Marketing and Communications Officer, Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE)

Deadline: 8 February, 2021
Start date: 1 March, 2021
Location: Ideally Brussels (but negotiable)
Term: 2.5 days per week, rising to full time within 12 months
Salary: Euro 1,700/month (pro rata for 2.5 days)
Other: Ideally Brussels-based employee, but self-employment negotiable

Interested in the oceans? Passionate about the environment and social equality? 3 to 5 years experience in communications and marketing? Looking for a part-time job?

A part-time post has become vacant in LIFE’s team for a Marketing and Communications Officer. This could be for you!

The Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) is a European association set up and run by small-scale fishers committed to fishing in a low impact manner. LIFE is seeking a Marketing and Communications Officer to ensure that the voice of small-scale fishers is heard loudly and clearly in EU institutions’ decision-taking fora, to support LIFE Members through campaigns and actions, and to contribute to the development of new activities.

Initially this will be a half-time post, which we plan to develop into a full-time post within the next 12 months.

The role of the Marketing and Communications Officer

Since 2015 LIFE has been working at the heart of Europe, with an office in Brussels and regional outreach, employing a small team of staff dedicated to LIFE’s mission. Thanks to this, LIFE has become recognised by the key European institutions as the voice for small-scale low-impact fishers at European level.

To build on this success, LIFE needs to communicate its messages strongly and clearly through its website, social media, and journalists, and directly to policymakers and decision-takers, as well as to the general public. LIFE also engages in projects with its members and partners, generating information in the form of reports, articles, images and videos, which need to be communicated to different audiences.

After a successful start-up, LIFE is now entering a phase of growth and consolidation for which effective communicating and marketing is essential.

Duties and responsibilities

The primary objectives of this post are to provide a clear voice for LIFE, to develop LIFE’s public image, and to promote LIFE’s vision and mission in policymaking arenas.  The main tasks are to:  

• Develop, maintain, and manage LIFE’s website and social media channels.
• Develop, write, edit, and publish marketing and communications materials, including press releases, articles, website posts, social media content, newsletters, and report.
• Run campaigns and use appropriate social media channels to disseminate LIFE’s messages.
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of marketing and communications campaigns.
• Ensure that external communications are in line with LIFE’s approach, image, and editorial line.
• Maintain digital media archives including photos and videos.
• Reach out to journalists, respond to media inquiries, and actively seek opportunities to promote LIFE in the media, whilst developing a media contact database.
• Provide a marketing and communications input to LIFE’s project activities as appropriate.
• Advise on and take part in fundraising initiatives, including crowd funding and online campaigns.

The Communications Officer will report to LIFE’s Executive Secretary.

Experience and qualifications

• Education: relevant degree and qualifications in Communications, Public Information, Journalism, Marketing, or related fields.
• Job experience: Minimum of 3 to 5 years working experience (voluntary and/or professional) including working in media, journalism, marketing, advocacy, or communications. Previous experience of working in the NGO sector would be desirable, but not indispensable.
• Bilingual English/French. Command of other languages desirable.
• Very good knowledge of a wide range of media, web, and digital tools.
• High level of communication, presentational, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite especially Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Knowledge of Adobe PhotoShop, InDesign, and Illustrator is an asset.
• Storytelling and on-line marketing skills and experience.
• Creative mind, with initiative and ability to think strategically and identify ways to improve communication and marketing efforts.
• Work well in a team setting and independently.
• Passion for and interest in environmental issues and/ or social transformation.

Contract and salary

Ideally, but not necessarily, the Communications Officer will be based in Brussels as an employee by LIFE under Belgian law. Alternative self-employed arrangements may also be possible, and LIFE is open to discuss such.

Initially the post will be part time (2½ days per week), with a gross salary of Euros 1,700.00 per month. The post will be developed into a full-time post over the coming period (within 12 months).

Why work with us?

Launched in 2012, Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE) is committed to transforming European small-scale commercial fishing into an attractive, economically viable profession, which sustains fish stocks and protects the marine environment, and contributes to prosperous coastal communities.

The EU’s small-scale fishing fleet (SSF) accounts for over 70% of its active fishing vessels, yet due to historic injustices the SSF is only able to access 5 to 10% of the fishing opportunities.

LIFE’s mission is to provide a voice for small-scale fishers committed to fishing in a low impact manner, and to transform low-impact small-scale fishing into an attractive and economically viable profession that which sustains fish stocks, protects the marine environment, and contributes to prosperous coastal communities.

As a platform of organisations, LIFE represents the interests of 31 organisations in 15 EU Member States, associating around 10,000 small-scale fishers across all European sea basins from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

Diversity information

LIFE is a relatively small organisation, run by fishers for fishers. The small team of male and female staff includes LIFE’s Brussels-based Executive Secretary and Barcelona-based Mediterranean Coordinator, with a number of part-time staff and partners working on projects in Spain, Italy, and Malta.

Staff have been/ are recruited based on their experience, qualifications, and proven ability.

LIFE does not discriminate by age, gender, race, religion, sexuality, or socio-economic class.

Applications

If you are interested in this offer, please send your motivation letter, specifying your references, and your CV to Brian O’Riordan, Executive Secretary, LIFE, deputy@lifeplatform.eu.

Application closes cob Monday 8 February 2021. Start date 1 March 2021, or as soon after as possible.