South Africa Senior Campaigner

350.org is looking for a dynamic South African Senior Campaigner to lead high-profile climate campaigns that drive impactful change. Join our passionate team to shape strategy, mobilize supporters and groups, and achieve organizational goals in a vibrant, collaborative environment.

About 350.org 

350.org is building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis. Our online campaigns, grassroots organizing, and mass public actions are led from the bottom up by thousands of volunteer organizers in over 188 countries. 350.org works hard to organize in a new way—everywhere at once, using online tools to facilitate strategic offline action. We want to be a laboratory for the best ways to strengthen the climate movement and catalyze transformation around the world. The values that guide and drive our work are listed here. 

350.org is an equal opportunity employer. 350.org strives to be an inclusive and collaborative group of people who bring a variety of approaches to the work we do. We’re committed to the principles of justice, and we try to build a safe workplace where everyone is treated fairly and enjoys working together. We value new perspectives, ideas of all sorts, and different ways of working. Diverse perspectives and experiences improve the way 350.org carries out our work – including what we decide to work on and how creatively/effectively we do that. We do our best to make staff positions accessible to all potential team members, regardless of race, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, assigned gender, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation or identity, religion or creed, veteran status, marital or parental status, and genetic information. We also strive to include team members in communities most impacted by climate change or impacted by other kinds of environmental, social, and economic injustice. 

About the role 

The South Africa Senior Campaigner role includes developing campaign strategy and objectives, and implementing campaigns, with the support of the South African team. A successful campaigner will ensure 350Africa.org is running high profile campaigns in South Africa that are receiving attention from targets, the media and are championed by our supporters and regional groups, and ultimately achieving our organisational goals. The South Africa Senior Campaigner reports to the South African Team leader, is part of the Africa Regional Team, and 350.org’s Global Programme Team.

Duties and Responsibilities

Developing campaigns

• Develop a campaign strategy together with the 350.org team that is aligned with 350.org and regional objectives through research, power analysis and consideration of our resources.
• Developing campaign plans that are consistent with the campaign strategy and objectives, exploit our strengths and available resources and are clear and accessible to others in the organisation. Campaigns should also include our partners, groups and supporters.
• Staying up to date with campaign news by;
• Reading widely on climate change in general, and the campaign issues in particular.
• Attending conferences and meetings.
• Developing a budget for the campaign.

Implementing campaigns

• Implementing campaign plans together with the 350.org team, by consulting with them and where necessary delegating tasks and responsibilities.
• Employ a variety of tactics including negotiation with targets, collaboration with partners, public campaigning (both offline and online) and engagement with the media to reach campaign goals.
• Monitoring the campaign budget.

Networking

• Raising the profile of the campaign, and looking for campaign opportunities with partners and likely and unlikely allies at regular partner meetings, conferences and events, and through supporting the work of partners.
• Identifying new partners and collaboration potential for the organisation as a whole.

Representing 350.org

• Understand 350.org's history, campaigns, and theory of social change, and keep current with basic climate science and policy. Use this knowledge to represent the organisation in public, both in engagement (interviews, etc) with the media and speaking to various audiences about the campaign issues and climate change in general.
• Answering partner requests for information and collaboration in trainings, presentations and other events.

Coordinating research

• Working with external consultants and research groups to develop campaign materials. 
• This extends to the use of the materials - making sure that research that is developed is audience appropriate and accurate.

Assisting the wider team

• From time to time, working with the wider African and organisational team on different projects. Presenting our work, representing our perspectives and assisting in the success of colleagues work.

Competencies

Essential knowledge, skills and abilities

Campaign strategy

• Clearly articulate SMARTIE objectives and a campaign strategy.
• Coordinate team input.
• Knowledge of various campaign tactics.
• Think strategically about all aspects of the campaign (communications, development of material, activities and events).

Writing and research 

• Coordinate researchers.
• Communicate a point clearly in a variety of written forms and for a wide range of audiences.

Public speaking and presentation skills 

• Be comfortable speaking and communicating in public and with a variety of stakeholders.
• Able to clearly put across a point and defend it.

Justice and Equity

• Must embrace the principles of workplace justice, diversity and inclusion and apply them to day-to-day work. Must believe in and embrace 350.org’s vision, mission, and progressive values.

Organised and strategic

• Organised, detail-oriented and accurate. Able to create work plans and anticipate deadlines. Be comfortable juggling multiple priorities with competing deadlines. 

Self-Management

• Ability to set professional boundaries. Resilient and able to manage self and keep composure in times of stress. Able to work independently with minimum supervision.

Non-essential knowledge, skills and abilities

Monitoring and evaluation 

• Ability to compile a campaign baseline, monitor the progress of the campaign and lead an evaluation of the campaign itself and campaign activities.

Understanding policy 

• Understand South African climate and energy policy and integrate this and new developments into the campaign.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience.
• At least two years of experience in advocacy or campaigning.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience in a climate change or environment related role.
• Demonstrable interest and passion for environmental justice. 
• Proficiency in online tools such as Google Drive, Slack and Zoom.
• Drivers licence.

Work Environment

• This position is based in our office in Johannesburg, but applicants from other areas can apply - 350 has a history of remote work.
• Organising and attending events, including protest actions.
• Occasional international and domestic travel is required.

We are looking for someone who is comfortable working both independently and in teams, highly responsive, and able to lead initiatives as well as take direction from others. 

Position Type: Full time, one year contract

Application Deadline: Although we hope to begin interviews during the week of 1st July 2024, this job is open until filled, or the hiring manager determines that they can no longer accept applications. 

Start Date: 01 August 2024 (flexible) 

Compensation: Salary tier 2.1., an annual salary of R600,541

Location: South Africa, with a preference for Gauteng

Applicants must have the legal authorization to work for any employer in their country of residence. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

--

If you have suggestions for us on how to do this better, we really value your input and strongly encourage you to write to us at [email protected] with the subject line ‘Hiring Feedback’.