Director of Communications (long-term paternity cover)

CDP; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dynamic Director of Communications to lead their team during a pivotal time for climate action. This role involves shaping and executing a comprehensive communications strategy that enhances the organization's profile and aligns with its mission. You'll manage a talented team, engage with key stakeholders, and ensure CDP is recognized as a leading voice in climate and nature discussions. If you're passionate about sustainability and have a knack for storytelling and strategic thinking, this is a unique opportunity to make a significant impact in a rapidly evolving organization.

Benefits

30 days holiday plus bank holidays

Generous non-contributory pension provision

Employee Assistance Programme

Life assurance

Flexible working opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven experience in global communications strategies.
• Strong leadership skills with a focus on team development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Communications team and strategy for CDP.
• Elevate CDP's brand through media and events.

Skills

Communications Strategy

Media Relations

Team Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement

Storytelling

ESG Knowledge

Analytical Skills

Networking

Education

Degree in Communications or related field

Tools

Data Analysis Tools

Job description

Role Purpose

As Director of Communications (paternity cover), you will lead CDP’s Communications team within our Marketing & Communications (M&C) function, covering Internal Communications, Storytelling & Data Insights, and Media Relations and Spokesperson Engagement.

You will champion CDP’s brand and elevate CDP’s external profile with purpose in the market, while aligning activities with our internal culture and strategic direction. As CDP rolls out key developments to our disclosure platform and works with data users across the globe, you will ensure CDP positioning insights and strategic priorities are flawlessly represented in all media, event, partnership, and internal activations. Working closely with our Executive Leadership Team, your Communications team will ensure that CDP is a key ‘go-to’ commentator on climate/nature topics for media and is well represented across the market during key global and industry events.

Reporting to CDP’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, you will manage a Communications team of up to 10 people. You will partner with our M&C Leadership Team and key senior staff across the organization globally and support the development of a talented, well-functioning, and motivated team with operational excellence and efficiency, ensuring and optimizing effective coordination with other key internal teams, from our CEO office to Digital, Product, and Sales teams, as well as across our M&C function with key interlocks with Marketing and Market Activation teams in regions across the world.

The successful candidate will be an experienced Communications professional with demonstrable success in delivering global Communications strategies in a fast-paced environment at scale, in close alignment with Marketing campaigns. You are a passionate people leader that can motivate, inspire, and deliver results across cultures and personalities, with flawless disciplinary skills and knowledge of CDP’s market, our role, and our stakeholders to lead by example with knowledge, direction, agency, and strategic thinking. You understand working under tight timelines to coordinate campaigns and senior leadership well.

Experience in delivery, topic familiarity, and a command of top-tier Communications discipline are essential for success in this role, as will a wider awareness of market trends, the corporate and financial worlds, and the evolving science on climate and nature.

This is a unique opportunity to make your mark in a rapidly developing organization during a critical period for global climate and nature efforts. Your success will have a direct impact on motivating more businesses, cities, and financial institutions across the globe to disclose their environmental impacts and take credible actions.

The role includes:

• Owning and delivering a Communications strategy in alignment with CDP’s M&C campaign plan to meet agreed objectives and KPIs.
• Leading M&C’s Internal Communications, Storytelling & Data Insights, and Media Relations and Spokesperson Engagement teams to build CDP’s brand and profile.
• Ensuring successful rollout of CDP’s brand development, internal employee engagement, and culture programs, and strategic direction.
• Elevating CDP’s external profile across media, events, and key external partnerships.
• Ensuring alignment and value from strategic partners.
• Ensuring successful CDP presence at key milestone events, including COP, Climate Week, Davos, and major network, partner, and industry events.
• Developing strategic and impactful external CDP viewpoints in service of brand purpose.
• Growing and developing a talented, well-functioning, and motivated team with operational excellence and efficiency.
• Ensuring and optimizing flawless coordination with CDP CEO office and other Leadership teams.
• Effectively coordinating with CDP’s Market Activation teams to ensure impact and resonance across local markets.
• Ensuring CDP is a key ‘go-to’ commentator on strategic climate/nature topics for top-tier journalists.
• Building and maintaining a top-tier network of relevant journalists to insert CDP’s thought leadership and data to respond to and drive media trends.
• Ensuring CDP’s Leadership team are prepared for high-impact external speaking opportunities.
• Line managing and developing up to 9 Communications employees based in the UK and Germany.

The successful candidate will have the following capabilities:

• A strong existing network in the corporate sustainability, ESG data, or climate policy space, including media and other key organizations working with CDP and in our network.
• Demonstrable ability to apply CDP’s strategic priorities and value proposition to high-quality storytelling, media announcements, events, interviews, and market collaborations.
• Ability to understand and publicly communicate complex and sensitive organizational issues.
• Advanced knowledge of CDP environmental issues, market data needs, and the direction of travel on key climate and nature data topics.
• Experience working with partners to deliver data analysis and insights.
• Experience in leading large, global, diverse & distributed teams and developing strong collaborative, accessible, and inclusive working relationships to succeed together.
• A results-driven mindset with meticulous organizational excellence.
• Ability to work at pace to rapid deadlines.
• Ability to insightfully measure and monitor performance.
• Confidence in working with senior stakeholders internally and externally, using tact and diplomacy, and knowing when to challenge appropriately.
• Excellent face-to-face, interpersonal, negotiating, and persuasive skills.
• Accountability for financial performance of a global function.
• A proven ability to build and maintain an effective top-tier journalist network.
• Flawless (C2 or native level) written English.
• Strong business communications experience and a very capable command of business language, with ability to interact convincingly with people at different levels of seniority and different cultural backgrounds, and ability to represent a topic or program in- and externally.
• A positive and collaborative approach that prioritizes impact with the organization’s mission and strategy in mind.
• Strong analytical and technical skills for tracking set-up, evaluating, reporting, and actioning insights.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to key market events.

What we offer:

• Competitive NGO salary.
• 30 days’ holiday plus bank holidays.
• Generous non-contributory pension provision.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Life assurance.
• Flexible working opportunities and other benefits.

This is a fixed-term contract role with a duration of 12-18 months, based at CDP’s London office. Interested applicants must be eligible to work legally in the UK. We cannot sponsor for this role.

Before you apply

We’ll only use the information you provide to process your application. For more details on how we use your information, see our applicant’s privacy notice. By uploading your CV and covering letter, you are permitting CDP to use the information you have provided for recruitment purposes.

How to apply:

Please upload your CV in the application form along with a covering letter as an additional document setting out how you meet the required skills and experience or key responsibilities, which should be no more than two pages. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged. The closing date is 30th Dec, 2024. We are seeking a successful candidate to start in early January 2025.