiences, over formal qualifications. We don’t expect you to be an expert at everything and we’re committed to building your skills and supporting you to grow as a leader in our movement. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, young people of colour, people with disability & LGBTIQ+ young people are strongly encouraged to apply.

About the role:

We’re looking for young people aged 18-30 across so-called Australia to join our volunteer leadership team as AYCC Organisers for 2023. If you’re passionate about climate justice, supporting teams, organising events, rolling out campaigns and building the power of young people then this is the role for you! This is an incredible opportunity to use your existing (or to develop!) leadership, communication and interpersonal skills to make a significant and impactful contribution to the climate movement. As an AYCC Organiser you’ll build skills in team management, mentorship, community organising, strategic campaigning, communications and get to work alongside hundreds of like-minded, passionate & fun young people. You’ll play a key part in AYCC’s campaign to stop gas expansion and build the youth climate movement.

As an AYCC Organiser you’d be responsible for inspiring, organising and mobilising young people on climate justice campaigns in your area of responsibility (e.g. TAS). In collaboration with your staff mentor, you’ll invest in the leadership of volunteers and support them to organise events, bring new people into our movement and implement campaigns to leave fossil fuels in the ground and build real climate solutions. You will play an active leadership role in the AYCC by participating in planning, decision making and feedback spaces, alongside contributing towards big AYCC events such as our national leadership summits and campaign moments. You will act as a contact point for AYCC in your region, and build relationships with other organisations in the movement.

We’re looking for up to 10 young people to take on this leadership opportunity all over the country - whether you’re based in a big city like Melbourne or Sydney, a smaller city like Darwin, or a regional area.

About the AYCC:

The AYCC is a non-profit, non-partisan organisation building a movement of young people to fight for climate justice. We are one of Australia’s largest youth-led organisations and have a track record of building leaders and winning strategic campaigns over the past 15 years. We create change through three main program areas:

1. Campaigns to solve the climate crisis - we run campaigns to make sure Australia moves from fossil fuels to renewable energy as quickly as possible. Our current campaign is focused on holding back fossil fuel expansion through campaigns to stop the funding and public support for climate-wrecking gas projects.
2. Grassroots movement-building - we are organising a national network of young people who create change by taking action on our national campaigns, building support in their communities, and applying the skills they learn to local climate justice fights
3. Training & leadership programs providing a diverse range of opportunities - online, locally and nationally - for young people to build the skills and connections to make an impact, including our Schools Program.

Core responsibilities of an AYCC Organiser include:

• Give direct support to up to 5 local AYCC group leaders to enable them to grow our movement, build volunteer leadership and have an impact on our campaigns. You’ll do this by providing 1-1 mentoring, running coordination spaces, supporting local groups to plan and provide support for events. *Note: in some locations, organisers will play the role of a local group leader.
• Organise and coordinate state/territory/region wide events to build connections, communication and collaboration across teams in your area -including leadership meetings, ad hoc trainings and campaign actions at strategic moments.
• Coordinate the roll out of campaign tactics in your state, territory or region by supporting local AYCC groups to execute tactics such as community surveys, MP meetings and rallies.
• Organise a two-day training weekend for volunteers in your state, territory or region, with the support of the AYCC staff team.
• Actively build the size of our movement by supporting new groups to start, and seeking out opportunities to bring in new volunteers such as university o-weeks, schools workshops, community markets and events.
• Recruit local leaders and their teams to national and state/territory/region wide meetings, trainings, events, actions and decision making spaces.
• Play an active leadership role within the AYCC by participating in planning, decision making and feedback spaces, representing the views of volunteers in your area when needed.
• Set a strong vision and culture for AYCC volunteers and support them to uphold our values of justice, empowerment, accessibility, ambition and initiative.
• Build relationships with external stakeholders with other organisations, community stakeholders & groups in your area to seek out opportunities for collaboration, shared impact & solidarity.

You’ll be great at this role if you:

• Are passionate about climate justice, building a movement and empowering young people to take collective action
• Have some experience as a leader or coordinator of an AYCC group or other similar community group or organisation, or have experience in community organising, campaigning, organising events, team management and/or communications
• Are a fast learner who and can work well both independently and collaboratively as part of a team
• Have strong communication skills and value giving and receiving feedback
• Are committed, reliable and take initiative
• Embrace AYCC’s purpose, values, theory of change and culture
• Have or are eligible to apply for a Working With Children Check (WWCC) (this is free for volunteers)

Note: we know that as a young person, you might not have heaps of experience or have all of the skills and attributes listed! We encourage you to apply if you are interested in this role, even if you don’t have all of the attributes listed above.

Expectations of AYCC Organisers:

• Attend an induction and training day with an AYCC staff mentor in early 2023 (this is a prerequisite for formally taking on the role)
• Make a commitment to the role for 1 year (January 2023- December 2023)
• Spend 1-2 days per week volunteering in the role depending on your location (the timing is flexible to your schedule, but it will be helpful to be able to attend some events and meetings in evenings or on weekends)
• Undertake the core responsibilities outlined above with support from the AYCC staff team
• Attend regular (fortnightly) meetings with an AYCC staff mentor throughout the year
• Attend and actively participate in AYCC’s Leadership Summits, including an in-person Leaders Retreat in Sydney from 13th-17th April 2023
• Be eligible to apply for and/or have a current Working With Children Check (WWCC) (this is free for volunteers).

Benefits of the role, and how we’ll support you and invest in your leadership:

• This role is incredibly rewarding: by playing a key role in our campaigns you’ll be making a difference and building a better future
• You’ll build broadly applicable skills in mentorship, team management, community organising, event management, strategic campaigning, facilitation, communications and more
• We’ll provide regular 1-1 mentoring and coaching support from a member of the AYCC Organising and/or Campaigns staff team
• We’ll involve you in the planning, strategising & decision making on our national campaigns
• We’ll provide deep leadership training around climate justice, community organising, campaigns and communications throughout your year and you’ll receive a scholarship towards the costs of attending an in-person Leaders Retreat in April 2023, (transport, food, accommodation and training)
• We’ll direct you towards and encourage you to participate in external training opportunities

If you would like to discuss the role further please feel free to contact Maddie Sarre (AYCC Organising Director) via email at [email protected], using the subject line: Organisers (voluntary) - Remote / Flexible location enquiry via EthicalJobs.