Director of International Campaigns
About Climate Catalyst
Climate Catalyst is a new international organisation seeking to make a distinct and important contribution to tackling climate change — the greatest challenge facing humanity.
Their analysis to overcome this challenge is to generate the political and societal will to take the specific actions needed to rapidly reduce emissions from different sectors. While an incredible array of organisations is building pressure to achieve this and winning many battles, Climate Catalyst believes it is necessary to deepen the trust and collaboration among these organisations and to expand this community in order to accelerate progress and increase collective impact. Their aim is to make a significant contribution to these efforts.
As a strategic convenor, Climate Catalyst will bring together civil society, business and new champions for climate action. They will enable high-impact international and national coalitions to secure decisive action by governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions — likely focusing on two to four issues annually.
In addition to convening campaigns, Climate Catalyst also aims to deliver wider and lasting benefits to the climate struggle, by enhancing connections and learning on how to achieve shared goals among a diverse network of allies including the private sector.
The organisation will be governed by a small Advisory Board of individuals playing leadership roles in the climate community, and personally committed to enhancing collaboration. A Strategic Council of senior figures from a wide range of organisations will also be established.
Climate Catalyst is currently housed by fiscal sponsor Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, who are responsible for issuing contracts.
Their starting point is a commitment to practice four core values:
- Courage: being highly ambitious for the desired impact, and determined about being open-minded and innovative in the development of strategies to achieve this.
- Collaboration: working with others in all activities.
- Diversity: reflecting diversity, scale and complexity of the climate struggle in recruitment, geography, and external relationships.
- Learning: listening and learning from leaders driving change on climate, and actively learning from own experience.
About the Role
This is a new organisation and the Director of International Campaigns will play a key role in shaping the organisation itself. The nature of the role will evolve as Climate Catalyst grows.
The ideal candidate will be strategic, with low ego, and keen to be a convenor because they are ambitious for impact and see the importance of collaboration to achieve that impact.
The Director of International Campaigns reports to the Chief Architect.
Purpose of the Role
The Director of International Campaigns is responsible for identifying the issues on which Climate Catalyst will focus, and for executing highly creative and impactful campaign strategies. They will recruit and manage a diverse team to achieve the ambitious vision of Climate Catalyst.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead the development and implementation of Climate Catalyst’s campaigning, working in every case with coalitions of like-minded organisations to achieve shared goals.
- Build relationships of trust at senior levels with campaigners, business leaders, think tanks, other organisations and individuals with the capacity to influence climate policy and on occasion external targets in governments and international institutions.
- Oversee the identification and selection of GCC campaign priorities (current thinking: three to five per year) through dialogue with a diverse network of allies and analysis of potential opportunities.
- Oversee the process of developing and implementing creative and impactful campaign strategies, working with coalitions of like-minded organisations.
- Design and recruit a world-class team of campaigners and convenors, to achieve the organisation’s ambitious objectives.
- Work with the Chief Architect and other senior staff to design and grow the organisation at the national and international levels to achieve its ambitious objectives.
- Exemplify the core values of the organisation in all that they do: courage, collaboration, diversity and learning.
Skills and Experience
Essential
Experience
- A strong record of designing and leading highly impactful national and international campaigns
- Significant experience in convening diverse coalitions to achieve campaign objectives
- Experience in leading diverse teams of highly motivated campaigners
- Demonstrated success in leading and managing complex projects involving people from a wide range of organisations and countries
Competencies
- Collaborative and inclusive leadership
- Strategic thinking and acting
- Creativity and entrepreneurship
- Strong interpersonal skills
- Strong people-management skills, including self-awareness and the ability to delegate
- Strong communication skills and a high level of fluency in written and spoken English
Qualifications
- Demonstrable commitment to Climate Catalyst values of courage, collaboration, diversity and learning
- Strong understanding of the politics of climate change and networks of influence on climate change policy (campaign group, think tanks, businesses, others)
- Willing and able to travel internationally, should this be necessary and possible
Desirable
- Fluency in a second language, other than English
- Extensive global networks in the climate community
Diversity is a matter of principle for Climate Catalyst. It is also critical to their long-term success. Climate Catalyst aims to recruit leaders with different experiences, networks and perspectives, to help design strategies that can be highly effective in many different national contexts and with different stakeholders.