Overview

• Employer: Friends of the Earth Melbourne (FoE) - Yes2Renewables
• Work Type/s: Fixed term contract - Part-time - 6 months
• Work Hours: 3 days/24 hours per week
• Salary: $41.15 per hour, $85,585.76 per annum, pro rata, plus super and entitlements.
• Location: Regional Victoria, Melbourne, Remote or willing to travel.

About us

Friends of the Earth Melbourne (FoEM) is a not-for-profit community-based charitable organisation working for a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future for over 50 years.We believe that social justice and environmental justice are inextricable linked and work from a climate justice perspective.

Friends of the Earth’s Yes2Renewables project has been campaigning alongside workers and regional communities for over ten years to accelerate the shift to 100% renewable energy. We are committed to making sure the energy transformation delivers real outcomes for communities, workers and nature, and are now expanding our campaign work interstate and nationally.

More info is available on the FoE Melbourne website here.

Friends of the Earth Melbourne is an anti-hierarchical organisation and a local member group of the national federation Friends of the Earth Australia, which in turn is the country member of Friends of the Earth International. The broader FoE International network has over 5,000 local branches across the globe in over 70 countries and is the world's largest grassroots environmental network with over 2 million members and supporters around the world. FoE campaigns from the local to the global on today's most urgent environmental and social issues; challenging the current model of economic and corporate neoliberal globalisation, and promoting solutions to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies.

About the role

Friends of the Earth’s Yes2Renewables campaign collective is seeking a dedicated community organiser to take a leading role empowering regional community members to accelerate Victoria’s transition to renewable energy.

The main focus of this role is developing the Energy Champions speaking program, as part of a wider community organising strategy to upskill and empower people in regional areas who want to see greater action on climate change and renewable energy.

The role will focus on demonstrating the tangible social and economic benefits of renewable energy, identifying and supporting regional leaders, and organising a series of inspiring public events.

This role would ideally suit someone living in northern or western Victoria or someone willing to travel.

Key responsibilities

The Yes2Renewables Organiser will:

• Develop an innovative Energy Champions speakers program to upskill and empower regional community members to advocate for the energy shift across regional Victoria.
• Identify, recruit and support regional leaders to participate in the Energy Champions program.
• Craft informative, inspiring and engaging educational content that increases the public’s understanding of climate change and renewable energy and how to communicate it in communities.
• Collaborate with key partner organisations Solar Citizens and Climate Reality as part of the project, and build relationships with regional organisations such as sustainability and community groups, unions etc.
• Work with and create opportunities for community members in regional Victoria to join and participate in the Energy Champions speakers program, including organising inspiring public events and media opportunities throughout regional Victoria.
• Participate in regular campaign meetings with Yes2Renewables staff and contribute to wider campaign and organising strategy that builds the movement for renewable energy across the state.
• Regularly use campaign tools including social media and digital campaign platforms to promote events and engage with our supporter base, monitor and assess the effectiveness of campaign activities. Report on campaign progress and impact.

This role would ideally suit an experienced campaigner or community organiser with an understanding of climate justice principles, capable of working independently and collaborating remotely.

Key Selection Criteria

• Strong communication skills including public speaking, facilitation and listening skills.
• Ability to craft engaging and informative communications and interest in creating popular educational materials for adults.
• Experience in community organising, particularly establishing, facilitating and supporting organising groups in an active campaign.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team, including working with key partners and allies.
• Experience working in the climate and energy fields is desirable.
• Interest and ability to engage and work alongside a diverse array of movement allies including unions, First Nations, local and state based environment and community groups
• Experience in developing campaigns and organising strategies or interest to learn with support and training.
• Strong commitment to the principles of climate and energy justice, and an understanding or interest in anti-hierarchical organising.
• Proficiency using Nation Builder, Zoom, Slack, Google Suite, and social media platforms.
• Proven ability to manage time effectively (i.e: well organised, work to campaign timelines, and meet deadlines).

Accountability

The Energy Champions Organiser will be accountable to the Friends of the Earth Yes2Renewables Collective and to the FoE Melbourne Strategy Collective and where required to the Operations Collective and FoE Melbourne Board.

The worker will be supported on a day-to-day basis by the Yes2Renewables Coordinator and FoE Melbourne’s Campaign Coordinators, and collaborate with other collectives, staff and volunteers.

Salary & conditions

The organiser would be employed under the Friends of the Earth Melbourne workers agreement. Friends of the Earth Melbourne has a policy of wage equity and as such all workers are paid at the same hourly rate.

The current pay rate for this position is $85,585.76 per annum, pro rata, plus superannuation and entitlements.

This is a fixed term position for 6 months, with the intention of expanding the role, subject to funding.

Hours of work

This is a 3 day/24 hours a week position (0.6FTE) for 6 months.

At Friends of the Earth Melbourne, we consider a working day to be 8 hours, including one hour paid lunch, with the option of flexi time within a working week.

A position description is attached.