Centre for Environmental Rights – Advancing Environmental Rights in South Africa

Location

The ideal candidate is based in Gauteng, but other locations will be considered as long as the candidate is also willing to travel, subject to COVID constraints

Qualifications, skills and experience

• Relevant undergraduate qualification, i.e. in journalism, communications, English, or media studies
• At least 5 years’ experience in strategic communications management. A background in the NGO sector is not a requirement
• Proven traditional media relations experience, and existing networks and relationships with media outlets and journalists, with experience in community media relations an added advantage
• Sound understanding of and experience in design of organisational and campaign communication strategies for a wide variety of audiences, such as industry, government, and communities affected by environmental injustice
• Excellent collaboration and teamwork skills
• Excellent English writing skills; fluency in another South African language would be an advantage
• Firm grasp of social media platform tools, guidelines, and policies; with WordPress experience an advantage
• A commitment to high-quality client service
• A sensitivity to inequality, social issues, and the needs of communities impacted by environmental degradation and injustice, and a passion for social and environmental justice
• A commitment to diversity, inclusion, and transformation.

Key responsibilities

• Profile management and strategy development: Generally managing, nurturing, and protecting the campaign’s public profile, including:
  • Providing strategic communications leadership and advice to the campaign
  • Monitoring and providing feedback on all aspects of the campaign’s public profile
• Strategic communications support for programmes: Leading the strategic communications for the campaign, including but not limited to the following:
  • Conceptualising and overseeing the launch and roll-out of strategic communications campaigns in collaboration with campaign partners
  • Directing media relations for key media events, including working with campaign partners’ staff to produce media releases and fact sheets
  • Reporting progress on project deliverables to partners and funders
• Online platforms:
  • Managing the Life after Coal campaign’s online presence and resources; including website (lifeaftercoal.org.za) and social media accounts (e.g. @LifeAfterCoal on Twitter)
• Networking and relationships:
  • Managing communication with key media and other stakeholders
  • Liaising with communications staff in campaign partners, and in other partner organisations

Salary

The consultancy will be for 12 months, with the possibility of extending the consultancy beyond that period. The total consultancy fee for the first 12 months is R550 000.

Working for the CER

The Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle campaign is a well-established joint campaign by Earthlife Africa, groundWork, and the Centre for Environmental Rights. We aim to discourage the development of new coal-fired power stations and mines; reduce emissions from existing coal infrastructure and encourage a coal phase-out; and enable a just transition to sustainable energy systems for the people.

The campaign seeks to appoint a communications coordinator on a consultancy basis, starting as soon as possible. The position is for an experienced, dynamic and passionate communications professional that can provide strategic and creative communications leadership and advice to the campaign, to conceptualise and oversee the launch and roll-out of communications campaigns, to direct media relations for key media events, and generally to manage, protect, and nurture the Life After Coal campaign’s public profile.

The coordinator will report to the Campaign Coordinator and the campaign steering committee, and will work closely with the communications staff in both

The Life After Coal campaign is committed to diversity, inclusion and transformation and strives to reflect South Africa’s racial, cultural, sex and gender diversity within its campaign staff. Candidates from historically disadvantaged or marginalised groups are strongly encouraged to apply for this post, and will be preferred.