Australian Parents for Climate Action is Australia’s leading voice for parents and carers on climate change. We empower and mobilise parents to advocate for Australian governments and businesses to implement the solutions required to ensure a safe climate so that our children can live safe, healthy, full lives.

We are a small, rapidly-developing organisation with passionate and engaged volunteers and supporters online and in 29 local groups nationwide. We take a non-partisan, family-friendly and respectful approach in order to engage those not currently active on climate issues.

• Position title: Community Organising Director
• Employment type: 14 weeks Fixed Term Contract, 30 hours per week, with extension depending on funding and performance
• Salary: $75,000 per annum (paid pro-rata at 0.789 FTE) plus 9.5% superannuation
• Reports to: National Director
• Location: Anywhere in Australia, working remotely

About this Position

Community organising is an integral part of Australian Parents for Climate Action’s work to build a powerful grassroots movement of parents who will lead on climate action.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced community organiser to lead the roll-out of our ambitious outreach and community organising strategy across Australia. The focus of this role is growing the size and strength of our parent networks and amplifying our voice in our communities, the media and amongst our elected representatives.

This role would suit a parent with outstanding leadership skills and strong experience in community organising and campaigning, who enjoys engaging and organising parents and who is committed to climate action.

You will take on one of our three key management roles, working alongside the National Director and Communications & Campaigns Director, and co-ordinating and working closely with our highly valued volunteer team.

Responsibilities

Strategy

1. Developing, leading and implementing our community organising strategy.
2. Working with allied organisations to develop joint community organising strategies, where appropriate.

Growing and leading regional volunteer organisers, local groups and parent-champions

1. Recruiting, coordinating and developing the skills of regional volunteer organisers, local groups and parent-champions (who champion our Solar Our Schools campaign in their local schools) to deliver combined campaign, membership growth and community organising outcomes
2. Supporting regional volunteer organisers, local groups and parent-champions to deliver media engagement and develop parent-champion profiles for media and social media promotion.
3. Working with local groups and parent-champions to organise local fundraising and community engagement events.
4. Recruiting, managing and training volunteers to work with the core team.
5. Identifying and engaging allied organisations and influencers to join our campaigns.

Technical skills, training and resources

1. Using and maintaining the member and local group database in Nation Builder.
2. Designing and delivering training for our regional volunteer organisers, parent-champions and local groups to grow their skills and motivation in community organising and media engagement.
3. Developing resources to be used by our local groups and parent-champions.

Campaign Review

1. Contributing to campaign and engagement strategy through seeking on-the-ground insights and feedback from our members and champions.
2. Monitoring the campaign organising goals, reporting on these and adjusting organising activities to meet the campaign objectives.

About You: Key Skills Required

1. Community Organising in a Campaign Context: You have a minimum of 3 years experience in community and volunteer organising for grassroots campaigns, and a strong understanding of the role of community organising and popular movements in winning transformational change. Ideally you’ve played key roles in climate or environmental campaigns. You are keen to apply your organising experience to developing and implementing strategic, fundable community organising plans.
2. Leadership: You approach your work with vision and leadership and are motivated to play a leading role in the success of our rapidly-growing organisation. You have strong people management skills, including recruiting and managing volunteers and grassroots groups.
3. Initiative, Innovation and Flexibility: You understand that campaigning is fluid work. You regularly review your approach to ensure it is meeting the goals of the campaign and organisation and you have a proven ability to analyse and respond rapidly to changes in the political and media landscape. You take the initiative to identify strategic opportunities, and you welcome feedback and suggestions from the team. You actively seek opportunities to innovate or improve organising systems.
4. Great Communicator: You have excellent written and verbal communication skills. You’re reassuring and inspiring in your communications one-on-one and with large groups, in person and remotely.
5. Enthusiastic relationship builder and motivator: You’re an approachable and engaging ‘people person’ with experience building and managing volunteer and partner relationships, mainly by phone, Zoom, social media and email. You’ll bring an enthusiastic, parent-friendly approach to organising and you’re able to motivate and support parents to get involved and move beyond their limits. You have experience facilitating participatory meetings or training to motivate people to take action.
6. Outstanding team player: You’re experienced working in small teams where your work is closely connected to others' work. You need to love working with others, including using online collaboration tools to communicate throughout the day. We are all about partnering with each other to get the work done.
7. Organised and efficient: You’re highly productive and successfully balance multiple tasks. You’ve managed large projects where there are lots of moving parts and people to keep track of. You’re self-directed and able to work efficiently in a remote work environment, communicating via Zoom, Slack, Google Docs, email, facebook and phone with other staff, volunteers and allies. You’re familiar with NationBuilder (our constituent relationship management software) or able to learn on the go.
8. Resilience: You’re resilient to the emotional challenges of working on climate change and the challenges of working remotely, and resilient enough to deal with a broad range of personalities, who you need to inspire and motivate.
9. You’re motivated by your kids and climate justice: You’re motivated as a parent or carer of children for climate action and you’re committed to climate justice - across generations, cultures, societal positions and for all species.

Work Arrangements

This is a 30-hour per week position to be worked mostly on weekdays, preferably during school hours (though hours and days are flexible). Occasional evening and weekend community organising meet-ups will be required. Our team is spread nationwide and communicates via Zoom, Slack, Google Docs, email and phone. You’ll work remotely from your own office or home, and will be responsible for expenses related to your office and internet requirements. The initial contract period is 14 weeks with a high likelihood of extension, subject to funding and performance.

For any questions please email Suzie Brown, National Director, at [email protected] using the subject line: Community Organising Director - Work From Home enquiry via EthicalJobs.

We value diversity in our organisation and encourage all interested applicants to apply.