Round Our Way is a new organisation working to diversify the voices talking about climate change and telling stories about the impacts of climate change on our neighbourhoods, towns and villages. We aim to support the incredible local people quietly doing something about climate change to tell stories of their communities doing their bit and asking the government and companies to meet us halfway.

A core part of Round Our Way’s work is working with people with had first-hand experience of the impacts of climate change in the UK. To do this well we are looking for a community manager to develop, deepen and nurture relationships with people impacted by climate change and/or taking local action. This role will be crucial in ensuring we find the types of voices to bring the issue of climate impacts in the UK alive and ensuring we are able to give a high level of training and support to the people we are working with.

This role would suit someone with a background in community outreach, community organising, local journalism, media training, partner/stakeholder liaison/management or similar, but crucially the ideal candidate from this role will be passionate about working with people with first-hand experience of climate change and about telling new and different types of stories including voices often left out of the conversation. This will require someone who is able to think on their feet and find opportunities for telling stories, able to build relationships and identify community leaders and spokespeople, and someone adept at developing strong, trusting relationships with individuals and community groups. It would also suit someone with a background in journalism or communications who is keen to expand and explore new and innovative ways of working.

Please note by ‘community manager’ we mean this in a predominately in-person sense rather than someone who will be managing an online community. There will be online work and some moderation but this role will be building relationships with people from impacted communities in person and over the phone. Any questions please do drop us a line.

Main responsibilities:

• Find, recruit and support spokespeople from communities across the UK for ROW, whether that be from social media groups, people active in local community campaigns or local media or those who have recently become involved with new local grassroots groups.
• Support and work with people to tell their stories of being impacted by climate in the media, on social media and in print. Ensure people are comfortable telling their story, well supported and able to be their authentic selves.
• Manage ROW’s community outreach work and spokesperson recruitment in order to support and develop those experiencing climate change in the UK to tell their stories. We are particularly focused on supporting people who are often overlooked in the climate debate, such as folk on low and modest incomes.
• Training ROW spokespeople for media appearances (with the support of the deputy director).
• Working with ROW spokespeople to draft quotes and case studies for media pitches and press releases.
• Drafting press releases for media bids (with the support of the deputy director).
• Pitching ROW spokespeople to the media and handling logistics for media appearances.
• Work with the director and deputy director to design a long-term community training programme which supports ROW’s communications and campaigns work. As part of this (and after training we provide), help ensure that ROW delivers on good standards of safeguarding and support for the people we work with.
• Collaborate and manage external partner relationships with organisations like the Climate Centre, NEON and/or the Local Storytelling Exchange on ongoing projects
• Support the day-to-day communications work of ROW.
• Represent ROW at external events and (potentially) in the media.
• Support the development of funding bids.
• Undertake other tasks to do with the running of ROW, which are split between the team and come with us being a small organisation.

Person specification:

This role is suited to someone who has:

• Experience in roles such as community outreach, community organising, local journalism, media training, partner/stakeholder liaison/management or similar.
• A good eye for natural leaders, storytellers and interesting community projects/stories that will help us to find new ways to bring to life real-world problems many people are experiencing.
• A keen sense of storytelling and an understanding of (or a desire to develop understanding of) current affairs, politics and the media landscape in the UK especially at a local and regional level.
• Experience or a desire to build/help support relationships within community settings
• A creative approach to work and a love of brainstorming about solving old problems in new ways.
• The ability to manage multiple projects at once and work fast in response to breaking news and events. This role will require occasional out-of-hours and weekend work.
• The ability to write crisply and simply (not academically) for a wide audience.
• A considered, respectful, supportive approach and who is keen to work as part of a small dispersed team.
• An interest in issues relating to the climate and their impact on people and places across the UK and enthusiasm for changing the way climate is covered in the media, especially around diversifying the voices speaking on issues relating to the climate.

Prior experience working on climate change is helpful but not required.

If you would like to talk to us about this role please email Roger Harding (director) roger@roundourway.org or Sofie (deputy director) sofie@roundourway.org and we will be happy to have a chat.

For more information and to download the job description please visit: https://www.roundourway.org/the-team

To Apply

Please send a CV and a short (1 page) cover letter detailing why you suit this role to info@roundourway.org and complete this Equality and Diversity Monitoring form by midnight on Sunday 10 September

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Pay and conditions

Salary band: £21,000 – £24,000 pro-rata for 3 days a week (£35,000 – £40,000 FT equivalent)

We are open to applications from people for whom this would be a stretch opportunity to allow people to grow in the role.

Hours: 22.5 hours per week (37.5 hours per week pro rata)

ROW are very open to conversations around flexible working and desired level and pattern of working days.

Contract: This is an initial two year role (reflecting committed funding for the post) but our expectation and intention is that this will become a permanent position.

Location: You must be based inside the UK. We are a virtual organisation and so can have staff dotted around the country. There is the budget for each staff member to use a co-working space or rent a desk in another organisation. We will have in-person meet ups and regular all-staff strategy meetings which you will be required to attend in person. You must have the right to work in the UK independently, as we are unable to provide visa sponsorship.

Annual leave: 30 days (pro rata)

Pension: Standard NEST pension