Chief Executive Officer

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Do you believe in the power of effective communication to change the world? Are you motivated by the pursuit of justice and equality, a supporter of evidence-based policy making, and an inspiring leader who can help a team realise its full potential?

For the first time ever, di:ga communications is advertising for a new CEO, with its founder and current CEO due to step down later this year. This is a hugely exciting opportunity to take this employee-owned strategic communications agency into its next era.

About di:ga: We are an employee-owned company focused on driving impact for our clients on key international issues, from climate and sustainability, to poverty and economic development, to human rights and conflict. Current and former clients include Chatham House, Friends of the Earth, Global Witness, Greenpeace, Johns Hopkins University, Oxfam, Oxford University, Save the Children, the Sunrise Project, and Transparency International.

We feel privileged to work with organisations doing cutting-edge research and campaigning, and thrive on the challenge of helping them to raise awareness and promote positive change. Our core offer includes strategy, media relations, digital and social media, writing and editing, branding and design, stakeholder mapping and research, media training, and public affairs. Most of our team is based in London but we deliver global communications strategies, including by working with partners in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe.

At di:ga, we encourage leadership at every level, respect and nurture the skills and talents of each individual in the team, and prioritise impact in our work. In 2023, we became employee-owned, paving the way for everyone on the team to have more of a say in how the business evolves, and a share in its success. Following this move, the Founding CEO has announced she will step back after the Summer of 2025, opening up an opportunity for a new leader.

About the role: The CEO position at di:ga is a critical one for the day-to-day running and long-term success of the business. The CEO is ultimately accountable for HR, Finance, Strategy, and client-facing work. They lead the team to deliver first-class strategic communications support to clients and ensure di:ga is positioned well in the field; they also lead on the handling of crisis- and risk-management.

The CEO line-manages three Directors, and also recruits and guides sub-contractors, and commissions and oversees partner agencies. They are responsible for setting the tone and example for the culture and standards of the company, and ensuring all staff feel valued, motivated and supported.

They drive forward the business development and many of the important relationships with clients: safeguarding and promoting di:ga’s reputation and success, upholding our values, and ensuring quality delivery in line with the di:ga service standard. They report to the Board of the Employee Ownership Trust, which holds majority shares in the company on behalf of all current employees.

The position is full-time. We work at least 2 days a week from our office in London.

Salary range: £80-95k per annum, depending on experience, plus generous benefits and an annual profit-linked bonus.

Person specification:

We have a di:ga service standard, which ensures we offer a top-quality service to our clients. This means that everyone at di:ga, regardless of their role, must have the following essential skills:

• Excellent writing ability, including spelling and grammar.
• Strategic thinking and a focus on impact; understanding of how to use communications to drive change.
• Excellent time and project management skills – ability to stay on track of deliverables, communicate clearly and meet deadlines.
• Confidence in own judgement and able to argue a point, but tactful and diplomatic, with respect for others’ knowledge and experience.
• Creativity, tenacity and self motivation; comfortable working remotely and often alone – and good at communicating in this context.
• Professionalism, self-awareness, a willingness to learn.

In addition, the successful candidate will have the following job-specific skills:

• A great reputation and track record of delivery in a similar role, working for or with organisations like di:ga’s clients; a relevant and extensive network of contacts in non-profit organisations, the media, the public sector, businesses, and communications and public affairs agencies and freelancers - in the UK and beyond.
• At least 10 years’ experience in a strategic communications role in the development or public sector, or in an agency with non-profit / purpose-driven clients, with at least 5 years in a senior management position.
• First class strategic thinking, the ability to articulate a clear theory of change; sophisticated understanding of how to use media, digital and campaigning to support advocacy.
• An interest in and experience of developing others and nurturing and building high-performing teams; proven ability to mentor and train others; experience of handling HR challenges.
• Crisis comms / crisis management experience; excellent judgment and a cool head in this context.
• The ability to think commercially and pitch for business.
• Experience of developing and managing a budget and designing and implementing an organisational or departmental strategy.
• Expert knowledge of and proven interest in human rights, conflict, development, poverty, and climate change.
• The ability to pick up and understand new content quickly; to cut through complex information and see the story.
• Good handle on how to use digital media and campaigning tools; experience of managing web (re)design projects; commissioning films and other digital media products.
• Commitment to and experience of measuring and monitoring reach and impact of communications activities.
• Comfortable working remotely - good at communicating in this context.

To apply, please send us your CV and a covering letter of no more than 2 pages to [emailprotected]. Please put 'Application for CEO' in the subject line.Applications submitted another way will not be considered. Please apply by 11:59pm, Wednesday, 30 April at the latest.

All applicants must already have the right to work in the UK.

Due to the anticipated volume of applicants, we regret that we will be unable to respond to incomplete applications or to applications that are not selected for an interview.