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. The only farmer-led organisation that specialises in climate action, we work across the agricultural and climate sectors to manage risks and find opportunities to adapt to, and mitigate, climate change.

We’ve opened applications for a Farmer Organiser position, to strengthen our advocacy and organising work to enable us to grow and deepen our farmer engagement and influence.

• Position title: Farmer Organiser
• Location & travel: Melbourne or Canberra, or flexible and remote work arrangements considered. Some domestic travel required.
• Position type: Part time, 0.6 FT (22.8 hours per week). 12 month contract.
• Reporting to: Organising Manager
• Salary: $75,000 p. annum (applied pro rata), plus superannuation
• Expected start date: Early 2022

Position Purpose

Farmers for Climate Action is building a movement of farmers to shift the politics and deliver climate solutions. Key to this is a strong organising team that can recruit and mobilise farmers in key locations to deliver this aim.

This position is a newly created role that will expand our capacity and skills in organising and advocacy. This role will be managed and guided by our Organising Manager, and collaborate across our team to achieve our organisational goals.

Role Accountabilities

You will be responsible for the following on a day to day level and on a broader strategic level:

• Growing our farmer contacts
• Supporting the creation and running of farmer networks in key regions
• Organising and running events and activities involving farmers
• Supporting our training and skill-building activities for farmers
• Contributing to organisational success by chipping in across our team’s work, including campaigns, communications and fundraising

About You

You have strong connections to rural Australia and you want to make sure that our farmers have a prosperous future. You are passionate about achieving strong climate policies in Australia, and you have the skills to organise and support activities that build our farmers’ influence and make sure they’re heard by political and industry decision-makers.

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 members 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

• Relationships and people skills - you are adept at establishing and maintaining relationships with people from all walks of life. You are able to find common ground and connect with people authentically.

• Effective communication - you are an articulate and clear communicator in writing and verbally. You’re confident in picking up the phone and you can make connections that bring others on board.
• 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.
• Relevant knowledge and work experience - You have work or volunteer experience in advocacy, community or climate organisations, politics and/or ag industry.
• Campaigns and advocacy - you have worked or volunteered as part of a community campaign or organisation. You are familiar with organising and mobilising activities and theory.
• 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.
• Digital tools and systems - you are confident in using a range of online and digital tools to manage your work and projects (at Farmers for Climate Action, we use Google suite, NationBuilder, Slack, Wordpress and Monday.com on a daily basis).

How to apply

Click Apply Now.

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

1. A 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. Thinking about our goals to engage and mobilise farmers to work together and influence strong climate policies in Australia, what do you think are 2-3 opportunities and 2-3 challenges in doing this work over the next year?

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 , Cover letter, and responses to the role competencies.

For those candidates who progress to an interview, we anticipate holding these interviews on 20-21 December.

Contact us

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