Head of Climate Campaigns

Australian Conservation Foundation; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 117,000 - 158,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Four weeks annual leave

Personal leave: 30 days per year

12.5% superannuation

Long Service Leave after 5 years (6.5–

Job summary

Australian Conservation Foundation seeks a strategic and experienced Head of Climate Campaigns to lead campaigns opposing coal and gas exports and drive Australia’s transition beyond fossil fuel dependence. You will develop high-impact, place-based campaigns and work closely with diverse partners to influence policy and public opinion.

You’ll report to the Director of Campaigns and guide movement-wide efforts, maintaining a relentless focus on evidence-based change and First Nations rights.

Qualifications

• Experience turning big goals into real change.
• Strong understanding of power within governments, corporations and institutions.
• Ability to identify leverage points to create change.
• Experience building people-powered campaigns through storytelling and mobilisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead campaigns to confront coal and gas exports and shift public narratives.
• Develop and deliver high-impact campaigns targeting priority projects.
• Collaborate with campaigners, organisers, communicators, lawyers and First Nations leaders.
• Represent ACF publicly and provide leadership across Australia's climate movement.

Skills

Campaign strategy

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Policy advocacy

Data-driven campaigns

Job description

• Lead ACF’s campaign to stop harmful coal and gas projects and help drive Australia’s transition away from fossil fuel exports
• Permanent, Full-time position with a salary of $137,403 per annum plus 12.5% superannuation and exceptional employee benefits
• Located in Melbourne (Wurundjeri Country), Sydney (Gadigal Country), Brisbane (Turrbal and Yuggera Country) or Canberra (Ngunawal Country) with flexibility to work from the office and from home

Who is the ACF?

For over 60 years, the Australian Conservation Foundation has been Australia’s most respected voice for nature and climate. We are the national environment organisation committed to protecting our unique and beautiful wildlife and natural world.

ACF is inclusive, non-partisan, and proudly funded by the Australian community. Whether it’s advocating for the Great Barrier Reef, koalas snoozing in big old trees, or strong climate action, our dedicated community of more than half a million people are working to create a world where forests, rivers, people, and wildlife thrive.

Right now, Australia is at a turning point. The decisions governments and corporations make this decade will shape the future of our climate, our wildlife, and the places we love for generations to come. At ACF, we see this moment as an opportunity to build a future that is safer, fairer and better for both people and nature.

That future won't happen on its own. It takes passionate people, ambitious ideas and a powerful movement to get government and big corporations to act. At ACF, we bring together people from all walks of life who share a belief that collective action can create lasting change and that a healthy environment is fundamental to a good life.

This is an exciting time to join our team. If you're looking for meaningful work, a purpose-driven organisation, and the chance to contribute to something bigger than yourself, you'll find it at ACF. Together, we're building a future where people and nature thrive.

What’s the gig?

As ACF's Head of Climate Campaigns, you'll lead our work to confront Australia's biggest climate impact: the export of coal and gas. You'll develop and deliver high-impact campaigns designed to stop harmful fossil fuel projects and build the public, political and institutional power needed to phase out fossil fuel exports.

Reporting to the Director of Campaigns, you'll deliver ACF's place-based campaigns targeting priority projects, currently including Browse, Beetaloo and Winchester Coal, while helping shape broader public understanding of the impacts of coal and gas on people and nature.

You’ll work closely with campaigners, advocates, organisers, communicators, lawyers, First Nations leaders, affected communities and movement partners to influence decision-makers, shift public narratives and deliver meaningful climate outcomes. You’ll also act as a public spokesperson and provide leadership across Australia's climate movement.

This is a rare opportunity to play a leading role in one of Australia's most important climate campaigns at a time when decisions about fossil fuel expansion will have lasting consequences for people, nature and future generations.

About you!

You're an experienced campaign strategist who gets things done, with a track record of turning big goals into real change. You understand how power operates within governments, corporations and institutions, and how to identify the leverage points that create change.

You're comfortable navigating complexity, balancing competing priorities and adapting as circumstances change, taking a test-and-learn approach to campaigns, and using evidence, research and data to drive impact.

You have experience building people-powered campaigns through compelling storytelling, effective mobilisation and clear pathways for community action. You enjoy working collaboratively across teams and alliances and have a demonstrated ability to bring diverse stakeholders together around shared goals.

You understand climate science, climate and energy policy, and what it takes to shift Australia away from fossil fuels and toward a renewable future.

Most importantly, you're motivated by the opportunity to protect nature, tackle climate change and build a stronger movement for lasting environmental change. You share ACF's commitment to First Nations rights, leadership and self-determination, and you're excited by the opportunity to lead bold campaigns that make a difference.

Why work with us?

At ACF, you'll have the opportunity to do career-defining work with one of Australia's most influential environmental organisations. You'll be part of a talented, values-led team committed to creating lasting change for nature and climate, while working in a culture that is ambitious, collaborative, supportive and genuinely enjoyable.

We're proud to offer a flexible and people-focused workplace, including:

• A hybrid working model that combines flexibility with connection. Staff are expected to spend 40% of their working time in the office to support collaboration, learning and team culture
• Four weeks of annual leave, plus additional paid leave over the end-of-year shutdown period
• Thirty days of personal leave per year (pro rata), available from your first day
• One paid "Recharge Day" each quarter to rest, reset and do something that fills your cup
• 12.5% superannuation
• Access to 6.5 weeks of Long Service Leave after five years of continuous service
• 26 weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of who is the birth parent, after 12 months of service
• Tailored professional development opportunities to support your growth and career aspirations
• Regular team retreats to connect, learn and plan together
• Access to our Employee Assistance Program and wellbeing support

People are at the heart of everything we do to protect our planet. To achieve the bold change we seek, we must represent the richness of diversity within our communities so that all of us who care about nature can step up and lead.

ACF is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants. We actively encourage First Nations people, people from CALD backgrounds, LGBTIQA+ people, people with disability and others who have diverse experiences of our world to apply for this opportunity.

Applicants must have the right to live and work in Australia to be considered for this job.

As part of ACF’s recruitment process, a criminal background check will be conducted.