Senior Associate, Finance Communications Lead – Food, Nature, Climate (European location)

The European Climate Foundation (ECF) was founded in 2008 as a major philanthropic initiative to help tackle climate change by fostering the development of a low-carbon society at the national, European and global level.

We support over 280 partner organisations to carry out activities that contribute to the public debate on climate action, drive urgent and ambitious policy in support of the objectives of the Paris Agreement and help deliver a socially responsible transition to a net-zero emissions economy and sustainable society in Europe and around the world.

Position

About the role

As the Senior Associate Finance Communications Lead for Food, Nature and Climate, you will be part of the ECF’s Strategic Communications team, which is the communications unit of the foundation. Its role is to act as a centre of expertise for communication on climate change and to play an active role in helping create more political, media and public endorsement for action at an international, national and sectoral level.

This role will help develop the strategic communications plan and tactics to shape how the financial community understand and interpret the risks associated with poor investments in how we use our land.

The successful candidate will be a brilliant and thoughtful communicator with an excellent understanding of how to place compelling stories to create real change in perceptions of risk and materiality around extractive practices that damage nature.  The candidate must have extensive experience in working with the financial media, be creative and a natural collaborator with great energy to work diplomatically with a range of experts and partners to advance high impact stories.

The successful candidate will be part of ECF’s Strategic Communications Food, Nature, Climate team. This role involves a high degree of autonomy and responsibility.  Where there are synergies and linkages, the successful candidate will contribute towards the shared goals and tactics of the ECF Finance and Economics communications team and where appropriate can draw upon the insights and experience of this team.

Key responsibilities

• Develop effective communication strategies for influencing the financial sector towards desired outcomes, in collaboration with key partners

• Building relationships with key journalists, editors, media influencers and commentators and managing media lists
• Supporting the monitoring of print and social media communications in key finance media outlets and platforms on topics related to forest protection, land-use, deforestation, agri-industry and extractives
• Build relationships with investors and other actors working on land-use based related financial sector activity
• Provide strategic communications advice and services to partners, including on framing and targeted media outreach
• Where appropriate, assist partners in writing and editing media releases, statements and pitches
• Ability to convene key players within the NGO and finance communications ecosystems as required to build the narrative
• Shaping, pitching and amplifying newsworthy interventions in line with the communications objectives for projects; monitoring impact and outcomes
• Developing and managing a calendar of key external and partner events and activities
• Collaborating with the ECF Finance and Economics communications team on linkages and synergies between the respective programmes

Requirements

Experience and competencies

Essential:

• At least five years of experience in finance, economics, financial public relations, journalism or a related field
• Excellent experience and understanding of media, the media landscape and the value of strategic story placement
• Strong experience of developing and deploying major communications initiatives
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; knowledge of another language is an asset but not essential
• Gravitas sufficient to work directly with high profile individuals and financial sector partners
• High levels of self-motivation and the ability to work in a flexible and agile manner
• Strong diplomatic skills and inter-personal relations, with the ability to quickly build trust with partners and colleagues
• Skills in use of new media and collaborative IT tools
• Project and Programme Management experience
• Experience of working in a global network and comfortable with multicultural settings
• The disposition to work with colleagues in a high-trust international community of peers with a spirit of generosity and mutual support
• The versatile and adaptable skills necessary to flourish in a fast-paced and wide-ranging work environment and work across phone/video conferencing, time zones, Slack, email, Trello, etc.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of global food systems, commodities and land

Other information

What we offer

• The unique opportunity to work as part of a highly dynamic, international group of individuals who combine their passion to make a difference with a rigorous and results-oriented approach to work;

• A flexible work environment and a space to develop and challenge yourself;

• A full-time position with a consultant or employment contract (subject to location, negotiable) for one year, with a possible renewal after one year.

Location

Europe. Due to government restrictions on Covid-19, you may be asked to work from home. We may have office space in some locations. You must have the required work permit for your location.

Start date

As soon as possible

How to apply

Please upload below (both in English)

• Maximum 2-page CV
• Short cover letter

All applications will be treated confidentially. We will store your information in our internal database unless you specifically request otherwise.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion in our organisation. We strongly encourage candidates from disadvantaged or marginalised groups to apply.