Senior HR Strategist / Organisational Design Partner, 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.

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.

As Senior HR / Organisational Design Partner, Strategic Communications you will join a vibrant and growing international team preparing to transition to a new operating structure. In this context, you will lead the development of a new human resource strategy and infrastructure, supporting the new structure’s objectives and in line with the team’s strategy and values. This will include a framework for compensation and benefits, contracting, performance management, learning and development, and HR Information Systems to support the administrative management and to help attract, develop and retain diverse talent based in countries around the globe.

This new role is an exciting opportunity for a strategic and flexible HR professional with competencies in change management and organisational design. You will be a key part of a dedicated project team, contributing your strategic HR know-how to a mission-driven, internationally operating team.
You will collaborate closely with the Human Resources team handling the day-to-day HR management, the wider Project and Operations Team including IT and Legal, and the Management Team, as well as external stakeholders and service providers.

The Senior HR / Organisational Design Partner, Strategic Communications will report to the Senior Project Manager, Strategic Communications.

Key responsibilities

• During the transition project, your role will focus on developing and establishing a global comprehensive HR strategy and infrastructure for the new operating structure of this team, including:
  • Assessing existing HR standards, policies and processes to inform the new strategy;
  • Creating a compensation and benefits framework based on common standards and local labour laws across geographies;
  • Scoping and evaluation of suitable HR information systems to be implemented, as well as negotiation with vendors and overseeing implementation;
  • Defining and implementing a performance management system to support talent development and organisational strategy;
• Liaising with the HR Manager and team to ensure a seamless collaboration and a smooth transition process of the team’s strategy and infrastructure to a new operating model;
• Selecting and managing external service providers as needed;
• Implementation and rollout of the HR infrastructure as part of the wider transition project.

Experience and competencies

The ideal candidate will have:

• Relevant experience as an HR generalist in an international environmental, ideally at management level;
• Involvement in setting up new entities or transferring entities an asset;
• Work experience and education or professional training in change management and/or organisational design;
• Proven experience in delivering and implementing an HR strategy;
• Ability to grasp the team’s culture and strategy, identify the resulting organisational needs, and design and implement appropriate HR approaches and solutions;
• Experience regarding relevant aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion;
• Ability to drive work forward independently whilst collaborating with colleagues;
• Familiarity with fast-moving, intercultural work environments, preferably in different settings such as non-profit organisations, start-ups, corporate, etc.;
• Interpersonal skills to effectively communicate and manage relationships at all levels in the organisation with tact, empathy, and discretion;
• Excellent command of the English language (both spoken and written), additional languages an asset;
• Familiarity with relevant IT tools including MS Office, cloud-based collaboration, HR management tools;
• The disposition to work generously with colleagues in an international, multicultural community of peers;
• A commitment to an inclusive and empowering approach to addressing the climate emergency;
• 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 consultant or employment contract (subject to location) for 12 months, with a possible renewal after one year. We are envisaging this as an 80-100% FTE role, and are happy to discuss hours with the right candidate.

Location

Flexible. Candidates must be located within 6 hours of Central European Time (CET). Some travel may be required as and when possible. 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