Farmers for Climate Action is a movement of farmers, agricultural leaders and rural Australians working to ensure farmers are a key part of the solution to climate change. We’ve opened applications for a Strategy Director to drive our farmer-led movement’s impact in shifting the politics of climate change in Australia.

• Position title: Strategy Director
• Location & travel: Melbourne or Canberra, or flexible/remote work arrangements considered. Some interstate and rural travel required.
• Position type: Permanent, 0.8-1.0 FTE
• Reporting to: CEO
• Expected start date: Mid-February 2022

Position Purpose

The Strategy Director is a key role in our team with a high level of responsibility and engagement across our organisation and with its external political stakeholders. This role works with our CEO and staff team to drive our farmer-led movement’s impact in shifting the politics and policies of climate change in Australia.

The Strategy Director is responsible for delivering Farmers for Climate Action’s political strategy and influencing the government to implement policies that mitigate climate change and benefit rural communities, as well as playing a leadership role to help realise our organisation’s strategic goals in agriculture sector engagement, policy, communication & campaigns, and farmer mobilisation and organising.

About you

You have strong connections to rural Australia and you care about the future of agriculture. You are passionate about achieving strong climate policies in Australia, and you have the skills and drive to put climate change and agriculture at the forefront of government and industry policy.

You have a track record of developing effective strategies to influence decision-makers, and working with a range of stakeholders to bring these strategies to life.

You are keen to make a difference in the most important decade of our lives for action on climate change.

You’re excited about working with a tight-knit team who supports and mobilises our farmer supporters to ensure their voices are heard on the national stage. You value a supportive organisational culture and flexibility in your work.

How we work

Farmers for Climate Action has grown rapidly since its inception in 2015, and our farmer-driven movement is supported by an active Board and our small team of dedicated staff.

• We are evidence-based and informed by the best available science.
• We are collaborative, inclusive and respectful.
• We respect and embrace the diversity and wisdom of farming communities.
• We are empowering our farmers to be bold and courageous and widening the space for rural Australia to take action on climate change.
• We are sustainable and are committed to being here for the long haul through being ecologically, financially and socially responsible.
• We are strategic and work towards delivering tangible, long-term results, while maximising our impact.

Our staff are spread across Australia, and we provide the option for people to work from one of our two office hubs in Canberra or Melbourne, or to work from their farm or home. We use a range of digital collaboration tools to stay in touch and work effectively together, and are committed to making sure staff have everything they need to get the job done.

We offer four weeks’ annual leave as well as personal and carers’ leave provisions. We strive to maintain a culture of wellbeing. We are set up to support part-time and flexible working conditions, and strive to ensure all staff have a healthy work-life balance, including for people with caring responsibilities.

Role competencies and attributes

• Leading and sharing vision - you bring demonstrated experience in developing a clear picture of success and collaborating with others to achieve it.
• Strategic and analytical skills - you are able to gather and organise information and evidence. You set strategy and identify opportunities based on sound foundations and using proven tools and theories in advocacy, campaigns, and policy-making.
• Relationship management - you have excellent networks and you are adept at establishing and maintaining relationships with people from all walks of life. You are able to find common ground, and advance mutual goals. You’re reliable and available to people within the organisation and external to it.
• Effective communication - you are an articulate and clear communicator in writing and verbally. You engage people authentically and professionally, and you’re a deliberate communicator who can find effective words that connect meaningfully with those you are engaged with.
• Project management - you can manage multiple priorities and projects, and you are an independent worker who knows when to involve others in the team.
• People management - you have experience managing and supervising others effectively, and you draw out the best in staff and volunteers. You are collaborative and value others’ input and ideas.
• Passion, optimism and initiative - you are driven to contribute to a positive future for farmers. You bring a can-do attitude, you see opportunities that others don’t and propose ways forward without being prompted. You look beyond business as usual to find better ways of doing things.
• Relevant knowledge and experience - you bring specific knowledge and experiences from your years of experience in a relevant field of work that connects to our vision and purpose. This might be agriculture or agri-politics, climate movement work, politics, or a combination of these. We are looking for a minimum 5 years industry experience or 3 years working in a similar role such as a campaigns organisation, politics, management, or media.
• Connection to rural and regional Australia - you have a strong connection to rural and regional Australia, and you understand the experiences and priorities of farmers.

How to Apply

Please click Apply Now to apply.

In your application please include the following 3 attachments or links:

1. Cover letter and CV: A one-page cover letter that addresses your motivation to do the role and includes a link to your LinkedIn profile (or other digital resume).
2. Response to role competencies and attributes: please provide a response to the Role Competencies and Attributes, with up to one paragraph per item.
3. Written response: please provide answers to the following questions in a document without your name in the document or as part of the file name type - ideally your responses to each question will be half-to-one page long:

Question 1. Given what you know about the challenges and opportunities to have Australia adopt strong climate policies, what do you think Farmers for Climate Action should prioritise to achieve our mission to grow a movement of farmers and rural Australians working together to influence strong economy-wide climate policies?

Question 2. What experiences have you had that prepare you well for this role and what areas will you need to further grow in?

As part of our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, we will undertake an anonymised review of your Written Response document first, prior to reviewing your CV or Cover letter.

Contact us

For a confidential conversation about this position, contact our General Manager, Georgia Webster on [email protected] using the subject line: Strategy Director - Canberra / Melbourne enquiry via EthicalJobs or 0412 554 822.

A job pack is attached.