UK Biomass Campaigner

UK Biomass Campaigner

• Location: Home-based, from anywhere in the UK
• Part Time: 17.5 hours per week
• Contract: 12 months fixed term with the possibility of extension (depending on fundraising success)
• Salary: £25,305 per annum (pro rata: £12,653) plus 3% employer’s pension contribution
• Annual Leave: 35 days per annum (pro rata: 18.5 days in one year) including public holidays
• Closing Date: 11pm Monday 6th April 2026

Biofuelwatch is a non-profit organisation that provides information, advocacy and campaigning in relation to the climate, environment, human rights and public health impacts of large scale bioenergy. We collaborate with other movements and organisations against different forms of dirty energy, to help bring about a fundamental reform of energy policies. We want to see all support in the energy sector go towards energy conservation, energy efficiency and genuinely low-carbon energy, such as wind and solar power.

The main focus of this campaign job is on Drax, whose Yorkshire power station burns more wood than any other plant in the world, and more than the UK produces in total. All of the wood burned in Drax power station is imported, most of it from North America, but also from the Baltic States, Portugal and Brazil. Together with our allies, we want to keep exposing the impacts of Drax’s biomass business. Part of this campaign involves countering Drax’s bid to attract a large AI data centre in order to burn even more wood than they are able to based on subsidies alone.

The UK Biomass Campaigner will be part of a small, dedicated team of paid staff and volunteers.

The closing date for the job is 11pm Monday 6th April 2026.

We will inform all applicants after the application deadline whether you have been shortlisted and invited to an interview. Interviews will be held via Zoom

Job Description:

Biofuelwatch is recruiting for a 12-month part time UK Biomass Campaigner. There is a chance of the term of employment being extended, but this depends on successful fundraising by Biofuelwatch. The post is subject to three months’ probationary period.

Biofuelwatch does not have an office, and staff and volunteers work from different locations in the UK and USA. The new Biomass Campaigner can be based anywhere in the UK.

The UK Bioenergy Campaigner will take a key role in delivering Biofuelwatch’s UK campaign against the burning of imported wood pellets in power stations, especially by Drax but also by two other power station operators (Lynemouth Power and MGT Teesside). The work will include policy advocacy, digital campaigning, collaboration with other NGOs and grassroots groups in the UK and in countries from which the UK sources pellets. This role is primarily desk-based and centred on research, policy and communications work, rather than a frontline activist or street-based campaigning position. To find out more about Biofuelwatch’s work, see:

• Campaign against Drax’s biomass business: biofuelwatch.org.uk/axedrax-campaign/
• Cut Carbon Not Forest coalition in which we are an active member: https://cutcarbonnotforests.org/
• Stop Burning Trees Coalition in which we are also an active member: https://stopburningtrees.org/

Key responsibilities:

• Helping to develop and deliver strategic campaigns against the burning of imported wood pellets in power stations;
• Producing easily-accessible resources for the website, media and social media, as well as fact sheets for different audiences regarding different issues;
• Organising and presenting at outreach and information events aimed at different audiences (e.g. policy makers, members of the public, environmental activists);
• Attending relevant meetings with coalition partners and other organisations;
• Helping to produce articles and newsletters relevant to Biofuelwatch’s campaigns;
• Helping to organise banner protests and/or photo opportunities;
• Contributing to media and social media work;
• Supporting Biofuelwatch’s fundraising efforts by helping to research funding opportunities, drafting grant applications and reports to funders as required. This work is shared between all staff; emphasis that this is more of NGO desk job then a street job/ activist job
• Supporting our work with the Cut Carbon Not Forests coalition, including by attending meetings with other campaigners and MPs, writing and editing letters and briefings, and support with media and social media.
• This is primarily a desk-based NGO role, focused on research, policy, writing, and digital campaigning rather than regular street-based activism or protest activity;

Person Specification:

Essential

1. Skills/competencies and experience

• Minimum of a total of six months full-time (paid or voluntary) work for a campaigning organisation or equivalent (e.g. 1 year part-time)
• Experience of working for a small non-profit organisation (paid or voluntary)
• Proven commitment to environmental and climate justice
• Experience of networking with NGOs, grassroots campaign groups, and/or with policymakers
• Commitment to Biofuelwatch’s aims and objectives (http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/about/)
• High level of verbal communication skills and proven track-record of using telephone skills, public speaking and giving presentations
• High level of written communication skills with a proven record of producing publishable materials for targeted audiences under time pressure
• Experience in media work, including writing press releases/media advisories and/or giving media interviews
• Experience in desktop research (for paid or volunteer work or study)
• Good computing/office skills and competency in using Word, Excel, PowerPoint or OpenOffice equivalents as well as Google documents and spreadsheets

2. Personal qualities

• Being self-motivated and able to work independently as well as within a team
• Ability to work from home

3. Other

• Must be based in the UK
• Ability and willingness to work occasional hours on weekends and during evenings when required (with time off in lieu provisions)
• Access to your own computer and reliable broadband during all working hours

Desirable

1. Qualifications

• Degree: If you do not have a degree but you can demonstrate experience with researching and analysing complex information to a high standard then please consider applying for this post.

2. Skills/competencies and experience

• Experience of parliamentary outreach work
• Good understanding of UK energy policy and a critical analysis of various forms of dirty energy and the need for a just transition
• Experience in writing grant applications and reports to funders
• Good social media skills
• Experience of facilitating meetings remotely

3. Personal qualities

• Experience in working in an isolated setting/from home while being part of a team