Keep an eye on this page for job vacancies with Ethical Consumer if you are interested in joining an ethical co-operative as a worker member.
Working with Ethical Consumer
Ethical Consumer is a member-led, not-for-profit co-operative, that is signed up to the Living Wage Foundation and certified by the Fair Tax Foundation.
Ethical Consumer worker members contribute to the goals of the co-operative in a variety of roles.
We are currently recruiting for a part time Finance Officer
Information about the role and application process:
The Finance Officer will work with the finance team to manage weekly book-keeping, keeping financial records, preparing quarterly reports, and helping with budgeting and forecasting processes, as a member of Ethical Consumer, the UK’s longest running alternative consumer organisation.
Location: Ethical Consumer Research Association (ECRA) offices, Hulme, Manchester.
This role is a hybrid role with regular work from our Manchester office during training. Increased remote work may be possible after probation period.
Salary: £14,716 per year (£14.15 /hr for 20 hours per week)
Ethical Consumer is a not-for-profit multi-stakeholder cooperative, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We use name-blind shortlisting. The offices are upstairs in a wheelchair accessible building.
Application form
Click here for a fuller job description, person specification and application form. Only one application can be made from any one device (eg laptop). This allows you to leave the form and come back to it via the same link. Please also, using the same device, complete the separate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) form.
Important: you will receive an automatic confirmation on screen when you submit the form, rather than an email. You can amend your application, even after submission, up until the deadline. You are advised to keep a copy of all your answers, as we cannot accept responsibility or extend the deadline in the case of technology problems.
The timetable for this recruitment is as follows:
Closing date: 5pm Tuesday 21 July 2026
Short-listing: 22-27 July 2026
Interviews: Thursday 30 July
Starting date: week commencing 7 September 2026, subject to negotiation
If you are short-listed for an interview, you will be notified by telephone by 5pm Monday 27 July 2026. If you do not hear from us by then, it means you have not been shortlisted this time.
Background to Ethical Consumer
Ethical Consumer Research Association (ECRA) is the UK’s longest running alternative consumer organisation. It was founded in Manchester in 1988 as a not-for-profit workers’ co-operative to provide ‘information on the companies behind the brand names’ and to promote the ethical use of consumer power.
The organisation became a multi-stakeholder co-operative with both worker members and investor members in 2009. Both classes of member are involved in decision-making and the election of Directors onto the Board.
ECRA’s portfolio of products and services are designed to encourage purchasers to take environmental and social issues into account in the market place. They include:
- Ethical Consumer – a bi-monthly magazine
- Our website with over 100 ethical shopping guides
- Our research website with research-focused articles and a corporate research database, and ethical company screening services
- Consultancy research services for NGOs and selected companies
Volunteer Positions
Apologies, we are currently not accepting new volunteers at this time, either for our Manchester office or remotely.
This includes the Remote Research Group where we collaborated with people worldwide to capture and share data on corporate social and environmental responsibility.
We will update this page if this situation changes.
Find out more about what Ethical Consumer does
As well as exploring the ethical shopping guides and in-depth articles on our website, you could sign up to our weekly email newsletter to receive the latest news, articles and updates.
When you sign up to the newsletter you will receive a free digital copy of the magazine.
Or check out our videos on YouTube, where we share information from our shopping guides e.g. which chocolate brands to avoid and why, or the latest boycott information e.g. how to avoid Amazon when buying books.
We also work with other organisations on key campaigns, such as Lush with their Spring Prize on regenerative social and natural environments, and the Lush Prize for non-animal testing.
Most of the ECRA workforce at the 2023 Ethical Consumer Conference
Introduction to ethical shopping
Find out about how and why to shop ethically, tips on taking action on climate change, and some of the key issues behind everyday products and services like bank accounts and cleaning products
Ethical shopping guides
Find all our ethical shopping guides in one place - there's over 100, from batteries to video conferencing. We cover food, drink, home & garden, travel, clothing and more.
We always check the ethics of our advertisers