Get Paid to Shape Youth Climate Policy in Europe: YEE Advocacy Manager Role at €2,251.99 per Month (25h/week)

Some jobs ask you to “raise awareness.” This one asks you to move the needle—across borders, across institutions, and across the messy reality of European environmental politics.

Youth and Environment Europe (YEE) is hiring an Advocacy Manager to lead and coordinate its advocacy work starting March 2026. If you’ve ever read a policy brief and thought, “This is fine, but where are the young people who’ll actually live with the consequences?”—this role is basically your rebuttal in contract form.

And yes, it’s paid. The position comes with a service contract and a gross monthly remuneration of €2,251.99 for 25 hours/week. That’s part-time on paper, but don’t kid yourself: advocacy is rarely a neat little box of hours. The upside is that it’s also one of the most meaningful ways to spend your professional energy if climate justice, youth power, and social equity aren’t just hashtags to you.

YEE isn’t looking for someone to simply post statements when a new policy drops. They’re looking for a person who can orchestrate: connect member organizations, align positions across projects, translate youth perspectives into strategies that survive contact with real policy processes, and keep the whole thing coherent, credible, and values-driven.

If you like the idea of being the calm, strategic brain behind a loud youth movement—keep reading. This is a tough role. It’s also the kind you look back on and think, “That year changed my career.”

YEE Advocacy Manager at a Glance

What This Opportunity Offers (Beyond a Paycheck)

Let’s start with the obvious: €2,251.99 gross per month for 25 hours a week is a serious commitment from a youth network. YEE is not treating advocacy as an add-on. They’re treating it as infrastructure—like a spine that holds the organization upright.

But the real value here is the scope. You won’t be advocating for one narrow campaign with a tidy slogan. You’ll be steering advocacy across projects, policy processes, and thematic priorities, which means you’ll have to keep multiple moving pieces aligned without flattening the nuance.

YEE explicitly centers youth-led, intersectional approaches to environmental and climate justice. Translation: you’re not there to “include young people” as an afterthought. You’re there to make sure youth perspectives actually shape positions, messaging, and strategy—and that the advocacy work stays grounded in evidence rather than vibes.

You’ll also strengthen YEE’s coordination with member organizations, partners, and youth constituencies, and support engagement in European and international policy spaces. That could mean helping a youth delegation show up prepared for a high-stakes meeting, or making sure YEE’s written positions are sharp enough to be quoted by the people with actual legislative power.

One more important point: YEE mentions the triple planetary crisis—typically referring to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. If you’re the kind of person who can connect those dots and communicate them in human language (not just NGO jargon), you’ll have room to do real work here.

Who Should Apply (And Who Will Actually Enjoy This Job)

This role is built for a particular kind of person: someone who can care deeply and still think clearly. Advocacy can turn into a fog of urgency where everything feels equally important. YEE needs an Advocacy Manager who can prioritize without becoming cynical.

You should apply if you’ve already had some experience in youth advocacy and policy engagement—not necessarily as a full-time lobbyist, but enough to understand how change gets made in rooms where the coffee is bad and the timelines are worse. Maybe you coordinated a youth consultation process, wrote policy input for an EU-level initiative, represented a network in stakeholder meetings, or built coalition messaging across organizations that didn’t always agree. That counts.

You’ll also do well if you’re comfortable being both public-facing and behind-the-scenes. Some days you’ll be crafting messages, coaching others, or speaking in professional settings. Other days you’ll be quietly stitching together alignment across departments, projects, and priorities so YEE doesn’t sound like five different organizations depending on which document someone read.

YEE is explicitly interested in creativity and openness to innovative advocacy methods, including things like artivism (activism through art). If you can respect the seriousness of policy work while still appreciating that culture moves people faster than PDFs do, you’re in the right lane.

A few real-world examples of strong fits:

• You’ve worked with a youth climate network and learned how to translate passionate demands into policy language without watering them down.
• You’ve coordinated campaigns across countries and know that “Europe-wide” means time zones, political contexts, and communication styles—not just a big map.
• You’ve analyzed policy updates and can quickly answer: “What does this mean for young people, and what should we do about it?”
• You can collaborate across difference—cultural sensitivity and inclusivity aren’t lines in your cover letter; they’re how you operate.

If you hate coordination, get irritated by consensus-building, or need every task to be perfectly defined before you start, this will be a frustrating role. Advocacy strategy is often built while walking.

Understanding the Role: What You Will Probably Be Doing Week to Week

YEE describes the Advocacy Manager as the person who coordinates and steers advocacy across the organization. In practice, that tends to include a mix like this:

You’ll track relevant European and international policy processes, spot what matters, and advise on how YEE should respond—sometimes quickly. You’ll help shape positions that are values-aligned (matching YEE’s mission), evidence-informed (not just opinion), and youth-led (not token youth presence).

You’ll coordinate internally so projects don’t accidentally contradict each other or duplicate effort. You’ll work with member organizations and partners to keep advocacy coherent and collective. And you’ll help translate youth perspectives into practical strategies—because “young people want climate justice” is not a strategy until you define audiences, goals, tactics, and timelines.

Think of yourself as the conductor of an orchestra where some musicians are volunteers, some are professionals, and the concert venue keeps changing mid-performance.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application (What Will Separate You From the Crowd)

YEE is likely to get applicants who care. Caring isn’t rare. What’s rare is someone who can care and execute. Here’s how to show you’re that person.

1) Show you understand the difference between values and tactics

YEE emphasizes values alignment. Don’t just say you share their values—demonstrate how you make decisions when values collide with constraints. For example: How do you stay ambitious while working inside slow policy processes? How do you avoid tokenism when institutions want “youth voices” but not youth power?

2) Bring one sharp example of coordination across complexity

Pick a story where you coordinated multiple stakeholders (different orgs, departments, countries, or communities). Name the challenge plainly: competing priorities, unclear decision-making, timeline pressure. Then explain what you did: set a process, clarified roles, created a shared message, or built agreement on a minimum common position.

3) Prove you can write for policy people and for young people

Advocacy lives or dies on communication. If you can, reference writing you’ve done: a policy brief, consultation input, press statement, campaign narrative, or meeting notes that led to action. Even better: show you can adjust tone without losing substance.

4) Don’t dodge the “intersectional” part—use it

Intersectional environmental justice isn’t an academic badge; it’s a practical lens. If you’ve worked on projects connecting climate issues with housing, migration, health, labor, disability justice, or gender equity, say so. Show you can advocate without pretending one “youth voice” represents everyone.

5) Make your strategic thinking visible

A lot of applicants claim they’re strategic. Few show it. In your application, include a mini framework: how you decide what to prioritize, how you map stakeholders, how you choose tactics (meetings, statements, coalition building, creative actions), and how you measure whether advocacy work is landing.

6) Mention how you stay organized when everything is urgent

This job involves coordinating multiple projects. Name the systems you use—simple ones are fine. Weekly planning rituals, shared calendars, briefing templates, decision logs, policy trackers. You’re applying to be the person who makes advocacy coherent; show you already think that way.

7) Treat creativity like a tool, not decoration

YEE mentions artivism. If you have experience with creative advocacy—public installations, storytelling campaigns, zines, participatory workshops—explain how it served a strategic goal (changed a narrative, broadened a coalition, increased participation, pressured a decision-maker). Creativity that connects to outcomes is extremely persuasive.

Application Timeline (Working Backward From January 5, 2026)

If you want to submit something that feels thoughtful rather than frantic, give yourself a real runway.

4–5 weeks before the deadline (early December): Read the call carefully and decide what your “spine story” is—the one narrative that proves you can do this job. Reach out to someone who’s seen your advocacy work and ask them to review your draft application responses.

3 weeks before the deadline: Gather proof points. That might be links to writing, notes on campaigns you coordinated, metrics (participation numbers, sign-ons, meetings secured), or examples of policy processes you engaged with. You’re building credibility.

2 weeks before the deadline: Draft your responses in plain language. Then revise once with a “policy audience” lens (clear, structured, precise) and once with a “youth movement” lens (human, motivating, grounded).

Final week: Do a ruthless clarity edit. Cut vague statements like “I am passionate” unless you immediately back them up with evidence. Confirm you meet the essential requirements (age, residency, English, values alignment). Submit at least 48 hours early—Google Forms can be easy, until it isn’t.

Required Materials (What to Prepare Before You Open the Form)

The application is hosted via a Google Form, which usually means you’ll be typing into fields and possibly uploading documents. Before you start, prepare:

• A tailored CV that highlights advocacy, coordination, writing, facilitation, and policy engagement (not just job titles).
• A motivation statement or written responses (draft them in a document first so you don’t lose work in the browser). Focus on why this role, why YEE, why now.
• Concrete examples of past advocacy work, such as links or short descriptions of policy submissions, campaigns, workshops, or public speaking.
• Availability details for a March 1, 2026 start, plus any notes about work authorization/residency.
• References or referees (even if not requested, have them ready; organizations often ask later).

Treat this like a professional advocacy role—because it is. Sloppy applications scream “I like the idea of strategy, not the practice of it.”

What Makes an Application Stand Out (How YEE Is Likely to Assess You)

YEE’s description makes their priorities pretty clear, even if they don’t publish a scoring rubric.

They’ll look for values alignment first. Not performative alignment—real alignment. They want someone rooted in youth-led approaches and climate justice, with the emotional maturity to work across differences without turning everything into a purity test.

Next is policy competence. You don’t need to be a walking encyclopedia of EU institutions, but you should show you understand how policy processes move: consultations, stakeholder engagement, agenda-setting, negotiation cycles, and the slow grind of implementation.

Then comes strategic coordination. The Advocacy Manager is there to strengthen quality and coherence across projects and priorities. That means your application should radiate: “I can take messy inputs and turn them into a plan people can follow.”

Finally, they’ll want communication strength. Advocacy is persuasion, and persuasion requires clarity. If your writing is vague, your advocacy will be too.

Common Mistakes to Avoid (So You Do Not Accidentally Tank a Strong Candidacy)

1) Writing a manifesto instead of an application

Passion is good. A wall of ideology without evidence of execution is not. Keep your values, but attach them to actions you’ve taken and results you’ve seen.

2) Being vague about “policy experience”

“Engaged with policy” can mean anything from attending a webinar to shaping input for a consultation. Be specific: what process, what level (local/national/EU/international), what your role was, and what happened.

3) Ignoring the coordination core of the role

If your application reads like you want to be a spokesperson only, you’ll miss the point. This job is largely about steering and aligning. Show you can manage processes, not just messages.

4) Treating youth as a monolith

YEE is explicit about intersectionality and inclusivity. Avoid language that suggests you speak for “the youth” as a single group. Show you know how to convene, listen, and represent responsibly.

5) Overpromising what you can do in 25 hours

Ambition is great, but credibility wins. Talk about prioritization, focus, and choosing high-impact actions. The smartest advocates know when not to do something.

6) Waiting until January 5 to submit

Even if the form is simple, late submissions tend to be rushed, typo-riddled, and less persuasive. Submit early and sleep like a functional adult.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a job or a grant?

It’s a paid position (service contract), not a grant. You’re applying to work as YEE’s Advocacy Manager.

What is the salary and workload?

YEE lists €2,251.99 gross per month for 25 hours per week.

When does the contract run?

The mandate begins 1 March 2026 and ends 31 December 2026, with a possibility of renewal depending on funding. There’s also a 2-month provisional period.

Do I need to live in a specific country?

You must be a resident in Europe, and YEE prefers candidates who already have an EU working permit.

Is there an age limit?

Yes. You must be younger than 35 by the end of the contract period.

What language skills do I need?

You need excellent written and verbal English. If you speak additional European languages, that may help in practice, but English is the stated requirement.

What kind of advocacy experience counts?

Youth advocacy, policy engagement, coalition coordination, consultation input, campaign strategy, stakeholder meeting participation, facilitation—anything where you helped translate values into action in a policy or decision-making context.

What does “triple planetary crisis” mean in this context?

It typically refers to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution—three intertwined problems that require coordinated responses. YEE wants advocacy that acknowledges the connections rather than treating issues in isolation.

How to Apply

You don’t need a ceremonial process here. You need a smart one.

First, confirm you meet the essentials: resident in Europe, excellent English, under 35, and genuinely aligned with YEE’s mission and approach. Then sketch your application around one clear argument: You can coordinate advocacy across complexity without losing the youth-led, justice-centered heart of the work.

Draft your answers in a separate document, tighten them for clarity, and make sure every claim is backed by at least one concrete example. Then submit through the official application form well before the deadline, ideally with time to fix any upload or formatting issues.

Ready to apply? Visit the official opportunity page here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0mDlanChH31BTPVXPgMEcxmp4hSuAEQIkf9CHFO8AKpaVFg/viewform

Deadline: January 5, 2026. Start date: March 1, 2026. If you want a role where your calendar and your conscience can finally cooperate, this one is worth your best effort.