Activism and Community Campaigns Officer

Hours: Full time (30 hours over 4 days) At least one day (Wednesday) in our Belfast office.
Location: Northern Ireland 

The role: 

We are looking for an experienced community organiser to join the Northern Ireland team at a very exciting time. The role will be to build power by supporting communities to campaign for environmental and climate justice. 

You will also help grow a grassroots movement for change with a particular emphasis on supporting groups having to deal with unsustainable developments imposed on their community.

Although based in Northern Ireland you will also be expected to work with other related teams across these islands and share local to global stories of solidarity.

Key Skills and Attributes: 

You must be able to listen to, engage with and support communities in their local campaigns as well as joining up issues to effect Northern Ireland-wide change. You will have a deep understanding of campaigning at grassroots level, managing complex relationships and working with diverse communities of people. Ideally you will have a background in the environment/human rights.  

In a climate and ecological emergency business as usual is no longer an option so you must be able to demonstrate an understanding of transformational change as well as the need for local and grassroots action. 

We are looking for a confident communicator with a knowledge of digital activism and other forms of communication. You will able to design and deliver support for grassroots networks. You will be flexible enough to juggle the demands of a multi-campaign organisation as well as responding rapidly and effectively to changing external circumstances.    

Working directly with groups and activists which will sometimes require evening and weekend work. 

Job share arrangements would be considered. 

The team: 

The Northern Ireland team campaigns on a range of environmental threats – extractive industries, climate breakdown,  nature depletion, water exploitation and industrial agriculture.  We also support communities on the issues that are important to them. As well as community activity we use our collective energy to make transformational change and strategic interventions at local and central government level. The team can help on campaign strategy, planning and legal matters, the sharing of stories and, crucially, helping people to help each other to form a growing movement demanding change.  

Closing date: Wednesday 15th April 2026 (23:59)

Please note we only accept applications via the Friends of the Earth Application System.

We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance including a 4-day working week with no loss of pay, excellent learning and development opportunities and a vibrant organisational culture. 

Our staff body is currently under-representative of People of Colour, LGBTQIA+ people and people with long term conditions or impairments. We are committed to eroding these historic barriers, so as to create a movement in which people from all walks of life see themselves in, and so we particularly encourage you to apply if you belong to one of these groups or sit at multiple intersections of disadvantage. We are committed to the Disability Confident standard and will guarantee an interview to any candidates who declare a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the role.

Friends of the Earth staff who publicly represent Friends of the Earth (including all campaigners) are not allowed to also represent a political party. This is to ensure that there can be no confusion in the minds of the public about Friends of the Earth's party-political independence. Affected staff should also seek permission from the Senior Management Team if they wish to hold a non-public facing official role in a political party. If this is an issue, please do raise this with us as soon as possible.

Friends of the Earth is an international community dedicated to protecting the natural world and the wellbeing of everyone in it. We lead campaigns, provide resources and information, and drive real solutions to the environmental problems facing us all.