Medact is looking for an experienced campaigner and organiser to lead our work advocating for a justice-centred approach to climate and health.
Background
Medact supports the health community to work together towards a world in which everyone can truly achieve and exercise their human right to health. We cover some of the most pressing national and global threats to health and wellbeing including institutional racism; climate change; human rights abuses; violent conflict and rising inequality. We’re a member-led organisation, and our members are made up of a range of people who work in health including nurses, doctors, midwives, and clinical researchers.
Salary: £35,700 – 37,700 (starting on 35,700 with annual increments awarded based on tenure)
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 35 hours/week —pro-rata 28 hours/per week applications will be considered
Location: The Medact office is in London. Staff work remotely and/or from the office in Hoxton. We work as a team one day per week, and staff based outside London come in at least once a month. Applications from outside London are encouraged.
Deadline: 9am, Monday 5th June
Climate change is a public health emergency, damaging the health and lives of millions around the world. Many of the communities which have suffered most from the impacts of the pandemic are also those whose health and wellbeing is hardest hit by environmental damage. Health workers have a uniquely powerful voice, and a strong will to make a difference—there is an exciting opportunity to bring large numbers of people together to campaign in ways which will have real impact.
At Medact we have a management structure, but we organise ourselves to minimise the impact of hierarchy and make use of everyone’s skills and expertise, so being part of our team means taking an active role in strategic decisions.
We believe the health community has huge potential to drive progressive social change—work with us to help make that a reality!
About the role
The Campaign and Programme Lead: Climate and Health runs Medact’s programme to support health workers to campaign for just and proportionate action on climate change, working closely with our Movement Organiser and other colleagues. In spite of the challenges facing the NHS and the impact on health workers, there is huge energy among the health community on climate justice issues. The role involves holding Medact’s key knowledge base on climate justice and health, and requires building relationships across the health community and wider climate justice movement, from establishment institutions to frontline worker and grassroots groups.
About you
This isn’t an entry-level role but you don’t need to have had a job in an NGO before or be a professional campaigner to be right for it. You might have worked with your local community to campaign on a social justice or health issue that you care about. Or, you might be a health worker who has seen the impact of environmental issues, such as pollution, on your patients and wants to challenge institutional and governmental inaction on the climate crisis.
You’ll have a strong understanding of power and how to work with others to create pressure for change. You need to be a great communicator, able to build trusting relationships with Medact members, academics, partner organisations and community groups. You’ll have an understanding of how digital communications compliment campaigning, an eye for a good media story and the know-how to get it out into the world.
Job description & person specification
How to apply
Please submit a CV and accompanying cover letter of no more than two pages via our online portal. We do not accept applications via email. Please do not state when or where you were educated on your application.
Please also complete a copy of our monitoring form.
If your application is shortlisted, we will invite you to an interview, which can be conducted online or in person. Interviews will involve a presentation, for which we will ask you to prepare in advance; a written task; and a conversation with a panel of interviewers. If necessary we may ask you to attend a second interview, which will be conducted online.
We are happy to reimburse shortlisted candidates for childcare costs and lost wages incurred as a result of attending interview(s). If invited for interview, please share any reasonable adjustment requests, which we will do our very best to accommodate.
Help applying
We have a guide with some advice on how to write your application. We also have a member of the team on hand to talk to any candidates who would like further advice on whether or how to apply. This team member won’t be involved in the recruitment process and any chats will be kept completely confidential. If you think this could be helpful for you, please email [email protected]
Key dates
Applications close at 9am on Monday 5th June.
Interviews will take place w/c 12th June
If needed, second interviews will take place w/c 19th June
Our recruitment principles
Medact aims to be an inclusive and supportive employer, and we recognise that recruitment processes don’t work for everyone. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in the NGO sector, and we’re committed to doing what we can to correct this. We are particularly keen to receive applications from people of colour; people with disabilities; people who identify as being LGTBQIA; people who have a mental health condition; and people who identify as working class or have a working class background. If you have any questions or uncertainties about this position, and whether you are right for it, please do get in touch.
