West Virginia Field Organizer

 

Oceana is seeking a Field Organizer to work on our Campaign to Stop Seafood Contamination in West Virginia. Mercury-cell chlorine plants, like the PPG plant in Natrium (Wetzel County), are a significant source of mercury pollution that has been largely ignored by the media. These plants emit, on average, about five times the amount of mercury emitted by the average power plant. Fortunately, the technology to go mercury-free is readily available and used to make 90% of U.S. chlorine. Therefore, Oceana is targeting the companies that own the remaining mercury-cell chlorine plants, including PPG, to go mercury-free. We are looking for a Field Organizer to be the face, eyes and ears of Oceana in WV and work with community residents to pressure PPG to make the switch to modern technology. The Field Organizer will build on previous field work in West Virginia to continue to foster a large group of volunteers and coalition partners and work with them to raise the profile of PPG’s unnecessary polluting through the media and grassroots visibility.

Qualified candidates must have at least 1-2 years of grassroots organizing experience, whether as a paid staff person or volunteer activist, and will be well versed in all grassroots organizing skills, including recruiting a group of volunteers, holding events, attracting media attention and building relationships with other organizations.

 

Because Oceana does not have an office or any staff in West Virginia, the Field Organizer will work on a contract basis.  The minimum contract requirement is three months but may be longer, depending on the consultant’s availability and level of experience.  Compensation will be $600-750 per week for full-time work, depending on experience, and will not include benefits.  A part-time contract would be considered for the right person.

 

The lack of an Oceana office in West Virginia also creates a flexible location for the position.  We will consider candidates who live within a couple of hours of Natrium, such as the Wheeling, Parkersburg, Morgantown, Charleston or Pittsburgh areas.

Oceana is a non-profit international advocacy organization dedicated to restoring and protecting the world's oceans through policy advocacy, science, law and public education. Founded in 2001, Oceana's constituency includes members and activists from more than 150 countries and territories who are committed to saving the world’s marine environment. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Oceana has additional offices in key U.S. coastal areas, a South American office in Santiago, Chile, and a European office in Madrid, Spain. For more information, please visit www.oceana.org.

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, which clearly states their grassroots organizing experience, and resume to Beth Kemler in the Washington, DC office by email (mercury@oceana.org) or fax (202-833-2070) and can call her with questions at 202-467-1957.