Senior Communications Associate, Egypt

About the European Climate Foundation

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.

About the role

We are recruiting an Egypt-based Senior Communications Associate, who will support and advise an international network of communications experts in their efforts to strengthen media debate and public discourse about COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh this November.

We are looking for someone with a sound understanding of national, regional and global media, relevant political dynamics and policy developments, and climate and energy trends in Egypt, the MENA region and wider Africa.

The Senior Communications Associate should be an experienced and highly driven communications strategist in both social and traditional media, ideally equipped with a broad range of relationships across local and international stakeholders from politics, civil society, academia, business, finance and others.

This is an important role within the network, helping shape and deliver an effective COP27 strategy. The position would involve fostering partnerships and identifying opportunities for collaboration at national, regional and international level.

The successful candidate would advise the international team on Egypt’s role as COP Presidency in the context of major diplomatic fora and other key moments leading up to the COP. A clear grasp of UN processes is welcome but not essential.

As the network currently doesn’t have a presence in Egypt, this role will also be key – before and during COP27 – in informing and supporting the logistics of an international team traveling to Sharm El-Sheikh, providing local insights, practical support and help with troubleshooting.

Key responsibilities

• Advise and support a team of international colleagues on development and delivery of a COP27 strategy in alignment with the network’s mission and with a particular focus on the role of the Egyptian COP Presidency.
• Building, maintaining, and utilising relationships with a wide range of partners in Egypt, MENA region and across Africa, in support of efforts to shape and amplify COP27 narratives through identifying, positioning and empowering new voices in the debate.
• Fostering strong links with journalists covering climate issues, briefing reporters and editors and boosting awareness, supporting capacity building for journalists, feeding Egypt stories into the global network and vice versa.
• Acting as the network point person for in-country/regional intelligence and advice on narratives, social and traditional media monitoring and debate analysis, stakeholder mapping and audience insights work, as well as strategic policy and media engagement.
• Advise on and help with planning, preparation and implementation of team logistics and on-the-ground activities during COP27, including local guidance, hands-on team assistance, effective troubleshooting and other practical support.

Experience and competencies

• Demonstrable in-depth understanding and professional experience in journalism, public relations, or strategic communications, ideally in the field of climate and energy or related issues
• Strong Arabic language skills, plus fluency in spoken and written English
• Proven skills to produce engaging and impactful written materials
• Existing relationships with key environment, energy, politics or finance correspondents and mainstream media outlets in Egypt and MENA region
• Existing relationships with relevant NGOs, think tanks, political actors and academic institutions desirable
• Strong skills and experience using digital/social media
• A strategic thinker with proven ability to develop and implement robust communications plans
• Good knowledge of the political landscape of Egypt and the MENA region
• An independent self-starter able to work on their own and as part of a remote team
• 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

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 consultancy contract until December 2022, with possibility for renewal

Location

Egypt – remote position. No shared workspace is available.

Some international travel will be required.

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

Start date

As soon as possible