Food Futures Campaigner

Job Title: Food Futures Campaigner
Position reports to: Food & Technology Program Director
Position Location: Washington, D.C.

Friends of the Earth is a hard-hitting, progressive, environmental organization that pulls no punches and speaks sometimes uncomfortable truth to power. It’s an approach that has worked for four decades to produce important victories that help protect our planet and its people. We’re part of Friends of the Earth International, a federation of groups working in more than 70 countries on today’s most urgent environmental and social issues.

To accomplish our mission, Friends of the Earth is working at the nexus of environmental protection, economic policy and social justice to fundamentally transform the way our country and the world value people and the environment.  

Friends of the Earth’s Food and Technology Program works to ensure our food system is just and sustainable and pressures corporations and governments to embrace the safe and precautionary management of chemicals and emerging technologies, including nanotechnology, genetic engineering and synthetic biology. Within this program, we are launching a new initiative to promote agroecology and rapidly transition our food system to one that is sustainable, healthy and just—the food system of the future.

Basic Function

The Food Futures Campaigner will help to conceive of, design and implement cutting edge, strategic new campaigns that focus on organizing and building power to advance a sustainable and just food future. This campaigner will also lead our newly launched BeeAction campaign to protect bees and other pollinators in decline globally that are critical to food production and ecosystems. The BeeAction campaign aims to not only win commitments from major retailers and institutional purchasers to eliminate the use of bee killing pesticides, but also pressure EPA and Congress to take action to protect bees and other pollinators. We seek to promote ecological agriculture via organizing with a broad and diverse base of supporters and allies, garnering extensive press coverage, and building pressure in the marketplace and in communities.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic campaign plans (including research, outreach, public education, online and offline organizing, traditional and social media, and markets and policy advocacy) in conjunction with the Food & Technology Program Director, Communications Director, Online Communications Manager and other stakeholders.
• Conduct research and analysis to develop reports and articles, factsheets, web content and other campaign materials on agroecology, sustainable food systems, pollinator health, conventional agriculture, agribusiness and pesticides to educate allies, opinion leaders, policymakers, the press, and the public.
• Develop expertise on both domestic and international policy and practice relating to sustainable agriculture.
• Coordinate and collaborate with a wide variety of allies.
• Represent Friends of the Earth in media interviews and at public events to support campaign objectives and reach key audiences.
• Work with the Food & Technology Program Director to develop and implement a fundraising plan. 
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Skills and Knowledge

• A demonstrated commitment to the environment and social justice.
• Experience with strategic corporate engagement and market/corporate campaign organizing. 
• Background in science or science policy preferred but not required.
• Desire to have a major impact on policy debates through hard-hitting advocacy.
• Knowledge and understanding of legislative and executive branch processes and strategic approach to both policy and politics.
• Ability to balance and successfully complete a wide range of campaign activities including advocacy, online and offline organizing, public speaking, policy development, research, communications and fundraising. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to inspire trust and respect among colleagues and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and tasks at once in a self-directed manner, ability to work collaboratively as part of a fast-moving and results-oriented team, ability to work in coordination with a diverse group of coalition partners, and ability to work effectively in a changing environment.
• Sophisticated oral and written communication skills and comfort with presenting material to a wide range of audiences, including the public, the press, businesses and government officials.
• Excellent decision-making skills, professional initiative, time management, prioritization and networking skills, demonstrated initiative, flexibility and creativity.
• Willing and able to travel.

To apply:

E-mail cover letter, resume, short writing sample and salary history to jobs@foe.org with the subject heading “Food Futures Campaigner.” No mail applications or phone calls. Position will remain open until filled.

Friends of the Earth is an equal opportunity employer who encourages applications from women, people of color and other members of underrepresented groups who will contribute to the diversity of its staff.

- See more at: http://www.foe.org/about-us/jobs/food-futures-campaigner#sthash.5rdOofg6.dpuf