Communications Internship - Helping Increase Fern’s Reach
Communications Internship - Helping Increase Fern’s Reach
Fern
Brussels or UK Office
Description
Help Fern initiate, develop and disseminate its content.
Background:
Fern is a European NGO with a global focus. We hold the EU to account for the impact it has on forests and the communities living in and around them, worldwide. We influence and improve EU policies, always informed by those on the ground. We are a small organisation spread between two offices (UK and Brussels, Belgium) and we work horizontally, meaning we take decisions by consensus.
The communications team ensures that Fern’s research, policy proposals and campaign messages reach the right eyes and ears and make a difference. Fern showcases original research and videos highlighting the voices of communities in forested countries and the impact EU policies have on climate change and forests. Our material also explains the problem with deforestation-driven commodities (such as soy, palm oil, cocoa and beef); and monoculture plantations; and explores new ways to mitigate climate change such as close-to-nature forestry, community forestry and forest restoration.
We constantly produce new content, but older content still remains relevant, and we don’t want all the great information that Fern has produced in the past to get swept aside. Therefore, we are looking for an imaginative and creative intern who has an eye for design and is detail-oriented to join the team for six months, to help the team find ways to transform our publications and videos into content that will reach the target audiences and implement the dissemination plans.
This is an exciting moment to join Fern as we are in the process of developing our long-term strategy and thinking about new ideas.
Specific tasks to be completed by the intern:
Exact tasks will be agreed by the successful intern and their Fern contact point, but indicative tasks could include:
- Working with the communications team on dissemination of new reports, publications and visual material;
- Manage Fern’s website and social media pages;
- Produce compelling visuals (e.g. using Canva);
- Investigate ways to improve our dissemination on social media with the aim of reaching new audiences and allies;
- Support the development and dissemination of potential future videos;
- Support the development and “Search Engine friendly” content;
- Support the production and dissemination of Fern’s newsletters: Forest Watch and Forest Governance;
- Analyse and define target audiences;
- Support with meeting and event logistics and webinar hosting;
- Support campaigners with ad-hoc requests;
- Support the team with internal communications, office and administration tasks and investigate ways to improve Fern’s internal communications;
- Learn how Fern works by reading our House Rules, annual reports and relevant publications and by participating in relevant internal meetings.
What will Fern give you?
This is an exciting paid opportunity to get strong work experience in a campaigning organisation, learning how to market material to different audiences.
Fern will ensure you have a computer and desk to work from in one of our offices for when we are allowed to work from the office again.
Fern will ensure you get an overview of all our campaign areas. You will also get the opportunity to join communications team meetings – with the chance to influence Fern’s communications – and other internal meetings to ensure you are introduced to our non-hierarchical structure and receive support to get the most out of your time with us.
Requirements:
Essential:
- Relevant qualification or experience in a communications environment;
- Interest in environmental or social justice issues;
- A good eye for design;
- Attention to details;
- A good understanding and experience of using social media.
Desirable:
- Knowledge of any additional language;
- Good writing and/or editing skills;
- Knowledge of image editing or video editing software;
- Knowledge of Typo3 and/or Wordpress;
- Knowledge of Mailchimp;
- Minimum understanding of how the EU institutions work.
Timeline and logistics:
We would like you to start from the 29th of August.
Fern has funding to pay €1000/month for this role and will also cover travel costs incurred during the internship.
This is a full-time position.
How to apply:
Send your application to daria@fern.org by Wednesday 13 July. To be considered, your application should contain:
- Your CV;
- A short email explaining your interest in working with Fern;
- Your preference to working in the Brussels (candidates must be eligible for a Belgian Convention d'Immersion Professionnelle (CIP) contract) or UK office and when you could start;
- Your assignment: To advertise one of the following three videos*, create a social media infographic with a suggested tweet and a call to action addressed to an EU decision-maker (it should be snappy yet respectful);
- Feel free to also include a few examples of social media visuals from your portfolio you’ve previously created.
*Select a Fern video from the list:
Deadline:
Wednesday 13 July (end of the day).
Short-listed candidates will be selected early January and invited for an interview the second half of July.
