US Carbon Capture Senior Campaigner

POSITION TITLE: US Carbon Capture Senior Campaigner

PROGRAM: Fossil Economy

FOCUS AREA: Confronting the Carbon Capture build-out, USA

SUPERVISOR: Campaign Manager, US Fossil Economy

LOCATION: Louisiana, USA (remote)

SALARY RANGE: $75,000 - $94,000/year, depending on qualifications

DEADLINE: Rolling; first review on August 12, 2024

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:

To avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, we must urgently end reliance on fossil fuels. That requires closing the escape hatches that the oil and gas industry is using to sustain and grow the fossil economy under new guises, including petrochemicals, carbon capture and storage (CCS), (blue) hydrogen and ammonia, and other false solutions. Texas and Louisiana are the epicenter of a nationwide CCS buildout that could further entrench the fossil fuel economy at the expense of environmental justice. 

As CIEL’s US-based CCS Senior Campaigner, you will lead, develop, and operationalize the organization’s priorities to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels by confronting the deployment of false solutions, ensuring that people are at the center of climate policies while holding corporations accountable for their human rights and environmental harms. You will serve as a focal point for CIEL’s work to confront the accelerating CCS buildout in the US, with a special focus on Texas, Louisiana, and the Gulf of Mexico. This includes: supporting new and ongoing strategic campaigns educate, engage, and mobilize partners, the public and decisionmakers on the deployment of CCS, blue hydrogen, and ammonia, and the risks of that deployment for the climate, public resources, public safety, human health, and environmental justice.  The campaigner will support and align US-focused work with international movements; and help strengthen coalitions and deepen relationships with aligned organizations and communities. As a Senior Campaigner, you will: develop and execute strategic campaigns across CIEL’s program teams, from within the Fossil Economy Program and in coordination with the Climate & Energy Program; facilitate and participate in key coalition spaces; build and maintain effective working relationships with partner organizations as well as advocacy targets; organize events, meetings, and other logistics to advance campaign objectives; and plan and produce materials for a broad range of purposes, platforms, and audiences.

The position requires work within regional, national, and international coalitions and across timezones, as well as national and possibly international travel, occasionally for significant periods (health guidance permitting).

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Campaigning & Advocacy (70%)

• In conjunction with the US Campaign Manager, Fossil Economy Program Director, key Climate & Energy Program members, and other relevant staff, develop and drive progress on bold campaigns and strategies that achieve measurable progress towards CIEL’s strategic priorities and program objectives.

• Design and implement strategies to educate, engage, and mobilize various constituencies to:

  • expose and confront the deployment of CCS, blue ammonia, and related fossil infrastructure in the US, in coordination with international campaigns
  • engage pro- and re-actively with policy on CCS and blue ammonia at the national, state, and sometimes local level

• Identify and help to close specific research and knowledge gaps, including through preparing educational, outreach, and advocacy materials for a variety of audiences and by coordinating with the CIEL research staff.

• Raise awareness among partners, decisionmakers, and media of the risks and impacts associated with CCS, blue ammonia, and hydrogen, including through exposing industry greenwashing and countering existing and emerging false narratives.

• Maintain effective working relationships with relevant partner organizations, agencies, communities, and other actors.

• Louisiana / US Gulf South:

  • Organize, coordinate, and lead events in pursuit of collaborative regional campaign goals, in support of state-based and locally-managed coalitions in Louisiana and Texas.
  • Support frontline communities and leaders in key geographies across Louisiana and Texas in exposing and addressing the deployment of CCS infrastructure, on new or existing industrial facilities.
  • Maintain a working knowledge of relevant industry trends and political and regulatory frameworks in Louisiana and Texas.

• National: 

  • Build, coordinate, and mobilize diverse coalitions, including through the facilitation of strategic conversations and joint planning sessions to develop audacious but achievable goals, actionable plans, and indicators of progress.
  • Coordinate closely with facilitators of various formations and subject-specific working groups, to inform respective and joint strategies and campaigns.
  • Maintain a working knowledge of relevant ongoing campaigns, in order to effectively support coordination and collaboration across regions and projects.
  • Maintain a working knowledge of relevant industry trends, issue areas, and political and regulatory frameworks nationally.

• Represent CIEL before policymakers, in media interviews, and at public events to contribute to campaign objectives.

Project Management & Administration: (25%)

• Project-manage activities to maintain national and regional strategies, 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.

• 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 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 staff performance evaluation.

• Meet target dates, prioritize tasks, and ensure high-quality work products.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Minimum Qualifications:

• At least five years of experience designing and leading effective advocacy campaigns, with at least 2 of those in developing and delivering successful advocacy and/or policy campaigns at the national level.

• Personal and/or professional connections to environmental justice movements and community groups in the US Gulf South.

• Demonstrated familiarity with the climate, environmental, health, economic, environmental justice and/or human rights dimensions of CCS and the wider fossil fuel and/or petrochemical industries.

• Comfort working with a wide range of constituencies, including community organizations and/or environmental justice groups.

• Ability and willingness to facilitate large and diverse groups through strategy development and constructive conflict.

• Demonstrated ability to distill key messages from technical information and translate them to different audiences.

• Aptitude and willingness to work in rapid response circumstances where urgency is a necessity.

• 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 nationally, and for periods of 1-2 weeks (public safety guidelines permitting).

Desired Qualifications:

• Advanced training or graduate degree in a relevant field (e.g., human rights, international  environmental policy, international development) strongly preferred.
• Experience with a variety of communication technologies and formats, including social media.
• Experience with international coalitions and environmental or human rights policy campaigns.
• Comfort and experience in speaking with the press on complex issues.

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 is required to work from Louisiana. The successful candidate must either reside in Louisiana or be willing to relocate there. You must also have your own legal work authorization to work in the US (CIEL cannot sponsor work visas).

This is a full-time, exempt position. If you are selected for this remote position, 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 August 12, 2024. 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 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 more than 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.