US Agrochemicals & Fossil Fuels Campaigner

POSITION TITLE: US Agrochemicals & Fossil Fuels Campaigner

PROGRAM: Fossil Economy

FOCUS AREA: Agrochemicals, Hydrogen, Ammonia, CCS

SUPERVISOR: US Fossil Economy Campaign Manager

LOCATION: US Remote or Washington DC

SALARY RANGE: $61,000 - $76,000

DEADLINE: Rolling; first review on November 27, 2023

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:

Industrial, chemical-intensive agriculture and fossil fuels are deeply intertwined. Fossil fuels are foundational to the petrochemical sector that manufactures chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides from fossil fuel feedstocks. These agricultural chemicals (agrochemicals) are thus integral to the industrial agriculture food chain. Yet while the consequences of burning fossil fuels and the crisis of plastic pollution have garnered increasing public attention for their contributions to the climate crisis, the role and impact of agrochemicals as a key front in the fight against fossil fuel pollution has remained comparatively overlooked.

As our first US Agrochemicals & Fossil Fuels Campaigner, you will use expertise, advocacy, and organizing strategies to stop the expansion of (blue) hydrogen and ammonia production, protect food systems, strengthen agriculture policies, and address health concerns around hydrogen, CCS, agrochemicals, and fossil fuels. You will support this effort by 1. building on existing work seeking to push back against the expansion of CCS, hydrogen, and ammonia infrastructure and to map the links between agrochemicals and fossil fuels in the US; 2. translating existing research into digestible content and campaignable tools; and 3. supporting research needs to fill specific knowledge gaps in order to link, educate, engage, and thus cross-pollinate different movements to accelerate the end of the toxic fossil economy. 

Your work will guide and support cross-movement strategies and synergies in the US to advance campaigns and policy advocacy working to stop the expansion of agrochemical production and use. You will also coordinate and collaborate with colleagues working on agrochemicals outside of the US, including in the EU.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Campaigning & Advocacy (70%)

• Engage with and mobilize existing civil society and community movements rooted in the climate, food systems and sovereignty, toxics, and plastics spaces to build shared commitments to confront the threat from fossil fuels, fertilizers, and pesticides.
• Coordinate with partners and the CIEL team to establish agrochemicals as a frontier in the fight to uproot the fossil economy in the US.
• Contribute to the erosion of the social and political license for the continuation and expansion of (blue) ammonia and hydrogen use, including through exposing industry greenwashing and countering existing false narratives.
• Support frontline communities in resisting the construction of hydrogen, ammonia, fossil fertilizer, carbon capture and storage, and petrochemical infrastructure in key geographies.
• Organize, implement, and participate in events to assist campaign goals.

• Close specific research and knowledge gaps, including through preparing educational, outreach, and advocacy materials for a variety of audiences.
• Maintain a working knowledge of relevant policies, industry trends, and issue areas.
• As relevant to experience level, represent CIEL before policymakers, in media interviews, and at public events to contribute to campaign objectives.

Project Management & Administration: (25%)

• Project-manage activities to build a cross-movement strategy, including organizing and hosting meetings (online, in-person, hybrid), proactively reaching out to movement allies and partners, building relationships with relevant media.
• Assist in information flow within the CIEL Fossil Economy program and with other CIEL programs, especially Climate & Energy and Environmental Health.
• Perform other job-related duties as requested or assigned by the Campaign Manager and Program Director.

Management and Administration: (5%)

• Support fundraising efforts, such as contributing to proposals and reports, as relevant.
• Maintain timesheets and submit them on time.
• Meet periodically as requested with supervisor and other team members.
• Participate in weekly staff and team meetings and other organizational activities, including a regular performance evaluation.
• Meet target dates, prioritize tasks, and ensure high-quality work products.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Minimum Qualifications:

• At least 3 years of relevant experience with diverse national coalitions, movement building, and environmental or human rights campaigns related to agrochemicals, food systems and/or fossil fuels.
• Familiarity with the impacts of industrial agriculture and the fossil fuel and petrochemicals industry, and their environmental justice, health, and ecosystem impacts.
• Exceptional project management skills and demonstrated experience working with flexible timelines and clear deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to distill key messages from technical information, legal arguments, research, and proposals, and translate them to different audiences.
• Commitment to incorporating principles of justice, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the work.
• Ability to successfully work on multiple priorities concurrently, including having strong planning and organizational skills, and ability to work well under pressure.
• Ability to work both independently and in close coordination with a team.
• Able to travel within and outside the US for periods up to 1-2 weeks (public safety guidelines permitting).

Desired Qualifications:

• Professional proficiency in Spanish
• Experience implementing impactful strategies within international coalitions.

A successful candidate will demonstrate the following competencies: 

• Action-Oriented: Makes things happen. Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of curiosity, proactivity, and constructiveness.
• Nimble Learning: Approaches unfamiliar tasks proactively and with an open mind. Can quickly adapt to new situations and to draw on past successes and failures to solve current problems.  
• Effective Communication: Understands the value of effective communication. Can deliver messages in a clear, compelling, and concise manner. Actively listens, checks for understanding, and adjusts content and style to meet the needs of different stakeholders.  
• Collaborates: Brings people together to leverage their skills, talents, and knowledge to achieve a common purpose. Creates synergy resulting in a combined effort with greater results than what can be achieved by individuals.  
• Resourcefulness: Is able to make the best of limited resources and find a way to get things done even when the odds are against them.  Can look beyond the obvious for viable approaches to accomplish the goal. 

Location note: This position may be eligible to work from the following locations:

• Remotely from the US, provided your work schedule can align with US East Coast time. You must have obtained your own legal authorization to work and live in the US. Some jurisdictions may be excluded based on CIEL’s ability to hire in those jurisdictions.
• In our Washington, DC, USA office, provided you have obtained your own legal work authorization (CIEL cannot sponsor work visas). A moving stipend is available.

This is a full-time, exempt position based remotely in the United States. If you are selected for this position and elect to work remotely, you are expected to provide your own space from which to work. CIEL will contribute a one-time stipend of USD $750 for fully remote workers, with an additional USD $250 per year for the purposes of maintaining your remote work space.

CIEL offers a strong benefits package including employer-subsidized health, dental, and vision; paid vacation, sick, and parental leave; a 5% contribution of gross annual salary into a 403(b) retirement account; a relocation stipend; dedicated professional development funding; and paid sabbatical leave after 7 years. CIEL is a 501(c)3 nonprofit in the US, and full-time employees qualify for the US Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.  

Application instructions: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis; the first application review will take place on November 27. Desired start date: As soon as able. Please submit a cover letter, resume, and any other required materials or responses. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls, please. Note that CIEL does not sponsor visas of any kind. You must have prior authorization to work in the United States or Switzerland in order to be considered for this position.

Anonymous Demographic Survey: Please complete this anonymous demographic survey as part of your application to CIEL. The survey will only be used to help us evaluate our efforts to recruit a diverse pool of candidates. Your answers will not in any way be linked to your application, and the answers to the survey will not be handled by anyone on the hiring committee for the role.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement: In accordance with CIEL’s duty to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards and our commitment to safeguard the health of our employees, clients, and communities, CIEL requires US candidates to furnish proof of full COVID vaccination status in order to be hired for this position. ​​If you are not eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or vaccination is contraindicated by a licensed medical professional, you must provide documentation verifying this ineligibility or contraindication.

About CIEL: For 30 years, CIEL has used the power of law to protect the environment, promote human rights, and ensure a just and sustainable society. CIEL’s dynamic team of international attorneys and experts work together in a collaborative and supportive work environment to tackle some of the most interesting and challenging issues facing people and the planet. 

We are an equal opportunity employer, actively committed to the principles of multiculturalism and building an organization that is as diverse as the communities we serve around the world. We know that diversity and inclusion make us stronger, and we actively encourage qualified applicants with various backgrounds, identities, perspectives, and (dis)abilities to apply. If you need an accommodation or assistance with this application, please contact Human Resources at jobs[at]ciel.org.