Climate Change, Climate Action

Position: Climate Change Organizer
Organization: Ecology Ottawa
Location: Ottawa ON / The role is hybrid, but the incumbent must live in the City of Ottawa.

Are you a strategic and creative campaigner who’s passionate about organizing and mobilizing people to take local ecological action and connecting them with nature?

Our full-time, permanent Climate Change Organizer position offers an exciting opportunity to deepen and grow people power through in-person outreach, digital activation, and compelling campaigns.

The Climate Change Organizer helps people see the connection between the environmental crises and their everyday lives, highlighting the benefits of ecological action for developing health and vibrant communities. At a moment when ecological action has never been more urgent, the Organizer will mobilize Ottawans to advocate to decision-makers so that together we can create a green, equitable, and resilient city.

About Ecology Ottawa

Ecology Ottawa is the heartbeat of the local environmental movement in Ottawa. We envision Ottawa as the green capital of Canada, leading the nation’s municipalities in climate action, protection of biodiversity, and environmental equity. We work to engage communities in local environmental action, build people power, and influence policy to reduce harmful emissions, increase climate resilience, advance environmental equity, and protect and restore nature in Ottawa. We believe that by engaging and broadening a place-based movement of residents who care deeply about ecological protection and feel connected to the place they call home, we can effectively mobilize people to foster systemic changes, influence policy, and grow our community focussed on ensuring the well-being of people and nature in Ottawa.

Key responsibilities

The following are the Climate Change Organizer’s main responsibilities.

Campaigns and Engagement Organizing

• Lead climate and environmental campaigns, such as our Electric School Bus and Climate Equity campaigns
• Develop campaign materials, including petitions, web content, reports, and campaign strategies
• Project manage campaigns, including work plans, budgets, and progress monitoring
• Maintain and expand Ecology Ottawa’s base of grassroots support including door-to-door outreach, organizing events, and participation in community events
• Supervise and support interns, co-op students, and practicum students, and grow and guide a community of volunteers to expand impact of campaigns
• Process, enter, and update supporter data into Ecology Ottawa’s database
• Utilize tools like NationBuilder to organize and mobilize community members, and New/Mode to help community members contact decision-makers

Policy and Political Action

• Work with the Executive Director, the Ecology Ottawa team, and community members to analyze and respond to climate-related developments
• Develop and/or contribute to policy positions and recommendations on key issues
• Organize rallies, workshops, or other events related to key policy issues, occasionally in collaboration with other organizations, and make presentations to community groups
• Influence key policy decisions by advocating to City councillors and staff, or by making delegations to City Council committees
• Represent Ecology Ottawa to the media on climate-related issues

Collaboration

• Collaborate with and support team members, including participating in team meetings, positively contributing to team culture of care, well-being, and mutual growth
• Convene and collaborate with key external partners and coalitions
• Provide support to team members for campaign-specific and fundraising events and activities
• Participate in strategic planning discussions
• Communicate priority and capacity needs to Executive Director

Grants Development and Reporting

• Cultivate relationships with key funders and supporters, building financial support for climate campaigns
• Identify grant opportunities for campaigns and projects, and draft and/or contribute to grant proposals
• Ensure implementation of grant agreements on relevant files, including following funder guidelines
• Fulfill reporting requirements on grant agreements with interim and final reports, as applicable

Skills and Experience

We encourage you to apply if you believe you are a good fit, even if you do not have all of these skills and experiences.

• 2+ years’ experience in organizing, campaigning, and/or mission-driven program leadership
• Strong knowledge of climate and environmental issues, particularly at the municipal level, with passion for environmentalism and equity
• Talent for organizing people and inspiring community members to take action; experience working with diverse and/or vulnerable communities
• Strong communications skills, in various mediums for varied audiences, with a passion for educating people; expertise in researching and writing reports
• Experience with project management, able to deliver projects on time and on budget
• Experience in writing grant proposals and/or implementing grant agreements
• Familiarity with mobilization tools such as NationBuilder and New/Mode
• Bilingual English/French (asset)

Benefits to Being a Part of the Ecology Ottawa Team

• Impactful, mission-driven work environment, with the opportunity to learn about a diversity of local environmental issues and make connections with a thriving environmental community in Ottawa
• Flexibility between remote and in-person work environment
• Supportive work culture, and encouragement for initiative and creativity
• Twenty days paid vacation per year prorated plus a bonus week at year-end holidays
• $60,000 annual salary prorated, 40 hours per week
• Unionized workplace; health benefits, including dental and eye care

Ecology Ottawa has a hybrid work environment, with access to office space available at Impact Hub Ottawa on 123 Slater Street. While the team mostly works remotely, they are occasionally required to attend in-person meetings and events, and currently meet in-person once per week. Note that given the local nature of our work, team members are required to live and work in Ottawa.

Commitment to Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

Ecology Ottawa was born out of the belief that environmental action is for people of all backgrounds and expressions. We seek to embed justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in every part of our organization, community, and programs, and we commit to learning deeply about, and engage meaningfully in, Truth and Reconciliation in our city. We believe that environmental action is inseparable from social justice, that environmental progress must be intersectional, and that taking ecological action is an opportunity to build community across interests and groups. We expect that the Organizer will share these values.

Ecology Ottawa is committed to employment equity and seeks diversity in the workplace. We welcome applications from members of equity-seeking groups, including, but not limited to, women, transgender, non-binary, and 2SLGTBQ+ individuals; First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals; persons with disabilities; and members of racialized and marginalized groups.

To apply for this position, please send a cover letter and resume to info@ecologyottawa.ca by April 5. We seek to fill the position as soon as is practicable.

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