Communications Director, Climate Champions Team

​Acre is delighted to be in partnership with the Climate Champions Team to help source a Communications Director to develop and implement the communications strategy for the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions for COP27 & COP28

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Overview of the role

The principal objective of strategic communications is to converge non-state actors (NSAs), governments & NGOs around a shared narrative that centres a positive vision of a resilient, zero carbon world that feels desirable, achievable and inevitable, with NSA leadership action, impact & benefits at the core.

As the Communications Director, you will lead a small Communications and Events Team with primary responsibility for advancing how communications and events can drive the High-Level Champions' objectives in the lead-up to and during the UN Climate Change negotiations (COPs). In this role, you will work closely with the High-Level Climate Action Champions and the Climate Champions Senior Leadership Team.

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Key responsibilities include:

• Develop a cohesive communications strategy that advances the priorities of the High-Level Climate Champions and the Improved Plan for the Marrakech Partnership.

• Lead, manage and regularly convene the Champions' Communications & Events Team with a view toward achieving the communications strategy and maximising the team's impact. Guide and mentor Team members as appropriate.

• Craft core narrative and script for the High-Level Climate Champions and the team, which elevates the role of non-State actors in order to spur greater government ambition and delivery under the Paris Agreement. This includes defining messaging sets for teams and stakeholders on core topics and issues.

• Plan for and advise on proactive media interventions with the High-Level Climate Champions, including a calendar of 1-1 interviews, background briefings, and open press roundtables. This proactive strategy is to be supported by a reactive and preemptive media strategy (for media and other stakeholders) as issues emerge.

• Oversight of all core communications outputs for the Climate Champions Team, including website, digital, newsletter, and headline speeches - as well as media partnerships and other collaborations.

• Actively manage the Communications and Events Team - incorporating team Managers, Associates and Youth Fellows - as well as relationships with external consultancies that support the Champions' media and digital activities.

• With the Events Team, identify a series of 'moments' to inform an annual calendar of events (e.g. Climate Week New York and UNFCCC Regional Climate Weeks) as a means of cascading the narrative to target audiences. Ensure that events are produced to the highest standards, bringing to the fore a range of perspectives from all parts of the world.

• Convene the communications leads within the Climate Action ecosystem to align around messaging priorities. This will include Marrakech Partnership Focal Points, Race to Zero and Race to Resilience Partners, UN and COP counterpoints, as well as key organisations that are sculpting a winning climate action narrative.

• Ensure that Champions' communications are fully regionalised, elevating stories from across the world and deploying languages other than English when and where appropriate (i.e. Arabic content in the lead-up to COP28).

• Work as a core member of the Senior Leadership Team to contribute to the overall strategic direction of the Climate Champions Team (CCT) and in support of the Executive Director.

• Aside from the core annual communications strategy, develop a COP28 Communications Plan that focuses on deliverables and approach for the 2-week period that encompasses the UN Climate Change negotiations.

• Considering communications is cross-cutting, collaborate with all relevant parts of the team, especially policy, stakeholder and sectoral leads to ensure that communications acts as a driver to substantive work.
  

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As this is a new and fast-evolving team, the responsibilities are not set in stone. Rather, they expect the post holder to be adaptable and help develop the function in line with the changing requirements.

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About You

The successful candidate will have significant years of experience in strategic communications and campaigns. You will be a highly motivated self-starter, willing to work across different time zones and cultures in a high-profile, fast-paced environment.

You are able to exercise sound judgement with regard to engaging the finance sector and are experienced at building coalitions and fostering collaboration across a wide range of actors.

The following requirements are essential:

• Proven track record working in strategic communications and campaigning at a senior level, ideally within social impact organisations working with a high level of complexity and a broad range of partners and stakeholders

• Proven track record of managing teams at a senior level - and shepherding a broad range of stakeholders - preferably around intensive, time-bound projects.

• Robust understanding of working with and within international organisations and navigating the related political processes and sensitivities.

• Superb written and verbal communication skills in the English language

• Exceptional organisational skills with attention to detail, a sense of urgency and a drive to get stuff done

• Networking and negotiation skills with strong stakeholder management skills, including the ability to communicate well and help manage a number of different partnerships

• Collaborative and collegial working style

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Please apply directly below. For more information on this role, contact Jack Porter at jack.porter@acer.com or Sapna Gill at sapna.gill@acre.com.