Programme Coordinator: Empowering fishing communities in the Global South

Position: Programme Coordinator: Empowering fishing communities in the Global South

Based: EJF offices in Brussels, Bath or London (with international travel)

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Salary range: £40,000 - £50,000 (dependent upon experience and location)

Reporting to: Global CEO and COO

About EJF

EJF protects the natural world and defends our fundamental human right to a secure environment. We are headquartered in the UK and have teams in 16 countries across four continents. Our filmmakers, researchers, campaigners, and grassroots advocates bring about systemic protection for the natural world and defend the fundamental human right to a secure environment. Our campaigns are rooted in field investigations, partnerships, and grassroots communities that inform and guide our global strategies to protect people and our shared planet.

CONSERVING OUR GLOBAL OCEAN. We campaign for legal, sustainable, and fair fisheries, end marine plastic pollution, and stop deep-sea mining. Our investigations expose illegal fishing fleets and ‘seafood slavery’ and drive protections for marine biodiversity and the communities that depend on the ocean.

PROTECTING OUR CLIMATE. We defend Nature’s carbon stores – ocean, wetlands and forests - and we work to secure greater protection for climate refugees.

EMPOWERING ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS. We provide training, support, and equipment that enables community activism and investigative environmental journalism to succeed in the Global South.

The Role

Coordinating and building capacity for coastal communities to protect their marine environment.

This is a rare opportunity to join our dynamic, impactful international team, which is working to protect our global ocean and the people and biodiversity dependent upon it. The Coordinator will lead an innovative multi-year programme supported by the EU to train, equip, and empower small-scale fishing communities. The programme will help to protect fish stocks and marine biodiversity from illegal, unsustainable fishing in 15 countries across the Global South.

The programme will include the rollout of a ‘Global Toolkit’ that gives fishing communities innovative, practical equipment, training, and support to help end illegal fishing. Capacity building will include using EJF’s DASE app, which enables fishers to document and report illegal fishing. This app will be accompanied by insightful practical guidance to strengthen local governance and advocacy to protect inshore waters relied upon by coastal communities.

Supported by two regional coordinators and drawing on EJF’s decades of experience in activist training and field programmes in West Africa and Asia, the role will oversee the Toolkit’s introduction to at least 15 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific.

The programme seeks someone who is a superb, experienced coordinator and manager, able to give remote support and guidance to multiple local teams overseas and track and monitor the programme’s implementation and the Toolkit’s effectiveness against agreed KPIs. The role will involve some travel to kickstart projects, assess and evaluate implementation over time and propose adjustments and further iterations of the Toolkit according to feedback and shared learning. We seek a proactive, creative and determined problem solver who will capitalise on new opportunities and ensure we exceed expectations.

Building strong, trusted and proactive relationships at the grassroots level and facilitating partnerships and information-sharing with national and community-based civil society groups in each country will be essential. The role requires a natural diplomat, able to lead discussions with government officials at the local and national level. The Coordinator will lead the grant, reporting to the EU as the funder and other major stakeholders, including national governments.

As the global lead, the Coordinator will be a superb, confident and inspiring communicator, in writing and person, able to give visibility to the programme's beneficiaries and partners and its impacts. The role will work closely with EJF’s film and comms teams, devising outputs including events at grassroots and national levels that will be effective and influential at reaching their target audiences, sharing success stories and inspiring additional uptake and support.

Essential Requirements

• You have a personal and professional commitment to EJF's Mission and Values, a strong sense of ethics, and a determination to achieve an impact on the natural world and associated human rights.
• You have extensive (at least 5 years) professional experience in international advocacy or development, ideally across various geographies, contexts, and cultures.
• You have superb attention to detail, factual accuracy, intellectual rigour, and excellent communication skills.
• You are an inspirational leader with a calm, methodical, and proactive approach to project and staff management in diverse locations, cultures, and settings. You have demonstrable experience managing staff to success.
• You are a superb diplomat who can develop trusted relationships and engage with potential partners and stakeholders worldwide.
• You have strong organisational skills and can deliver agreed outcomes on time and within budget to the highest professional standards, delivering impact and cost-efficiencies. You can also prioritise and manage multiple competing country projects and other needs.
• You are comfortable taking and giving direction and feedback within an international, multicultural team while working independently and taking initiative and ownership of your workload.
• You are creative and solutions-oriented, can make swift judgement calls in challenging situations, and keep overseas teams motivated, effective, impactful, safe and secure.
• You understand how important written communications, films, and photos are in delivering the programme and sharing success stories and impacts with multiple audiences.
• You can travel internationally, occasionally at short notice and potentially for extended periods.

Desirable

• Further languages (including French, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai or Bahasa Indonesian)
• Experience living and working in challenging environments
• Documentary/journalistic experience

Benefits (additional benefits may be applicable according to location)

• Generous annual leave allowance increasing every year.
• Hybrid working (60:40 split of office:home).
• Flexible working arrangements considered.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Potential for unique opportunities and dynamic career development.
• An opportunity to work within a supportive and committed professional team that delivers high impact, protecting our natural world.

Applications

Please send your CV and cover letter explaining why you are the right person for this role to the email provided. 

Closing date: 5pm, Friday 14th June

Applications are reviewed as soon as they are received, and we recommend that you apply well before the deadline. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. No other communications, agencies or phone calls, please.

Please indicate your location and the right-to-work eligibility in your Cover letter.

Pre-employment screening: To apply for this post, you must demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to the applicable laws in the respective countries.