Director of Digital Strategy - Location Flexible

European Climate Foundation London United Kingdom Other
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Company Description

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

Please note that we will only consider applications that include an answer to the task at the bottom of this page

Context of the role

There has never been a more important time to be working on climate change. As towns, cities and countries around the world declare climate emergencies, seas rise, forests burn, glaciers melt, increasing numbers of people take to the streets demanding urgent action and our societies begin to wake up to what the science has been saying for many years, it is essential that we reach key audiences with relevant information, opportunities to act and emotionally intelligent content.

As Director of Digital Strategy, you will be part of the Strategic Communications team and report to the Managing Director, Strategic Communications.

The ECF’s strategic communications team is the outreach 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 on climate change at an international, national and sectoral level. Team members deliver strategic advice, communications and outreach support to ECF’s programmes and its grantees, and work as part of a global network of communications experts to enhance the public debate on climate change and its solutions more broadly.

Within the strategic communications team, ECF’s digital team uses digital message testing, social listening, data analysis, website creation, SEO, social media as well other digital tools to understand its target audiences better, reach audiences more effectively, and track impact more accurately. The digital team also builds capacity in partner organisations and aims to increase the digital impact of the climate community as a whole.

This Director role is an exciting opportunity for a professional with experience in creating and implementing long-term digital strategies for organisations, and with a sincere interest in tackling the climate crisis.

Key responsibilities

As Director of Digital Strategy, you will be responsible for:

  • Creating a forward-thinking, ambitious, long-term strategic vision for our digital work, in line with our overall political strategy, that sets a clear path towards impact on the scale required to help prevent the worst impacts of climate change;
  • Direct line management of 5 people plus overall responsibility for a growing digital communications team both in Europe and beyond;
  • Management of the digital communications budget;
  • Ensuring our digital strategy is always head of the curve, and that the digital team’s work is at the pinnacle of what’s currently possible, drawing inspiration from both within and outside the climate community;
  • Keeping track of the latest innovations in the world of digital communications and bringing them into our work where relevant;
  • Working with the Digital Manager to implement your vision, while ensuring the personal development of the digital team as well as making sure our values and principles are fully promoted and respected within the digital team;
  • Securing funding for digital work by pitching visions internally and externally;
  • Contributing to director-level discussions from a digital perspective and ensuring that our digital strategic vision is being created and adapted in the context of ECF’s overall strategic vision.

Requirements

Experience and competencies

  • 10+ years of experience in strategic digital campaigning or similar – applications from outside the climate or NGO communities are welcomed;
  • An excellent understanding of strategic political communications and a proven track record of creating and delivering on innovative long-term digital strategies to achieve specific objectives;
  • An intimate knowledge of the latest advanced digital campaigning techniques (including anti- disinformation techniques; social listening and data analysis; digital message testing; paid social media and micro-targeting; organic social media; websites and SEO; short video; influencer marketing; and voice and voice search) - including in geographies with digital landscapes that differ significantly from the landscape the Director of Digital Strategy is based in - and an ability to innovatively adapt digital techniques from other sectors to our work;
  • The ability to network with experts in a variety of fields (academia, data science, law, marketing, consultancies, philanthropies, NGOs, developers, hackers etc.), including outside the climate space, and be the driving force behind successful collaborative projects at large scale;
  • A demonstrated ability to lead a global team and show a genuine interest in the professional development of its members;
  • A proactive interest in the work of the rest of the network, including in geographies with digital landscapes that differ significantly from the landscape the Director of Digital Strategy is based in;
  • Excellent English language skills, with a track record of producing engaging and impactful communications materials; wider language and cultural skills welcome;
  • A clear interest in climate and environment issues, but without being constrained by traditional approaches;
  • Strong organizational skills and dedication to using the established internal communications platforms to liaise with the rest of the network;
  • Contacts to talented digital marketers, campaigners, programmers, etc. desirable;
  • A clear fit with ECF’s values of inclusivity and respect;
  • The disposition to work generously with colleagues in a high-trust global community of peers;
  • 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.;
  • A commitment to an inclusive and empowering approach to facing climate change.

Other information

What we offer

  • The unique opportunity to lead a highly dynamic, international team of people who combine their passion to make a difference with a rigorous and results-oriented approach to work;
  • Resource to implement your ambitious vision;
  • Introductions to the ECF’s vast network of stakeholders in the climate and energy field.

Location

Flexible

How to apply
Please upload below 

  • CV (in English)
  • Cover Letter (in English)
  • Upload your answer on the task under portfolio (in English)

Task

List the three ways you think digital strategy has had most impact on the world’s response to climate change for better or worse over the last 2 years, giving a short explanation as to why you chose these examples.