Strategic Communications Manager – Oil and Gas

Company Description

The European Climate Foundation (ECF) is a major philanthropic initiative working to help tackle the climate crisis by fostering the development of a net-zero emission society at the national, European and global level.

We support over 1000 partner organisations to carry out activities that drive urgent and ambitious policy in support of the objectives of the Paris Agreement, contribute to the public debate on climate action and help deliver a socially responsible transition to a net-zero economy and sustainable society in Europe and around the world.

The ECF brings together diverse perspectives and backgrounds to find the best innovative solutions to tackle climate change. We are focusing on engaging and hiring great people from a wide diversity of backgrounds to strengthen the cause. If you share our values of respect, innovation, and collaboration, join us.

The advertised position is with the Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC) – a global network of communications professionals in the field of climate, energy and nature. GSCC is a collaborative project hosted by the ECF.

Through our work, we aim to contribute to a world with a safe and stable climate for current and future generations. We hope to build broad support for just, inclusive, and equitable solutions to the climate crisis.

Our philanthropically funded work focuses on media debate and public discourse at the global level and in major economies across Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Americas. We support a diverse range of partners across sectors and geographies, helping them add their voices, views and insights to the conversation.

Position

Are you a comms-jedi with a unique combination of analytical, campaigning and political skills who can help us address the growth of polluting oil and gas infrastructure globally?

We are looking for a strategic leader who can work with a wide range of partners to create and deploy communications interventions that win, while managing a team of high performing strategic communications experts working across themes, campaigns and digital and news platforms.

GSCC is seeking to appoint a Strategic Communications Manager, Oil and Gas. You will be part of the Strategic Communications network and will report to the Network Director. You will need to act as a thought leader in an international team of peers in key markets around the world and will need to be able to spot a trend, mine data and create a polished hook for the press.

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.

Key responsibilities

In the above mentioned context, the Strategic Communications Manager, Oil and Gas will be responsible for:

• Leading in collaboration with your team the development and implementation of a multifaceted communications strategy to end the expansion of the oil and gas industry including analysing gaps in the space and working to fill them with partners
• Tracking political, public and media debates around the future of oil and gas, to inform strategies and interventions to influence and shift these debates
• Independently manage a team delivering multiple impactful projects towards that strategy
• Actively and increasingly independently manage relationships with funders
• Show leadership in the network, for example conceptualising and implementing new programmes of work in the network
• Building and maintaining a diverse network of such partners and contacts across sectors, including research and consultancy firms, analysts, think tanks, academics, corporate, non-profits, politics, including spokespeople, and providing them with communications and media relations service
• Acting as point person for an international network of peers, using the O&G communications strategy to drive change at the international and national level. Where the latter, collaborating with peers across the network to execute impactful strategy.
• Overseeing other grantee relationships, including directly managing the work of some grantees.
• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with key correspondents and editors in mainstream and specialist media and conducting pro-active media work, including briefings, outreach on emerging issues and reactive media management, hosting field trips
• Developing impactful digital strategies in collaboration with our digital team
• Developing structures, campaigns and approaches that can react quickly to emerging opportunities and changes in the external context, while working with an international network to deliver relevant communications content and collateral, localized/tailored for respective audiences
• Manage monitoring, evaluation and reporting on communications efforts against strategy
• Work with project manager and network director to oversee department and project budgets (including some financial and administrative tasks)

Requirements

• Demonstrated in depth understanding of the oil and gas sector’s power and influence
• Track record delivering effective communications strategies on complex, international sectors
• Experience of independently managing teams, service providers, projects and budgets
• Demonstrated creative leadership, conceptualizing cutting edge projects in the space
• Ability to lead high performing teams
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to process and parse data for meaning
• Detailed understanding of the media landscape and values, and experience with strategic story placement, messaging, etc.
• Far-reaching and active networks (global and media in relevant markets; climate/energy community globally)
• In-depth knowledge of digital platforms and social media, and experience in using these for strategic communications interventions
• The disposition to work generously with colleagues in a high-trust global community of peers
• Gravitas sufficient to work directly with high profile individuals and partners from diverse backgrounds at all levels
• Fluent in written and spoken English. Additional languages highly desirable, particularly Arabic.
• High levels of self-motivation, used to working at high pace in remote settings, as part of international teams and across time-zones
• Strong time and priority management, high level of independence and can-do mentality, good team-player with a passion for excellence
• The strong multi-disciplinary skillset necessary to flourish in a fast-paced and wide-ranging work environment and work nimbly across phone/video conferencing, timezones, slack, email, Trello, etc
• A commitment to an inclusive and empowering approach to facing climate change

Other information

Location:

Flexible with some international travel required

This is a full time position with a consultant contract for one year at competitive fee levels, with a possible extension after one year. All applications will be treated confidentially.