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 500 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.

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, there has never been a more important time to be working on climate change.

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 partners and work as part of a global network of communications experts to enhance the public debate on climate change and its solutions more broadly. Support to partners is the cornerstone of this role and non-traditional applicants are encouraged to apply.

In this context, ECF’s Strategic Communications team is working globally to accelerate the transition to renewable energy across multiple systems globally.

The person in this role would be at the heart of developing existing and new partnerships aimed to shift the energy transition globally by harnessing strong actors, with an emphasis on boosting the renewables industry (solar, wind, battery storage), countering myths and placing media stories on the clean energy transition in key geographies.

To facilitate this, the role will be key to the organization’s strategic delivery of its clean energy communication work, including engagement with partners working in the clean energy space, linking closely to an international team of peers in key markets around the world.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and highly driven communications professional with the ambition to make a difference and play an active role in helping speed up the low carbon transition internationally.

You’ll need to be a self-starter, with a proven interest in international energy developments and you'll be working as part of a fast-paced, global team that operates in multiple media markets and multiple platforms.

You'll need to be a great communicator with excellent understanding of how to place good stories to create political impact. You'll need to understand energy and climate policy and the way it intersects with politics on national and international levels and use this intelligence in the service of communications.

This role would suit someone with a background in campaigning, public affairs and/or journalism.

If you think this sounds like you, please apply!

Key responsibilities

As Senior Associate - Clean Energy you will be responsible for:

• Predominately developing and maintaining a diverse network of effective partners and contacts across sectors including in Mandarin and/or potentially Arabic-speaking economies (academia, activism/non-profit, corporate, politics, including spokespeople)
• Providing communication and media relations services and advice to partners
• Acting as a core member of an international network of peers, and other international fora, guiding the network on matters relating to clean energy at the international level
• Developing structures and approaches that can react quickly to emerging opportunities and changes in the external context, and most importantly, long term partners
• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with key correspondents and editors in mainstream and specialist media for pro-active promotion of stories, outreach on emerging issues and reactive media management
• Acting as a source of thematic intelligence and information for the international network, carry out or commission research as required
• Working with a global network to deliver relevant communications content and collateral
• Contributing to monitoring, evaluation and reporting (including some financial and administrative tasks)

Essential:

• Proven experience in communications or campaigns work, including involvement partnership management
• Fluent in written and spoken English and fluency in Mandarin or Arabic
• Strong diplomatic skills and interpersonal relations, ability to quickly build trust with partners and colleagues
• Gravitas sufficient to work directly with high profile individuals and partners from diverse backgrounds at all levels
• Proven ability at being an independent, motivated and pro-active self-starter
• Detailed understanding of the media landscape and values, and experience with strategic story placement, messaging, etc.
• Strong experience of development and deployment of major communications initiatives
• Far-reaching and active networks (global and media in relevant markets; climate/energy community globally)
• Management experience across diverse teams and time-zones
• 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.

Desirable:

• Strong time and priority management, high level of independence and can-do mentality, good team-player with a passion for excellence
• High levels of self-motivation, used to working at a high pace in remote settings, as part of international teams and across time-zones
• Project management experience highly desirable

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) for 12 months, with a possible renewal after one year.

Location

Flexible.

We may be able to provide co-working spaces in some locations.

Only candidates with the right to work in their location will be considered.

Start date

As soon as possible.

How to apply

Please upload below:

1. CV
2. short cover letter expressing your motivation for this role
3. both in English!

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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 historically disadvantaged or marginalised groups to apply.