Company description Job description Location: Berkeley, CA preferred; other West Coast locations considered

Friends of the Earth is seeking a full-time senior campaigner to manage our West Coast activities within our Climate-Friendly Food Campaign. The campaign aims to leverage K-12, municipal and higher education food policies and purchasing dollars to drive market shifts toward fewer and more sustainable animal products and healthy, climate-friendly, plant-forward food. The primary focus for this position will be the K-12 school food sector. The senior campaigner will also support Friends of the Earth’s work to expose the devastating impact of factory farms and support our work to fight Trump’s pro-corporate, anti-environmental agenda as it relates to animal agriculture. Please see our website for more information on Friends of the Earth’s Climate-Friendly Food and school food work.


Responsibilities

Strategy and Policy Development

• Help design effective strategies to promote climate-friendly food procurement practices and policies, with a primary focus on West Coast school districts.
• Identify policy opportunities and work with allies to advance climate-friendly food policies at the local and state levels, with a particular focus on California.
• Design effective strategies for engaging diverse allies, communities and activists in Friends of the Earth’s healthy, climate-friendly food campaign.

Information Dissemination and Technical Support

• Help organize and facilitate regional Healthy, Climate-Friendly School forums and gatherings that bring together school sustainability staff, nutrition service directors, and health, environmental and food NGOs and government officials to share best practices, resources and strategies for overcoming obstacles to climate-friendly food service.
• Provide technical support and culturally appropriate, climate-friendly food resources to school foodservice professionals, parent advocates, elected officials, and relevant agency staff.
• Create effective resources and marketing materials for schools and municipalities to implement climate-friendly food.
• Disseminate information on climate-friendly food via conferences, panels, webinars, blogs and other strategic vehicles

Organizing

• Design an organizing program to engage our members, parents, students and others in climate-friendly food advocacy activities at the school district and municipal levels.
• Provide technical assistance and support our members and others who want to make changes in their school districts or pass local legislation in municipalities in support of climate-friendly food.
• Advocate directly with school foodservice professionals, School Board members, institutional food service operators, relevant agency staff and elected officials for an increase in climate-friendly food offerings.

Local and State Policy and Advocacy

• Design, implement and collaborate on innovative policy campaigns aimed at reducing the consumption of industrially produced animal products at the local and state level.
• Engage directly and build support for climate-friendly school food in relevant state agencies such as departments of education or agriculture.

Communications and Fundraising

• Work with our communications department to promote climate-friendly food in traditional and social media, including press monitoring and drafting press releases and social media messages.
• Represent Friends of the Earth in media interviews and at public events.
• Work with the Food and Agriculture Deputy Director and Development department to support fundraising development and to cultivate relationships with donors and foundations.

Additional Responsibilities

• Support Friends of the Earth’s national and west coast advocacy work to expose the harmful impact of factory farms, meat industry concentration and greenwashing by companies and restaurant chains as well as our work to fight Trump’s pro-corporate, anti-environmental agenda as it relates to animal agriculture.
• Manage interns as needed.

Requirements
Five years of experience and demonstrated success in campaigns leading to institutional change, preferably in the food arena at a campaign-oriented organization. Excellent writing, strategic thinking, relationship building, strategic communications, organizing, market and policy advocacy, public speaking and facilitation skills. Ability to travel frequently in California and other West coast states.

Skills and Knowledge Required

• A demonstrated commitment to the environment and social justice, and ability to work in coordination with diverse organizations and coalitions.
• Passion for promoting healthy, climate-friendly, plant-forward and sustainable food, including organic, pasture-raised, higher welfare animal products.
• Experience with policy, institutional food, corporate engagement and/or market campaign organizing and a desire to have a major impact on institutional foodservice..
• Strong understanding of health and environmental issues related to food.
• Ability to balance multiple projects in a self directed manner and successfully complete a range of campaign activities including advocacy, online and offline organizing, event organizing, public speaking, policy development, research, and communications.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to inspire trust and respect among colleagues and partners.
• Excellent decision-making skills, professional initiative, time management, prioritization and networking skills, demonstrated initiative, flexibility and creativity.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently (particularly in the West Coast region, with occasional travel to DC/other regions)

Additional relevant qualifications:

• Background in health, nutrition or environmental policy preferred but not required.
• Sophisticated oral and written communication skills and comfort with presenting material to a wide range of audiences, including the public, the press, businesses and government officials
• Knowledge and understanding of legislative and executive branch processes in state government and strategic approach to both policy and politics.
• Understanding of federal and state regulations pertaining to school food is a plus.
• Knowledge and understanding of pathways to influence school food policies and practices is preferred but not required.
• Fundraising experience including writing and securing foundation grants.

Compensation this position is : salaried Application instructions Deadlineno deadline