Global Programme Coordinator, Environmental Defenders

Overview

EJF is seeking a proactive, versatile and experienced coordinator to strengthen and expand our Environmental Defenders programme, training, equipping, and supporting frontline campaigners, and investigative journalists in the Global South.

The role supports inspirational grassroots leaders dedicated to protecting the natural world and human rights, and reports directly to the CEO.

Responsibilities

• Support established partnerships and identify outstanding people and organisations to benefit from the programme.
• Oversee the production and dissemination of an extensive portfolio of training tools and guides.
• Lead remote and field-based training; conduct research and investigations including use of cameras, drones, and filmmaking.
• Manage a four-person team and collaborate with EJF's extended teams in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Track deliverables, bring teams and project partners together to achieve meaningful conservation impact, and share progress through communications outputs such as film, reports, and grant reporting.
• Design capacity-strengthening programmes, review content developed by others, and deliver training on investigation, film, advocacy, storytelling, governance, and security.
• Ensure high-quality holistic support for partners through regular catch-ups, sharing funding opportunities, and providing strategic guidance on organisational development.
• Support the launch and management of the Environmental Reporting Resource Hub, update content, create new materials, coordinate translations, and coordinate dissemination.
• Coordinate with regional leads, video producers, investigators, trainers, and campaigners to provide support to environmental defenders and facilitate knowledge sharing.
• Monitor subgrants, review activity progress and financial reports, and identify potential new subgrantees.
• Monitor budgets and spending of projects, develop budgets for new activities, review post-trip expenses, and ensure value for money.
• Evaluate progress of activities, identify lessons learned and successes, and report findings to the CEO and funders.
• Work with colleagues nationally and internationally to amplify grassroots messages through communications and advocacy, expand EJF's network, represent EJF at conferences, and engage in global advocacy efforts.
• Draft compelling communications for EJF outreach, including news and feature-led content to support the programme, its issues, and campaign impacts.
• Increase visibility of the Environmental Defenders Programme, identify new funding opportunities, support development and submission of funding applications, and identify new avenues to expand EJF's work.
• Serve as line manager for a four-person team, supporting their professional development and providing strategic guidance on programmes they lead.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of professional experience in a related field involving international action and remote travel (environment, capacity-strengthening, human rights, international development), ideally in an NGO setting.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills, coordinating multiple activities, overseeing budgets, monitoring impact, and prioritising workloads.
• Experience designing bespoke capacity-strengthening programmes and delivering in-person as well as online training to NGOs, journalists, activists, or other defenders from the Global South.
• Sound understanding of the realities of small organisations and their organisational development needs.
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience coordinating with teams across time zones.
• Team player, supportive of colleagues and partners, capable of making tough decisions.
• Strong budget management skills, attention to detail, and ability to maximise resources.
• Solutions-oriented, calm under pressure, independent worker who is open to feedback and direction.
• First-class communication skills, able to convey complex information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences.
• Reliable, determined, creative, positive, and resourceful.
• Deep-rooted commitment to environmental justice and a determination to change the world.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Proficiency in additional languages (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Bahasa, Thai, or Tagalog).
• Experience assessing NGOs and managing subgrants.
• Defined understanding of global environmental justice, ocean-related issues, and challenges to environmental defenders and reporters.
• Commitment to biodiversity conservation, climate protection, and the defence of related human rights.
• Experience with advocacy, policy change, media and communications.
• Experience with risk management (digital and physical security).
• Film, photographic, documentary, and journalistic skills.

Benefits

• 22 days annual leave (plus public holidays), increasing with each year of service, and additional paid leave between Christmas and New Year.
• Private healthcare package.
• Generous pension scheme with increasing employer contributions.
• Cycle-to-work scheme.
• Dynamically supportive and inclusive working environment with genuine opportunities for professional development and career progression.
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