Programme Coordinator (m/f/d): Innovative New Global Initiative to Combat Illegal Fishing

Supporting fishing communities to tackle illegal fishing and manage their precious resources.

A rare and exciting opportunity to work with the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), coordinating a ground-breaking new programme of work that will combat illegal fishing and enhance participatory governance of coastal resources across 15 countries in the Global South.

You will play a key role in developing, implementing and refining an innovative approach to tackle the profoundly damaging practice of illegal fishing. Our ocean covers 70% of our planet, serving as a critical source of food and income in many countries in the Global South. Yet global fisheries are being pushed to the brink. Over one-third of fisheries are now considered overexploited, in part due to unscrupulous criminals who continue to pillage our ocean. They fish without licenses and in protected areas, use banned fishing gear, and target protected species. Operating outside of the law, they steal from the world’s poorest people, undermine fish populations, and decimate ocean wildlife. These illegal practices often take place within sight of the very small-scale fishers whose livelihoods they are damaging.

You will coordinate the delivery of a new, multi-year global programme supported by the European Union. You will lead the development and implementation of a global toolkit that gives fishing communities and their representatives in the Global South the means to document illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and increase their role in the management of coastal waters. The toolkit will draw on EJF’s innovative phone app, DASE, which enables small-scale fishers to document industrial illegal fishing. It will also include the production of films by EJF’s award-winning video unit.

Supported by a team of regional coordinators and drawing on EJF’s decades of experience in activist training, you will oversee the introduction of the toolkit to at least 15 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific. This will entail regular travel and building close partnerships with national and community-based civil society groups in each country as well as high-level discussions with government officials.

You will need demonstrable, global experience working on relevant issues across multiple cultures and a professional history in campaigns or international development.

A personal and professional commitment to EJF’s Mission and Values, alongside a strong sense of ethics, is essential.

About the successful candidate:

• You enjoy and have extensive experience in advocacy or international development and understand the fundamental need for attention to detail, factual accuracy and intellectual rigour;
• You are able to work internationally, across cultures and engage effectively with potential partners and contacts across the globe to deliver on programme objectives;
• You are an inspiring leader and have the necessary skills and experience to effectively distance manage multiple individuals and teams in diverse locations and across different cultures and settings;
• You are able to deliver to the highest professional standards on agreed outcomes on time and on budget, at times managing multiple projects and tight deadlines, prioritising your workload according to the direction given, and reflecting the needs of the campaigns and projects;
• You are entirely comfortable taking and giving direction and feedback, working in an international, multicultural team, with equal ability to work independently, and taking initiative and responsibility;
• You are able to travel internationally, occasionally at very short notice and for extended periods;
• You will be able to collaborate across international teams to ensure the programme has a genuine, sustained impact in the countries where it is being implemented;
• You are solutions-oriented and able to provide cost-effective, appropriate skills, equipment, and capacity building to get the best out of grassroots partners;
• Committed to making change happen, you are also able to make swift judgement calls in challenging situations and keep people safe and secure;
• You understand how visual material is used both to provide evidence of environmental and associated human rights abuse and to tell a story about this.

Essential skills and attributes:

• A minimum of five years of relevant work experience (NGOs, government, or international development);
• Experience managing staff to success;
• Ability to manage relationships with partners;
• Superb written communication and organisational skills;
• Experience delivering projects or programmes to a high standard, within budget.

Desirable skills:

• Further languages;
• Experience of working in difficult environments/training in personal and situational security;
• Documentary/journalistic experience.

We offer you:

• Pay and benefits will be adjusted according to location.
• An annual leave that increases every year;
• Home office two days a week after completion of probationary period;
• Flexible working arrangements can be considered;
• Cycle to work programme;
• Other benefits depending on location;
• Induction and training to ensure successful candidates are up to speed with the latest developments relevant to their work plans;
• A highly motivated and open-minded team of committed colleagues and the opportunity to develop and implement compelling propositions that can deliver campaign and organisational goals;
• The position offers great opportunities for your professional growth and personal development in close collaboration with our diverse team in our offices across Europe, Africa and Asia.

Applications: please send your CV and cover letter explaining why you are the right person for this job to: recruitment@ejfoundation.org.

Closing date for applications: We would like to fill this position as soon as possible and will consider incoming applications until 5pm Friday 3rd February 2023. We, therefore, recommend that you apply in good time before the deadline.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Candidates must have the legal right to work in the EU or UK.

EJF is an equal opportunities employer, committed to diversity within the workplace.