Executive Assistant to the Executive Director, Strategic Communications (flexible 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 350 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.

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.

About the role

The ECF’s strategic communications team is the outreach 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 on climate change at an international, national and sectoral level. Team members deliver strategic advice, communications and outreach support to ECF’s programmes and its grantees, and work as part of a global network of communications experts to enhance the public debate on climate change and its solutions.

A member of the organisation’s network leadership team, the Executive Director (ED) oversees ECF’s Strategic Communications programme, including strategy, organisational development, and high-level relationships with key external stakeholders. The Executive Assistant (EA) will be responsible for managing the ED’s inbox and calendar and task list and ensuring prioritisation, scheduling meetings, fielding requests from the network, and booking the ED’s travel as necessary. The EA will also provide vital oversight of the network for the ED, working closely with other assistants to keep the ED informed. The ED has a heavy, complicated and variable schedule, with frequent last-minute changes. The assistant will need to have a proven track record of managing complexity and adapting to changing circumstances, as well as a proactive attitude and ability to quickly assimilate large amounts of information.

The Executive Assistant reports to the Executive Director.

Key responsibilities

• Main point of contact for the ED;

• Calendar and logistics management – scheduling meetings, coordinating attendees across global time zones, notifying the CEO as calls start, preparing agendas and other supporting materials as needed, and effectively handling changes;

• Planning and booking international travel as necessary;

• Email management – streamlining inbox, identifying priority emails, prioritisation and identification of to-do list items, ensuring follow-up is completed, drafting responses as needed, informing the network of the ED’s weekly activities;

• Preparing bi-monthly/quarterly updates for funders on strategic communications work;

• Managing and responding to invitations to events and meetings, and drafting communications and presentations as required;

• Retrieving and processing expenses for the ED;

• Providing briefings for the ED on meeting requirements and following up on action points;

• Complex document drafting, editing, proofing, and sharing as needed;

• Developing and maintaining high-level overview of the organisation, in collaboration with the EA to Chief Operating Officer/Managing Director and Special Projects Coordinator

• Undertaking other reasonable duties as requested by the ED.

Experience and competencies

• 3-5 years of work experience in a similar administrative position working for a busy principal, with a proven track record of autonomously managing a complicated schedule;

• Experience working in an international environment and/or with organisational change;

• The disposition to work generously with colleagues in an international, multicultural community of peers, and the ability to work across international norms and values;

• The versatile and adaptable skills necessary to flourish in a fast-paced and wide-ranging work environment where remote work is the norm;

• Proactive and autonomous attitude and approach, creative problem-solving skills;

• Flexibility to deal with last-minute urgent requests;

• Excellent communication skills with a very good level of English (written and spoken), and the ability to process information and connect dots (lateral thinking); knowledge of French would be an asset;

• Familiarity with meeting coordination and stakeholder management;

• Excellent attention to detail, diligence and reliability;

• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint as well as an affinity with a range of collaboration tools such as Slack, Trello, Asana, Zoom, Sharepoint etc.;

• Excellent skills in planning and able to take initiative and work independently with a hands-on attitude;

• Capacity to prioritise and manage own workload;

• Tactful with colleagues and discrete with high-level information;

• Open and friendly disposition with a good sense of humour;

• A significant interest in climate and the environment;

• A passion for excellence.

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 position with a consultant or employment contract (subject to location), for an initial period of 12 months, with a possibility of extension after this time.

Location

**

Flexible. Candidates must be located in a European time zone. Some travel may be required as and when possible. We may be able to provide co-working spaces in some locations.

You must have the right to work in your location.

Start date

As soon as possible