ClientEarth is a non-profit environmental law, science and policy organisation with offices in London, Brussels, and Warsaw. We provide dedicated public-interest legal capacity, working with environmental NGOs and other stakeholders and acting as legal advocates for environmental objectives.
Project description: the clean air programme
Air pollution in London is a serious, but largely invisible public health issue. Poor air quality is responsible for around 4,300 premature deaths each year in London alone and is associated with a range of health problems including heart disease, stroke, asthma and impaired lung development in children. Legal limits in force to protect public health are breached throughout London and across the UK.
Our clean air programme was launched in July 2009 and our legal work programme has been successful in driving change at the London, national and EU level. However, public understanding of the causes and impacts of air pollution remains poor. ClientEarth took over the coordination of the Healthy Air Campaign in 2012, and a key element of this work is a London-specific public education programme to raise the profile of air quality as a public health issue and empower Londoners to protect themselves, their families and communities from the harmful impacts of air pollution. The campaign will help people reduce their exposure to pollution, change their behaviour to reduce their contribution to the problem, and increase their capacity to engage in constructive dialogue with decision-makers. The aim is to establish and support a network of well-informed, engaged groups who are committed to improving London’s air quality.
The community engagement role
ClientEarth is looking to recruit a committed, energetic and organised individual to develop and deliver community engagement in London for the Healthy Air Campaign.
The community engagement officer will play a key role in leading a London-wide education programme and engaging with stakeholders including community groups, schools, businesses and vulnerable groups such as children, older people, cyclists, and transport workers. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a new project over a two to three year period. You will have considerable freedom to shape the community engagement programme, while benefiting from being part of ClientEarth’s friendly and supportive staff.
You will be part of our small Clean Air team, working closely with and reporting to the Health and Environment Advisor who leads the Healthy Air Campaign. You will be based in our bright and spacious offices in Hackney but will be travelling extensively in and around London.
This is a part-time position, ideally three days a week. Occasional evenings might be required as dictated by the schedule of community group meetings. Salary will be in line with the charity sector and may vary according to experience.
Key responsibilities
- Organising and delivering events such as talks, workshops and roundtable discussions with target groups
- Developing high quality and accessible educational resources tailored to specific target groups
- Assisting in the continued development of the Healthy Air Campaign website
- Liaison with community groups, local government and business representatives to encourage a co-operative approach to tackling air quality
- Building a network of well informed and engaged groups across London and providing ongoing support and advice to those groups
- Encouraging media coverage for the issue of air quality in London
- Ensuring interaction between engaged groups and the UK Healthy Air Campaign.
Required skills and competencies
We are looking for a committed, positive and energetic individual to join our team. You will need strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated abilities in the following areas:
- Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to give confident and persuasive public presentations
- Design and delivery of presentations, meetings and workshops to achieve specific outcomes
- Ability to turn scientific and technical information into accessible material adapted to a variety of target audiences
- Demonstrated innovation in developing engagement methodologies which are tailored to the audience
- Confident and effective in building relationships with different stakeholders, and maintaining a strong network of contacts
- Strong organisational skills, and the ability to manage a complex project
- Ability to work independently while contributing to the overall goals of a team.
Experience and knowledge
- Undergraduate degree in a relevant subject (essential)
- Work experience in, or strong understanding of environmental and health issues
- Experience of working in public-facing roles such as health education, community outreach, stakeholder engagement and facilitation
- Experience of developing engaging and informative print and web content to reach different audiences
- Knowledge of air pollution/transport issues (desirable)
- Fluency in English (essential).
To apply
Please send us a CV and a covering letter, explaining your interest in joining ClientEarth and the contribution you believe you could make to the organisation. Please provide evidence of your suitability as regards the points listed in ‘required skills and competencies’ and ‘experience and knowledge’. Please address your application to Maria Arnold, ClientEarth, The Hothouse, 274 Richmond Road, London E8 3QW and send it by e-mail to jobs@clientearth.org. Please include ‘Community Engagement Officer’ in the email subject line, and identify the documents you are sending, including ‘[your name] cover letter’ and ‘[your name] CV’ in the file name.
Recruitment is open now and you should send your application as soon as possible. Applications are scheduled to close and the end of 3rd March 2013. Interviews are scheduled to take place on the 13th and 14th March 2013, and we will inform candidates at least a week in advance.
If you have any questions about the role advertised or recruitment process, please contact Maria Arnold at marnold@clientearth.org or on 0203 0305969.
