Careers Spotlight: Environmental and Climate Justice

By Climate Just Collective
Spring 2022

The climate crisis cannot be solved without a genuine consideration of environmental and climate justice. This article draws attention to the range of evolving and ever-growing careers within the space. The sample below highlights the diversity of careers possible and the typical skills / knowledge required. Our spotlight careers include:

Environmental Justice Advisor (City-Level)
Educational Developer (Climate and Social Justice)
Climate Litigation / Legal Advisor
Climate Philanthropy Manager
Climate Change and Forced Labour Research Fellow
Environmental Defenders and Investigation Coordinator

It is important to note that you can make a significant difference to the environmental justice movement without purely specialising. Embedding principles of justice into existing job roles is equally important and will ensure socially-just cross-sector collaboration needed to fight the climate crisis. Through our Mentorship Programme, we aim to unite like-minded individuals across this space to provide insight and advisory across different industries and sectors. Click Here to Find out More.

Environmental Justice Advisor (City-Level)

Many cities and municipalities set and deliver city-level sustainability plans. Sustainability Plans are often led by a relevant planning / environmental department to improve the quality of life in the neighbourhood. The department will work collaboratively to reduce the area’s carbon emissions, enhance climate resilience, and support a vibrant community. The below extract reflects a typical job description, anonymised from a recent US vacancy:

Job Description: The Environmental Justice Advisor is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of inclusive and empowering initiatives that address the root causes of unequal environmental conditions experienced by communities across the area. The position will support objectives including identifying policy and practices reforms to centralise leadership of those impacted by environmental and climate injustice; and coordinate collaborative relations to advance a holistic approach to environmental injustice that moves impacted communities from surviving to thriving.

Essential Criteria:
Subject-matter expertise of the intersectional issues relating to environmental justice principles, climate change, current and historic injustices, environmental pollutants and hazards, and social justice and civil rights
Policy and Programme Implementation (including analysing legislation and regulation)
Research and Data Analysis
Stakeholder Engagement
Awareness of Funding and Grant Mechanisms (related to Environmental Justice)
Relationship Management and Communication (relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences)

Preferred Criteria:
Environment-Related Bachelors Degree

Educational Developer: Climate and Social Justice

Job Description: This is a new role developed at a UK University. The purpose of the role is to change learning and teaching in ways that support sustainable practices and raise awareness for the climate justice agenda. The ideal candidate will use their expertise to bring together climate justice, social justice and organisational change. This will involve creating resources and collaborating with students and staff to actively engage in discourse relating to climate and social justice within teaching, learning, and practice.

Essential Criteria:
Passionate about climate justice, social justice, diversity, and inclusion
Experience of teaching and learning and educational development
Experience of course administration, pedagogic innovation, assessment processes and procedures
Team Management / Leadership Experience
Stakeholder Engagement / Group Facilitation
Research Practice

Impatience Earth is a non-profit, pro-bono philanthropic advisory firm that engages (mainly) UK-based corporations, foundations and wealth holders with climate philanthropy. Our aim is to mobilise $100m of new climate philanthropy with at least 50% going towards small organisations, climate justice organisations and organisations based in the Global South.

We are looking for a new Philanthropy Manager to join our team and help us support wealth holders to learn about the importance of and opportunities within climate philanthropy, with particular interest in and experience in supporting philanthropy in the climate justice space and in the Global South. We have a relatively flat organisational structure where all of our full/majority-time team are working at some tier of Manager/ ʻDirectorʼ level.

The Candidate

Our model is anchored in connecting with climate experts including valuing the expertise of those affected by climate change and those that donʼt identify as working on ʻclimate changeʼ. We need someone who wants to support experts to connect with and educate clients. Whoever comes into the role will use their expertise to facilitate conversations rather than lead with their own views.

Our future colleague will work have a strong commitment to and understanding of climate change and climate justice from their perspective, be committed to supporting and educating others about the subject and believe philanthropy can help make a difference. Beyond that, we would love to find someone who:

Is prepared to research and reach out to new contacts as experts, potential clients or partners and explain to them what we are doing and why;
Is a great facilitator and is used to helping bridge gaps in understanding between different levels of understanding;
Is an excellent researcher;
Is committed to managing relationships with a large number of experts and making sure to engage them with us an organisation and get their feedback on experiences with us so we can continually improve;
Is happy to spend their time producing really thoughtful and thorough and well-presented materials for clients and doesnʼt see this as ʻjunior workʼ – this includes speaker briefs, meeting notes and research briefs;
Wants to support the world of philanthropy and wealth holders to do more to combat the climate crisis;
Is entrepreneurial in their approach, not afraid to get knocked back with ʻnoʼs along the way and enjoys building relationships and pitching ideas and opportunities.

Our future colleague will spend their time:

Engaging with climate justice and Global South and small organisation leaders to expand our network of experts (20%);
Thinking through, researching and helping deliver strategies to engage potential clients and pitching to those clients (sales!) (15%);
Supporting Directors with the general management of the organisation (10%);
Helping facilitate educational programmes for clients alongside Directors to help build client knowledge and confidence in the space and then help them develop funding strategies from this work. This involves a lot of research and note writing alongside attending and helping facilitate meetings between clients and experts (35%);
Helping us build our organisation to be a valuable part of the eco-system for all climate civil society, to be anti-oppressive, to build a strong team, to be a great employer and to reach our goals for mobilising capital (20%).

CLIMATE CHANGE AND FORCED LABOUR RESEARCH FELLOW

EJF is seeking to hire two research fellows on a contract basis. The fellows will work as a team to produce a detailed report for publication on the impacts of global heating on human trafficking, forced, bonded and slave labour. The report will cover global and regional trends, supported by rigorous data and metrics, and will also need to include specific case studies with new witness testimony.

This fellowship will run for four months and be compensated with a £1000/month stipend.

There is a possibility of contract extension and/or a full-time, permanent position working within one of EJF’s campaign teams following the successful completion of the research fellowship.

Key Responsibilities:

Working as a team:
- Produce a publication quality report on the impacts of global heating on human trafficking, forced, bonded and slave labour.
- Compile and analyse global and regional-level trends in human trafficking, forced, bonded and slave labour.
- Identify a minimum of 20 documented cases of human trafficking, forced, bonded and slave labour across a minimum of 4 jurisdictions, with an emphasis on geographic variety across both the Global North and Global South.
- Gather and document survivor and witness testimony while complying with rigorous safeguarding protocols.
- Participation in regular supervision and coordination briefings. This fellowship will report to a member of EJF’s climate campaign team.
- Essential skills and attributes:
  - Degree-level education (post-graduate preferred).
  - Demonstrable relevant research experience.
  - Outstanding research skills, intellectual and academic rigour. An ability to compile information and make it easily accessible to multiple audiences (including non-expert).
  - Excellent writing and presentation skills with a meticulous attention to detail, commitment to technical accuracy and precision.
  - Ability to work effectively under tight deadlines.
  - Excellent spoken and written English.
  - Understanding that change is not easily won, but worth winning.
  - Remote work is possible and fellows can be based anywhere in the world. If fellows are based near EJF’s London, Bath, or Hamburg offices they are welcome to work from the office, Covid-19 protocols permitting.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS AND INVESTIGATIONS COORDINATOR
Location: EJF offices in London or Bath (with home working)
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Salary range: £40,000 - £48,000 (according to experience, skills and location)
Closing date for applications: 6pm 14th January 2022
osition overview
The successful candidate will be a senior member of EJF's international investigations and film team, which holds those responsible for environmental destruction to account. The role will also identify opportunities and strategies to strengthen our vital support for environmental defenders across the globe. This is a unique opportunity to work with an international environmental protection and human rights leader.
This role will help plan and implement investigations, gather irrefutable evidence that underpins our campaigns; develop advocacy materials (reports, briefings and film/photos); and identify and liaise with candidates for our Environmental Defenders programme, providing distance management, skills-sharing and guidance with a specific focus on film commissions, investigations, campaign and media strategies.
EJF is lean, agile, creative, strategic, and results-driven. Join our world-leading professional team to help protect people, wildlife, and our shared natural world.
About the Role
The successful applicant will play a key role across EJF's diverse and challenging investigations, working with and reporting to the Investigations Unit to deliver in-house field-based investigations. The role will also expand our network of partner organisations working under EJF's Environmental Defender / Activist Training Programme, with a specific focus and emphasis on film-led investigations and advocacy. In both these tasks, the aim will be to provide high-calibre information, robust evidence and compelling film and photos. Across both segments, you will work closely with the EJF film unit.
You will need demonstrable experience of field-based studies, research and investigations, alongside a professional history in campaigns, journalism or documentary production.
A personal and professional commitment to EJF's Mission and Values, alongside a strong sense of journalistic ethics, is essential.
Experience in filming and photography is strongly preferred.
About the successful candidate
- You enjoy and have extensive research experience and understand the fundamental need for attention to detail, factual accuracy, intellectual and academic rigour.
- You have outstanding communication skills and can produce high-calibre written documentation (including reports, briefings and blogs) to tight deadlines and give compelling presentations in-person to a range of audiences.
- You understand how visual material is used to provide evidence of environmental and associated human rights abuse and to tell a compelling story. You can brief and manage freelance photographers and videographers to achieve this outcome.
- You can work remotely and engage effectively with potential activists and contacts across the globe to deliver on campaign objectives. You have the necessary skills and experience to effectively manage multiple individuals and teams in diverse locations and across different cultures and settings.
- You can deliver to the highest professional standards on agreed outcomes on time and budget, at times managing multiple projects and tight deadlines, prioritising your workload according to the direction given, reflecting the needs of the campaigns and projects. You understand how to assess and make the most from challenges and opportunities, adjusting and learning to deliver high impact for the campaigns.
- You are entirely comfortable taking and giving direction and feedback, working in an international, multicultural team, with equal ability to work independently, taking the initiative and responsibility.
- You can travel internationally, occasionally at short notice and for extended periods. As covid-19 restrictions allow, you may be required to travel for up to 4 months per year.
- You will collaborate across the international teams to ensure investigations have application and impact into the broader campaign strategy to further EJF's work for environmental protection.
- You are solutions-oriented, providing cost-effective, appropriate skills, equipment and capacity building to get the best out of grassroots partners.
- Committed to making change happen, you can also make swift judgement calls in challenging situations, unflappable and able to exert calm judgement and decision-making to keep people safe and secure.
- You will have experience assessing and implementing safety and security protocols for investigations in various countries, including the Global South. This will include taking vital steps to ensure the safety of all colleagues, including external partners, agencies and individuals providing EJF with information.
- You are calm, friendly, outgoing, confident, and energetic. You share EJF's commitment and determination to change the world for good.
- ssential skills/experience
  - A minimum of five years of relevant work experience (journalism, NGOs, documentary production, etc.).
  - Developing leads for new investigations or stories and working with sources.
  - Management of sensitive digital assets.
  - Experience working with external partners and commissioning new work.
  - Superb written communication, research, and organisational skills. You will be required to draft detailed investigation reports to a standard suitable for publication.
  Desirable skills/experience
  - Foreign languages.
  - Camera (video and stills) experience.
  - Experience working in the global South documenting environmental or human rights issues, working in challenging situations.
  - Experience delivering training (ideally internationally).
  - Experience in working in hostile environments/training in personal and situational security.
  - Documentary/journalistic experience