Water, Grassroots organizing, Movement building

Positions: Great Lakes Organizer ~ Two Positions Available
Employer: Water Watchers
Location: Anywhere in the Great Lakes Basin; Preference for Ontario-based Candidates

• Employment Type: Full or Part-Time, Remote, 4-Day Work Week (Temporary Contract, 16 weeks at full-time)
• Compensation: $25/hour, up to 32 hours a week
• Funding Requirements: BIPOC identifying youth, age 15-30 years (inclusive)

To apply:

• Email wellingtonwaterwatchers@gmail.com
• Subject Line: Great Lakes Organizer Position + [YOUR NAME]
• Include a brief expression of interest (no more than 1 page) and résumé (no more than 2 pages)
• Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca. 

About Water Watchers

Water Watchers empowers people & communities to work in solidarity towards social justice through the unifying lens of water.

Water Watchers began in 2007 as a grassroots organization, founded to oppose local threats to water in Wellington County, Ontario. Today, Water Watchers is a unique resource to grassroots leaders on the frontlines of water protection. We also coordinate regional and solidarity campaigns to win environmental protections centering water.

Our unique, campaign-based approach to mobilizing public support to protect water has helped communities win major victories and elevate policy outcomes. These campaigns bring more and more people into the movement to protect water by connecting the dots between local and systemic issues, moving communities closer toward more just water futures.

Ultimately, we envision a society where people recognize that water is inherent to all life, live in balance with nature, and build just relationships with each other. See our current campaigns here.

The Position

Water Watchers coordinates regional, non-partisan advocacy campaigns to protect the Great Lakes.

Focused on grassroots organizing and movement building, this role will support campaigning, educational, fundraising, and communications work to win environmental protections in the Great Lakes Basin.

This position will include initial training in Water Watchers’ theory of change and trademark campaigning approaches that are proven to help movements win environmental protections. Successful candidates will also be supported and mentored in various aspects of environmental protection and advocacy work, with on-going daily support from Water Watchers staff. This position is supported with funding from Nature Canada’s ‘Work To Grow’ program, which will provide additional opportunities for professional development and networking.

The position will be for 15 weeks at full-time hours (35 hours/week, 4-day work week), but we can also consider hiring at part-time hours for a slightly longer period. The latest start date for full-time hours available is December 15, 2025. Part-time candidates would need to start earlier.

At the deepest level, appreciating and conserving nature means protecting it from harm, now and into the future. This role will overall support work to protect the Great Lakes from current and potential threats so the waters can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Roles & Responsibilities

This role will be co-designed with the successful candidate to reflect their interests and skills. Below is a non-exhaustive list of potential roles and responsibilities for the Great Lakes Organizer position.

Campaigning & Engagement

• Support monthly or bi-weekly coalition calls for our campaigns, including running digital meetings, designing in-meeting materials, sending reminder emails, and following up on tasks identified in the calls
• Coordinate digital campaign actions, like action toolkit design and email tools or digital petitions
• Liaise with Indigenous communities on the frontlines of water protection work to identify and support solidarity and allyship opportunities
• Reach out to like-minded organizations to grow campaign collaborations in support of water protection, climate justice, and Indigenous sovereignty
• Inform policy design solutions for Great Lakes protection outcomes

Education

• Design & host digital events to raise awareness of and engagement in water protection issues in the Great Lakes
• Create educational content for digital & print distribution

Communications

• Support email & social media communications for Great Lakes campaigns
• Summarize on-going work, impacts, outcomes, metrics of success, and challenges to support reporting
• Design creative content (blogs, art, songs) as able and inspired to uplift the work of water protection in the Great Lakes (not required)

Fundraising

• As needed and intersectional with campaign work, support fundraising initiatives with relevant information, project ideas, and grant-writing

Desired Qualifications & Attributes

We are committed to honouring all sorts of lived and learned experiences. As such, we do not have any specific work or educational requirements for this role. Instead, we are seeking candidates who embody:

• A willingness to learn
• A commitment to social justice
• A deep interest in environmental protection & advocacy work
• Strong communications skills (written, oral, and in collaboration)

Candidate Requirements

Funding for this role requires candidates be:

• Between 15 and 30 years of age (inclusive);
• A Canadian citizen, or permanent resident or a protected person as defined by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
• Legally entitled to work in Canada and entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations
• Black, Indigenous or a Person of Colour identifying

Additional requirements include

• Ability to provide your own laptop, in good working condition, to support your remote work

We are an equal opportunity employer. If you require any accommodations to apply, please don't hesitate to reach out to Campaigns & Communications Director Dani Lindamood at wellingtonwaterwatchers@gmail.com

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.