Team Lead – Food Systems, Strategic Communications (maternity cover, flex location)

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

As the Senior Associate for Food, Nature and Climate, you will be part of the ECF’s Strategic Communications team. The ECF’s Strategic Communications team 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 lead several workstreams and outcomes to achieve political change around the nexus of food, nature and climate. It will involve a deep knowledge of the issues at stake, diplomacy in approaching and engaging partners, and proven recording in understanding how to achieve change using strategic communication tactics such as media engagement and digital influencing. Specifically, the role will have a strong focus on the industrial animal agriculture and food systems, and the role that these play in contributing to the climate crisis. For the right candidate there is the opportunity to develop political strategy and communication skill sets as well as embracing creative opportunities to influence and advise key actors in this space.

This role is an exciting opportunity for someone with a proven track record in coalition building and campaigning with a deep interest in climate, agriculture and food to engage and play an active role in helping accelerate new approaches to address the connected crises.

This job offers an excellent opportunity to engage with and support a new workstream around Strategic Communications within the ECF. The post holder will play a key role in co-developing strategy, providing strategic advice, building coalitions and seizing opportunities to deliver political change

Key responsibilities

▪ Strategy co-development: supporting co-developing campaign and communication strategies to influence the international media and political debate on food, nature and climate change. Scoping new strategic communications opportunities and risks that will affect

▪ Networking: building partnerships with key individuals across civil society, farmers, communications and progressive business as well as scoping new partners and projects

▪ Building and maintaining coalitions: working with our partners to convene and align messaging, communications and campaign outputs around key issues and moments, embracing the diversity of actors and approaches and nurturing their political communications capacity

▪ Prospecting and seizing opportunities: supporting the Director in scoping opportunities and risks on the nexus of food, nature and climate that can change the politics and economics of the issue, as well as identifying potential new partners and projects

▪ Project Management and Planning: Leading multi-partner projects and project teams aimed at influencing the political and corporate audiences on food/nature topics. Working closely with the media and digital leads to deliver key outputs such as news stories, opinion and commentary pieces and digital campaigns.

▪ Funder engagement: managing strategic development and delivery of funding proposals, funder-led campaigns and working closely funders to reinforce strategic communications opportunities associated with animal agriculture and climate change

▪ Leadership: leading the strategy development for the livestock programme including the establishment and management of existing campaigns and campaign partners and identifying and establishing relationships with new networks and spokespeople to reinforce campaigns

Experience and competencies

▪ A genuine interest in the mission and values of the ECF

▪ Significant proven experience supporting and delivering successful strategic political and communication campaigns around the nexus of food, nature and climate

▪ Deep understanding of the political and power structures that shape food systems

▪ Natural collaborator and coalition builder, with the disposition to work generously to forge rich and trusted partnerships with a diverse range of organisations and individuals and well-established professional networks

▪ Agile and enabling leader, to adapt to changes in the politics and circumstances, with the ability to deliver and implement through others

▪ Strong experience in project and programme management, as well as team leadership

▪ Very strong verbal, written and presentation skills in English – Portuguese and Mandarin also an asset

▪ Proven track record of working in an environment that demands professionalism, discretion and confidentiality

▪ A commitment to an inclusive and empowering approach to facing climate, nutrition and biodiversity challenges

▪ 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.

What we offer

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▪ 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 12 month fixed-term contract (maternity cover)

Location

Flexible.

Some international travel will be required. 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