Role Summary:

You will engage health and community service workers, their organisations and other members of the public in campaigns to reduce pollution from coal based power. This will include advocating for a transition from coal to renewable energy by 2030 that promotes health and job security. You will develop and execute campaign strategy, building on Healthy Futures’ previous campaign work and in collaboration with other Healthy Futures staff and volunteers. You will work with supporters and allies across Victoria, and potentially some interstate, with a particular focus on engaging and organising stakeholders in the Latrobe Valley due to the health of people there being most at risk from current coal related pollution and from any social disruption associated with unplanned energy transition.

Position Details:

• Location: Victoria - ideally the Latrobe Valley, or Melbourne, or in between (roughly one day per fortnight will be in the Latrobe Valley with occasional events in Melbourne and the remainder online)
• Hours: two to four days per week / 0.4-0.8 FTE, including a one hours paid break per week, and some paid time attending meetings and events outside business hours
• Salary: $35.90/hour (i.e. $74,672 per annum pro rata) until June 30th inclusive, then $38.50/hour (i.e. $80,080 per annum pro rata) from July 1st onwards + superannuation and entitlements
• Contract Length: 35 weeks initially, with possible extension pending further funding
• Interviews: Wed 23rd Feb - Thu 24th Feb
• Start Date: Monday 7th March 2022
• End Date: Sunday 6th November 2022

About Us

Healthy Futures is an organisation of healthcare workers and community members taking action to address climate change and related threats to health in Australia. We were set up by two doctors in 2015 and now comprise five staff at a combined total of 2.2 FTE and over 1,500 supporters around Australia.

Our current staff are:

• Campaigns Coordinator at 0.4 FTE
• AGL and NSW Campaigner at 0.9 FTE
• Communications Officer at 0.6 FTE
• Latrobe Valley Organiser at 0.1 FTE
• Central Queensland Campaigner at 0.2 FTE

We are an affiliate group of Friends of the Earth Australia.

Find us on Our Website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Background:

Climate change is the greatest global health threat of the 21st century, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide every year through increased extreme weather events, crop failures, famine and spread of infectious diseases. Combustion of fossil fuels for electricity in Australia contributes to climate change and also kills hundreds of Australians every year through toxic air pollution that leads to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. On a per capita basis, the greatest harms from coal pollution in Australia are borne by communities closest to coal fired power stations, but these communities are also uncertain about the future beyond coal. To mitigate the health impacts of coal pollution in Victoria, Healthy Futures has advocated for the requirement of pollution reduction technologies in keeping with international best practice (see page on our previous website here), the replacement of the AGL-owned Loy Yang A with renewable energy by 2030 (see here) and for the Victorian government to fund the Latrobe Valley Authority to plan a full transition from coal (see here). In order to protect the health of people in the Latrobe Valley and around the world, we need to scale up and win these campaigns.

Your Responsibilities:

• Work with other Healthy Futures staff and volunteers to iteratively review campaign strategy, and design and execute tactics to reduce coal pollution and assist transition to renewable energy in Victoria
• In particular, work with our 0.1 FTE Latrobe Valley Organiser and supporters in the Latrobe Valley to publicise local concerns about the health impacts of coal and local support for transition to renewable energy
• Liaise with other organisations working towards similar goals
• Check in with other Healthy Futures staff on Zoom meetings for 30-45 minutes at least twice weekly

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Experience, and ideally success, in campaigning for one or more environmental or social justice outcomes
• Experience in liaising with journalists and obtaining media coverage of campaign activities and stories
• Experience in community organising
• Experience using NationBuilder, our current “Customer Relationship Manager” software
• Experience writing emails, blog posts and letters to the editors of newspapers that clearly and compellingly explain the rationale for campaigns
• Experience working autonomously and in teams
• Awareness of the health impacts of climate change and/or air pollution
• Understanding of our target audiences of healthcare and community service workers
• Knowledge of the structure of the Australian health sector
• Knowledge of the structure of the Australian community service sector
• An understanding of the history, culture and politics of the Latrobe Valley

Opportunities for re-employment:

We currently have funds for this position for 35 weeks. We hope to continue the position beyond this period but this will depend on further funding.

If you have any questions please email us at [email protected] using the subject line: Victorian Campaigner enquiry via EthicalJobs.

To submit your application, click Apply Now.