The Elders, Director of Communications

Our vision is a world where people live in peace, conscious of their common humanity and their shared responsibilities for each other, the planet and  future generations; where there is universal respect for human rights; where poverty has been eliminated and people are free from fear and oppression, and able to fulfil their true potential.

The Elders use their experience and influence to work for peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet. They engage with global leaders and civil society through private diplomacy and public advocacy, to address existential threats, promote global solutions, and encourage ethical leadership that supports the dignity of all human beings.

We are now looking for our next Director of Communications to support and catalyse the influence of the Elders to deliver action on some of the most pressing and consequential issues facing humanity. The Elders are a respected voice of moral authority. A core part of this role is to strengthen how the Secretariat develops their public profile, advocacy, and engagement partnerships, bolstering and maximising their influence across public constituencies and at the highest political levels.

It is therefore crucial that our Director of Communications can quickly learn the Elders’ unique ways of working, advising them directly as individuals and channelling their collective voice, knowing where opportunities lie as well as risks – and how the Secretariat can best support them.

It is not essential to bring subject matter expertise across each of our core programme areas (climate, pandemics, nuclear weapons and conflict), though having some experience in and a demonstrable passion for at least one will help you hit the ground running. We are a small team with a large footprint, so our next Director of Communications will need to build and lead a high-functioning, multi-disciplinary team as well as roll up their own sleeves and get stuck in. You will also need a truly global media outlook.

We are looking for an inclusive, strategic leader with high emotional intelligence and keen political acumen, who knows how to build an effective communications function that is both proactive and reactive, global in nature, and sensitive to the needs and idiosyncrasies of the Elders. We are looking for someone with spark, with ideas as to how we can maximise our influence through communications, who can play a transformative role in helping the Elders have an impact on  some of the biggest issues of the day.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

For further information about the job and appointment process, please access our microsite here: https://micro.green-park.co.uk/theelders/. If you’d value a conversation about the role, please contact our Executive Search Partners Green Park on Harry.Marven@Green-Park.co.uk. 

Closing Date: 11:59pm Sunday 12th May 2024