Position: Western Amazon Communications Advisor
Location: This is a full-time contract based in Ecuador (or elsewhere in the Western Amazon)
Target start date: December 1, 2026 or earlier
[En Español]
Western Amazon Communications Advisor
Amazon Watch is a dynamic nonprofit organization working to protect and defend the Amazon rainforest and our climate in partnership and solidarity with Indigenous peoples and the climate justice movement.
The Amazon faces an ecological tipping point due to increased deforestation and degradation. Amazon Watch works directly and in solidarity with Indigenous peoples, forest peoples, and international allies to hold governments, corporations, and financial institutions accountable for Amazon destruction and human rights violations.
We are seeking an experienced professional to serve as our Western Amazon Communications Advisor. This contract position is based in the Western Amazon, preferably in Ecuador, and is responsible for developing, implementing, and coordinating media and communications strategies that advance Indigenous rights and protect the region.
Reporting to the Western Amazon Director and working closely with Amazon Watch’s program and communications teams in the United States, the Advisor translates the Western Amazon field team’s work into communications campaigns with national, regional, and international reach. The position gathers video and photo content, creates multimedia content, pitches stories and coordinates press responses, organizes public forums and events, and supports Indigenous allies in strengthening their media and communications capacity.
Responsibilities and Duties
- Develop, implement, and coordinate a media and communications strategy in the Western Amazon in close collaboration with Amazon Watch’s program and communications teams.
- Develop, advise on, and coordinate campaigns on Indigenous rights and Amazon protection, with particular focus on Stop Amazon Crime and End Amazon Crude.
- Generate content, multimedia assets, and communications materials for Amazon Watch’s website, social media platforms, and campaigns.
- Organize, convene, and moderate virtual and in-person events, including press conferences, public forums, and webinars.
- Pitch stories, write press statements, and coordinate media responses with the program and communications teams.
- Translate information and results from the Western Amazon field team’s work into communications campaigns with national, regional, and international reach.
- Conduct trainings with Indigenous allies on media and communications strategies.
- Coordinate the acquisition of multimedia assets and images for Amazon Watch campaigns.
- Travel as needed, in accordance with organizational recommendations and restrictions, to document relevant events and collect multimedia materials.
- Provide information and strategies to share key messages across Amazon Watch’s networks, including translating social media kits.
- Increase visibility and build public support for Indigenous peoples’ work to defend their rights and the Amazon.
Required Qualifications
- At least five years of experience in communications, media relations, or campaigns, ideally with a social justice, human rights, environmental, or Indigenous rights organization.
- Strong written and spoken English.
- A proven record of developing and implementing communications strategies and campaigns at the national, regional, or international level.
- Strong media relations skills and existing relationships with journalists and media outlets in Ecuador or the wider Western Amazon, with the ability to pitch stories and respond quickly to breaking news.
- Experience producing multimedia content, including photography, video, audio, or graphic design, and coordinating with photographers, filmmakers, and other content creators.
- Deep knowledge of the Western Amazon’s social, political, and environmental context, especially oil extraction, mining, illicit economies, and their impacts on Indigenous peoples.
- A demonstrated commitment to Indigenous rights, self-determination, and climate justice, and experience working respectfully in solidarity with Indigenous organizations and communities.
- Experience planning, organizing, and moderating virtual and in-person events, including press conferences, public forums, and webinars.
- Strong judgment and the ability to work independently while coordinating closely with remote, cross-cultural teams across time zones.
Desired Qualifications
- Based in Ecuador.
- Experience designing and leading communications or media trainings for Indigenous organizations.
- Familiarity with digital security practices and safety protocols for working in high-risk contexts, including with environmental and land defenders.
- An existing network of contacts among Indigenous organizations, civil society groups, and media in Ecuador, Peru, or Colombia.
- Familiarity with international advocacy spaces, including UN mechanisms, the Inter-American human rights system, and climate negotiations.
Compensation: $40,000-45,000 annually
The compensation range is specific to Quito, Ecuador.
Current benefits include: health care, employee assistance program, generous vacation time, sick time, paid parental leave, paid holidays,12 weeks paid sabbatical after 5 years, employer-matched retirement plan.
HOW TO APPLY: Please, no calls. Please use the Apply for This Job button above to submit your resume, three references, and a cover letter about why you would like to join our team and are the best candidate for the job.
Amazon Watch is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, political belief, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic background, veteran status, or any other characteristic. We believe our team should reflect the diverse communities we serve and the global context in which we work. To that end, we strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Skills Required
- At least five years of experience in communications, media relations, or campaigns, ideally with a social justice, human rights, environmental, or Indigenous rights organization.
- Strong written and spoken English.
- Proven record of developing and implementing communications strategies and campaigns at the national, regional, or international level.
- Strong media relations skills and existing relationships with journalists and media outlets in Ecuador or the wider Western Amazon.
- Ability to pitch stories and respond quickly to breaking news.
- Experience producing multimedia content, including photography, video, audio, or graphic design.
- Experience coordinating with photographers, filmmakers, and other content creators.
- Deep knowledge of the Western Amazon's social, political, and environmental context, especially oil extraction, mining, illicit economies, and impacts on Indigenous peoples.
- Demonstrated commitment to Indigenous rights, self-determination, and climate justice.
- Experience working respectfully in solidarity with Indigenous organizations and communities.
- Experience planning, organizing, and moderating virtual and in-person events, including press conferences, public forums, and webinars.
- Strong judgment and ability to work independently while coordinating with remote, cross-cultural teams across time zones.
- Based in Ecuador.
- Experience designing and leading communications or media trainings for Indigenous organizations.
- Familiarity with digital security practices and safety protocols for high-risk contexts, including work with environmental and land defenders.
- Existing network of contacts among Indigenous organizations, civil society groups, and media in Ecuador, Peru, or Colombia.
- Familiarity with international advocacy spaces, including UN mechanisms, the Inter-American human rights system, and climate negotiations.
What We Do
Amazon Watch is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. It partners with Indigenous and environmental organizations in campaigns for human rights, corporate accountability, and preservation of the Amazon's ecological systems. The Amazon rainforest, the world's largest and most biodiverse tropical rainforest, helps regulate the global climate, and the organization works in solidarity with Indigenous leaders and allies to defend it.
