About Us

Driven by a passion to solve the climate crisis, The Sunrise Project U.S. is a team of experienced change-makers with a mission to scale social movements to drive the global transition beyond fossil fuels. With affiliated programs and staff in Australia and Europe, we have developed a unique model of grant making and campaigning that supports networks of organizations to drive powerful change towards our mission.

We have a dynamic and nimble organisational culture. We’re serious about supporting our people to thrive as we tackle the urgent climate challenge.

We believe that a diversity of experiences and perspectives will help us build stronger strategies, teams, and movements. We take the broadest possible view of diversity and encourage First Nations people, people of colour, people living outside of cities, people living with disabilities, and neurodiverse and LGBTQIA+ people to apply. We are continually working on becoming a better workplace for everyone.

 About The Role

This role will develop and execute communications strategies for two blockbuster international campaigns - Bonds and Private Equity - to shift bond financing and private equity away from fossil fuels.

Fossil fuel companies are using the bond market as a back-door route for raising large sums of money for expansion. This role works with the Senior Strategist for Bonds and partners to create and implement a communications and media strategy, which tells the story of bonds as the driving force behind coal, oil and gas expansion and leverages media pressure to stop bond financing for fossil fuel companies.

Private Equity has become the “buyer of last resort” for fossil-based assets that other companies are unloading in order to reduce their climate impacts. The firms’ business model means target companies are saddled with debt and sacrifice pay, benefits, health, safety, and environmental responsibilities to make exorbitant payments on the debt. The role works with the Senior Strategist for Private Equity, campaign lead, and partners to tell the story of Private Equity’s climate problem while uplifting the efforts of campaigners and people in board rooms to end the industry’s unregulated and destructive practices.

We support networks of organizations to work together to achieve outcomes that would not be possible by individual organizations acting alone. We expect all roles at Sunrise to actively support the capacity building of these networks and partner organizations. 

 About You

You’re an experienced communications professional with a knack for telling simple, powerful stories that synthesize complex issues and cut through a crowded media landscape. You are ready to take on a challenging role that has a lot of creative and strategic latitude.  While you’re skilled at developing big picture strategy, you also enjoy the details of implementation - writing copy, engaging experts and spokespeople, and building relationships with journalists. You’re a team player and can work effectively across multiple time zones within a coalition environment to support and enhance the profiles of diverse partner groups and maximise our collective work. You have a basic understanding of financial concepts and systems and are curious about how financial structures, institutions, and relationships underpin and can be motivated to solve the climate crisis.    

Key Responsibilities

• Determine target audiences and channels that we should prioritise to achieve our campaign goals and develop campaign frames, messaging, and talking points that are most compelling to those audiences.

• Work with allies and partners to develop and implement shared communications strategies that challenge corporate targets. 

• Ensure communications goals are integrated across all stages of strategic decision making and programme planning in the bonds and private equity programmes.

• Work with communications campaigners across Sunrise to ensure that bonds and private equity-specific issues are integrated into broader messaging.

• Build and maintain key relationships and strategic partnerships with journalists and editors.

• Work with the Sunrise team and partners to develop tailored communications materials including media releases, reports, blogs, short videos, infographics, and other visual assets which enable messages to cut-through to target audiences.

• Align programmatic strategies and Objectives and Key Results with Sunrise’s Values.

Required Skills and Experience    

• Previous experience in a similar or related role that included responsibility for strategic communications including unpaid, grassroots, or lived experience; or other relevant, transferable skills and experience

• Proven ability to prepare and execute creative and effective communications strategies

• Strong writing and editing skills, with an ability to understand and analyse complex issues and communicate them clearly to target audiences

• Media relations experience including pitching and landing top tier media 

• Well-developed interpersonal, collaboration, and relationship building skills, preferably with a track record of working effectively in alliance with diverse stakeholders

• Demonstrated ability in working across teams on cross-cutting issues to identify communications opportunities that achieve programme goals

• Willingness to learn and develop expertise in finance areas including bonds and private equity

• A passion for action on climate change and a commitment to social justice

Desirable Skills and Experience   

• Experience in climate or clean energy;

• Experience in or understanding of finance, economics, and business 

Job requirements

• You must have full legal authorization to work in the U.S. The Sunrise Project will not sponsor applicants for employment visas.   

• Employment background checks may be required.

• COVID-19 vaccinations in accordance with local legislation and/or Sunrise policy

• Domestic/international travel with advanced/short notice
  

How Sunrise supports its staff:

The Sunrise Project U.S. is committed to creating a workplace that supports our staff to do their best work and develop professionally. We have the following in place to help us achieve that:

• 401(k) & employer match

• 100% employer paid health, vision, and dental coverage

• Five weeks of vacation leave

• Birthday leave (if it’s your birthday, you get a day off)

• Cultural & solidarity leave

• Gifted leave (over Christmas and New Year)

• 12 weeks parental leave after 12 months of service

• Employee Assistance Program

• Flexible work policy, including hybrid remote home/office

• Laptop (Mac) and accessories

• Commitment to supporting to your professional development (up to $2,000 per annum)

• Coaching and management support with regular 1:1 meetings

• Performance reviews and feedback to support you and the team to reflect and grow

• A co-developed initial 3-month work plan to ensure you have clarity on your role and responsibilities

How to apply for this job

We recognize that racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, classism, and other forms of discrimination creates structural barriers that impact opportunities to formal education and experience. When assessing candidates, we look at more than the jobs you've been paid to do but the range of ways you've picked up skills and knowledge throughout your life. This is why we assess candidates on how well they respond to application questions and don’t require a cover letter.