Senior US Tar Sands Campaigner

Founded in 2000, ForestEthics is a nonprofit environmental organization with staff and board members in Canada and the United States. Our mission is to protect Endangered Forests and wild places, wildlife, and human well-being. One of our focus areas is climate change, which compromises all of our efforts if left unchecked. We catalyze environmental leadership among industry, governments and communities by running hard-hitting and highly effective campaigns that leverage public dialogue and pressure to achieve our goals.

Our current campaigns focus on wild places in Canada and California's Sierra, and on industries that use products that come from these places. Our efforts have transformed the environmental practices of Fortune 500 companies including Dell, Staples, Office Depot, Victoria's Secret, Williams-Sonoma, and many others.

In 2008, we launched two major new initiatives. Do Not Mail calls for a national registry in the US to stop junk mail (in 2005, 12.3 billion pounds of junk mail were produced, meaning 100 million trees were cut to feed this wasteful industry). We are also fighting climate change by stopping further development of Canada's Tar Sands, the single largest and most destructive fossil fuel project in the world.

Our approach to environmental change begins on the ground where we have staff members who live in the places we are fighting to protect and work with scientists to define critical regions. We also work with communities in the places we protect to make sure their interests are represented--and that they receive funding to implement a viable, sustainable economy.

Position Overview: 

The Senior US Tar Sands Campaigner will work in the US to move Fortune 1000 companies away from Tar Sands fuels and to create greater awareness and concern in the US about growing dependence on Tar Sands oil. Fortune 1000 companies are central to the ForestEthics campaign against Canada's Tar Sands because the biggest US corporations represent a large part of US demand for transportation fuel, the primary end-product derived from Canada's Tar Sands.

The campaigner will work to hold companies using Tar Sands fuels accountable and will employ a range of campaign tools, including market place campaigning, negotiation, community organizing and coalition building. 

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for direct contact to persuade Fortune 1000 companies to adopt positions and policies against Canada's Tar Sands.
• Work with Market Solutions department to support its work on Tar Sands with companies.
• Directly organize and coordinate activist and ally involvement in the US Tar Sands campaign.
• Create and advance campaign plans that will secure regular media coverage for the US Tar Sands campaign.
• Work with supervisor to develop and execute all strategies and tactics of the US Tar Sands campaign.
• Develop and secure approval to execute specific campaign project plans.
• Supervise, motivate and develop staff, identify and manage conflicts effectively where they may arise.
• Work with staff organizers and communications department to recruit online, field and media on media and materials for the US Tar Sands campaign. 
• Participate in all campaign planning activities and meetings.
• Provide regular update on campaign activities.
• Track web site to insure information is up-to-date and accurate.
• Manage virtual collaboration workspace for campaign.
• Propose job descriptions for interns.
• Supervise interns in the performance of their jobs.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years specific experience in corporate campaigns required, with additional years of other campaign experience strongly preferred.
• Requires high level of proven ability to persuade highly resistant decision makers.
• Requires high level of proven ability to secure campaign media coverage.
• Demonstrated track record of effective teamwork and coalition building as well as ability to work independently.
• Excellent project management, follow-through, and time management skills.
• Experience with grant writing and budgeting preferred.
• Ability to think and act strategically.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Strong math skills as demonstrated by the ability to work with and apply mathematical concepts such as probability, statistical inference, fractions, percentages, and ratios.
• Very high reasoning skills as demonstrated by the ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions and deal with abstract and concrete variables.
• High language skills as demonstrated by the ability to read, write, analyze, and interpret general professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations.

Physical Demands / Work Environment:

• Talk, hear
• Clear vision at 25 inches or less to view computer screen and read documents
• Must be able to sit at desk and work on a computer for long periods of time
• Capacity to handle high levels of stress productively
• May have to climb stairs to reach office
• Working conditions typical of an office environment
• Exposure to moderate levels of noise such as computers, printers, light traffic

Compensation:  This is a full-time, exempt position with excellent benefits and salary based on the successful applicant's experience level.  The position will remain open until filled. 

Preferred Location: Bellingham, Washington

To Apply:

Please send cover letter with resume with your name in the subject line. No phone calls please.

We thank you for your application, but only applicants under consideration will be contacted.