Description

Position: Strategic Communications Adviser
Location: Brussels, Belgium (regular office attendance is required)
Working hours: Full-time (38 hours/week) or 80% FTE (30.4 hours/week)
Contract type: 6‑month fixed‑term contract, with the possibility of a permanent contract thereafter.
Salary and benefits: €4,315 to €5,674 (full-time equivalent) per month gross salary (depending on experience), plus lunch vouchers (€8 per working day), health insurance (after the initial 6-month contract), and a contribution to travel costs from home to office. Fern offers full-time staff five extra days’ holiday in addition to legal holidays, and up to four additional holidays between Christmas and the New Year. Staff also earn an additional vacation day for every two years worked at Fern, up to a maximum of five days.

About Fern

Fern is an NGO working to ensure European policies protect forests and the rights of forest-dependent peoples. We do this by coordinating networks and working with partners across Europe, South-East Asia, Central and West Africa and South America.

We believe that to be effective, it is essential to understand and address the social dimension of environmental conflicts; that strong coalitions are more likely to achieve lasting change; and that it is necessary to both highlight problems and present ways forward. We are committed to tackling power injustices and supporting people to improve the wording and implementation of policies that affect them.

Fern has a non-hierarchical (flat) management structure. We have no director and strive to make decisions by consensus. Details of our work areas and campaigns can be found at www.fern.org. We currently have 21 staff working from three offices, in Brussels (Belgium), Paris (France) and Moreton-in-Marsh (United Kingdom).

Purpose of the Role

Fern’s communications team is key to our flat structure; the communications team is made up of 4 positions (2 based in Brussels and 2 based in the UK) and hosts an internship programme. The strategic communications role is the bridge between the campaign and communications teams, allowing us to not just think about what to communicate, but why we communicate it, to whom and with what aims.

This role is both advisory and operational. The chosen candidate will support campaigners to plan and execute impactful communications, and the communications team to deliver on agreed activities.

This will require challenging campaigners’ communications and advocacy priorities (and the tensions between them) and identifying unforeseen opportunities that could help them achieve campaign goals. The strategic communications adviser also supports campaigners to shape and develop content with compelling stories and narratives, and ensure projects are led to completion. This position requires strong interpersonal and facilitation skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to work under pressure and to propose how to deal with competing priorities. High flexibility and adaptability are required (i.e., the ability to respond to unforeseen developments in a timely manner and to cover colleagues’ work in case of absence).

Key Responsibilities

Offer targeted strategic communications advice and agree high-impact communications. This will mainly be done through joining campaign meetings and co-designing Terms of Reference for products and events (ensuring they have clear audience, narrative and impact indicators). Sometimes it may also be necessary to lead on delivering these.
Keep abreast of relevant news to identify and share communications opportunities
Build and maintain relationships with a broad network of NGOs and think-tanks
Cover the work of the communications coordinator, media adviser and communications project manager during absences
Join communications team meetings to monitor workplan progress, co-create future workplans and alert the team to comms related discussions at campaign team meetings
Work closely with colleagues across different teams, sharing knowledge and expertise to promote an inclusive work environment
Work closely with partners and propose ways to communicate that open space for voices that are under-represented in media and policymaking
Help shape Fern’s approach towards strategic communications in the long-term strategy
Input to Fern’s other long-term strategies and develop annual workplans together with other team members
Co-management of the organisation (after induction period)
Sign off all French language material (after induction period)
Travel within Europe (and possibly to tropical forest countries) will be necessary

Person Specification

Equivalent experiences will be considered.

Essential

At least 5 years’ experience working in a high-pressure communications environment
Working on civil society campaigns targeting EU and/or national policies
Thinking strategically, carefully choosing the highest-impact option out of many possible avenues and being able to come up with solid strategies to reach a defined audience
Working with a multi-cultural team with different communications needs and styles
Demonstrated writing and editing skills
Fluency in French and English
Emotional intelligence to be able to listen, to be challenged, resolve conflicts, express needs constructively, and build consensus
Working independently (good organisational skills) and proactively, without supervision
Ability to set and respect deadlines
Enthusiasm and energy to take on new challenges
Interest in and understanding of wider evolving communications and media trends and how Fern should respond

Desirable

Previous strategic communications experience
A practical understanding of the functioning of EU institutions
Facilitating meetings involving a broad range of views, interest groups and cultural approaches
Experience of working in a media environment
Knowledge of content management systems (CMS), database and email platforms, and image editing software (Fern uses Typo3, HubSpot, Canva)

What Fern Offers

A supportive work environment
Opportunities for professional development and training
Flexible working arrangements outside of core hours (1 day per week in the office mandatory, in addition to meetings)
Freedom to co-develop the direction of the communications team and campaigns, in line with Fern’s mission, values, 5-year strategy and annual workplans
Competitive pay and benefits

Induction to the role will take at least six months. During that time, you will learn Fern’s communications tools (website, social media and database), processes, strategies and style. You will be helping to deliver already agreed communications and campaigns workplans. We will incrementally introduce you to Fern’s campaigns with the aim of you being up-to-speed enough to help co-create the 2027 communications and campaigns workplans towards the end of 2026.

After 6-months, if the position is working for both you and Fern, you will become part of the co-management of the organisation and, in addition to the activities outlined above, be part of the team proposing the direction for the strategic communications role for the next five-year strategy (2028-2032). This will be a key opportunity to guide Fern’s use of strategic communications in fast-changing political and communications environments.

How to Apply

Please note that Fern is only able to employ those who have the pre-existing legal right to work in Belgium. Only candidates that are eligible to work in Belgium will be considered.

To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter that includes:

your motivation for applying (including how you learned about this vacancy)
how you meet the person specifications (essential and desirable), and how you would work to address any specifications that you do not meet
how you define “strategic communications”, and what this means for Fern
your thoughts on how NGOs should respond to the EU’s present “simplification drive”
at least one example of the impact of your previous strategic communications work

Applications should be sent by email to recruitment@fern.org with the subject line “Strategic Communications Adviser”.

We strongly encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented backgrounds and are committed to providing accommodations throughout the application process. If you need support, please contact Aislin Ryan (aislin@fern.org).

If you would like to discuss the content of the job, please contact Richard Wainwright (richard@fern.org).

Selection process

Deadline for applications: Monday 6 April 2026 at 23:59 CET
Invitations to interview will be sent week of 20 April 2026
First Round Interviews will be 28 April 2026 in Brussels
Second Round Interviews will be 11 May 2026 in Brussels

Travel costs to both interviews will be reimbursed.

Please note that the interviewing process takes an entire day - accommodation could be provided where possible.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

Fern values a diverse work force and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. If you have any reasonable adjustments you need Fern to take into consideration for either the application or the interview process, please get in touch with Aislin Ryan (aislin@fern.org).

Fern

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