Position Available: Programs Coordinator, Environmental Paper Network – North America
The Environmental Paper Network-North America is seeking a motivated candidate to join our team and help protect communities, the climate and endangered forests by shaping the future of paper and packaging consumption in North America and beyond. As Programs Coordinator for EPN-North America, you will lead our “Reducing Consumption Program,” while also managing and supporting other EPN programmatic priorities in collaboration with our small team and powerful network. In this role you will work closely with Environmental Paper Network staff and our member organizations on strategic research, organizing, education and advocacy efforts to support government and corporate policy solutions that lead to reductions in unnecessary and wasteful paper consumption.
With the support of the EPN-North America Director, the Programs Coordinator will play an active role in Environmental Paper Network initiatives, including:
- 50% of time on the goals of the Reducing Consumption Program, while supporting project completion within other EPN programs, including Indonesian Rainforests, Pulp Finance, and the Paper Calculator
- Facilitating and supporting collaboration by Environmental Paper Network member organizations in the US, Canada and internationally
- Helping to gather, track, analyze and publish research on paper and packaging consumption to inform and support our members’ advocacy
- Collaborating with national leaders in plastics reduction campaigns on joint efforts to support reuse solutions and advance corporate and government action to reduce single-use packaging
- Contributing to the creation of compelling public narratives and public-education materials for a variety of audiences to advance campaign objectives
- Representing EPN and our priorities in multi-stakeholder working groups
- Working with the Development Coordinator to seek additional sources of funds for paper waste reduction projects
The Environmental Paper Network is an international collaborative project of more than 150 organizations that have endorsed the Global Paper Vision and are working for social and environmental transformation in the production and consumption of pulp and paper. We share a vision of a forest, pulp and paper industry that contributes to a clean, healthy, just and sustainable future for all life on earth. Since 2002 EPN has been building capacity and helping a movement to collaborate towards this Vision and is currently organized into three non-hierarchical hubs, each with its own Steering Committee and staff: EPN-North America, EPN-International, and EPN-China.
Reducing Consumption Project Description
The project is a multi-year partnership with our members with a goal to deliver more efficient use of paper and reductions in volume, thereby reducing waste of raw materials used in making pulp and paper, including trees, energy and water, and reduce climate change and other polluting emissions.
The project goals are:
- Provide coordination and acceleration for our network members’ planned campaigns to reduce wasteful paper consumption in 2022/2023.
- Complete outreach and research on existing corporate responsibility policies related to packaging, identify best practices for avoiding “regrettable substitutions” of paper when reducing plastic packaging, and dialogue with leading plastic reduction campaigns to develop and promote a common set of demands/recommendations and actions.
- Build our members’ capacity by providing tools, educational resources and communications supporting paper waste reduction initiatives and campaign activities.
- Incorporate paper and packaging reduction into climate goals of culturally influential sports and performance institutions.
The Programs Coordinator will coordinate an international working group comprised of representatives of member organizations that are campaigning on this issue in order to create synergy through an intellectual cohort, sharing of resources, speaking with one voice where possible and supporting each other’s campaigns.
Desired Skills and Attributes:
- Must be a creative self-starter, able to work independently and with limited oversight to accomplish agreed upon objectives and to evaluate results.
- Must be able to develop and maintain relationships with a wide range of external organizations.
- Must be able to work under deadlines, navigate competing priorities and effectively adjust work plans to respond to emergent challenges or opportunities.
- Must be able to remain positive, tactful and composed under pressure.
- Must have a commitment to racial equity and must have a personal approach that values the individual and respects differences of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability and socioeconomic circumstance.
- Must be a team player with a low-ego approach to collaboration with both internal and external colleagues.
- Must demonstrate excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
- Fluency in Spanish and/or languages other than English is a plus.
- Social media skills a plus.
- Dedication to EPN’s mission of a clean, healthy, just and sustainable future in addition to the overall success of the organization.
Experience and Qualifications:
- No minimum education is required; a bachelor’s degree may be an indicator of capacity for this position.
- 3 or more years of directly relevant experience in a nonprofit public interest organization or similar setting is preferred.
- Experience working with, building and leading coalitions.
- Experience liaising with colleagues in allied organizations.
- Attention to detail, flexibility and demonstrated capacity to operate in a fast-paced environment.
- Must have ability to succeed in a predominately telework/remote office environment, including working with an off-site manager, effective time management, and fostering connection and community with colleagues located throughout the U.S. and internationally.
Location: Asheville, NC preferred but possible to work remotely in US or Canada
Compensation Type: Salaried, salary range: $50-55,000/year, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, retirement plan available after first year with employer contribution, 12-paid holidays, 20 days vacation + 10 sick days.
Application Instructions: This position was posted on September 20, 2022. We encourage early applications and will begin our screening process on October 14, 2022. This search will remain open until the position is filled. Interested applicants should email a brief cover letter and resume to: Kim Porter, EPN Development Coordinator, kim@environmentalpaper.org
Please use the subject heading: Programs Coordinator
Environmental Paper Network
www.environmentalpaper.org
PO Box 7091, Asheville, NC 28802
828-251-8558
EPN-North America is a project of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs