This is a broad role comprising organisational leadership, front-facing cause advocacy, transformational business partnerships, producer community empowerment, and big-picture strategic systems change.
Fairtrade’s work and influence is globally as much as locally significant, and though there is not an expectation of heavyweight experience in every area, it will be important that over time our CEO succeeds in all aspects of the role.
We are looking for an inclusive leader, ambitious for the Fairtrade cause, who lives our values, who is fundamentally motivated to make the trade system fairer for people and planet, and who can ensure we are a high-performing, dynamic organisation shifts the dial.
We are open to a variety of professional backgrounds. As a multidisciplinary organisation that influences across sectors, we are tied together by community empowerment and justice for farmers and workers, and it will be essential to bring both empathy and adaptability. Similarly, experience within the trade justice movement is not essential, especially as we welcome fresh perspectives that can add new value, though it will be important for our CEO to demonstrate authenticity and credibility in our movement over time.
We would most value an emotionally intelligent, strategic thinker, a passionate, credible, inclusive CEO who lives our mission, who can connect people to purpose to impact. How our CEO leads is of central importance to us.
Essential Experience & Abilities
- Senior leadership and people management experience, whether at CEO or Senior Director level, in a setting of social good with international exposure
- A natural ability to cross institutional and cultural boundaries, with excellent engagement skills in a multi-stakeholder environment
- A strategic mindset with an appreciation of working in a multifunctional, international organisation, knowing how various components fit together to form the ‘big picture’ of positive social change
- Keen commercial acumen
- Demonstrable understanding of the dynamics of a movement-led organisation and what leadership might mean in such an environment
- Experience or demonstrable interest in international trade and supply chains, sustainability and/or international community development, with an ability to connect the local to the national to the international
- Experience developing, leading or significantly contributing to the strategic direction of an organisation
- A demonstrable ability to effectively balance internal and external leadership responsibilities
Values & Characteristics
- High levels of emotional intelligence and diplomacy balanced against personal conviction, with a participatory and inclusive approach to leadership
- An authentic passion for the change Fairtrade is trying to achieve in the world with an ability to communicate this vision, internally and externally
- Shared values of accountability, integrity, respect, and partnership
- A commitment to equitable community and international development, for example in the context of conversations around shifting power
- An ability to catalyse and channel the passion and skills of those around you, sharing the stage or taking the lead as appropriate
- A demonstrable commitment to staff wellbeing
Valuable Experience, Abilities and Characteristics
Each of the following would be a valuable asset for the role and you’ll need several to do it well, but individually these aren’t essential requirements:
- Experience of working with cross-sector partnerships
- Experience of working in an international federation
- Experience of leading or contributing to advocacy initiatives, or working in an advocacy / campaigning environment
- Knowledge of international supply chains
- Knowledge of the political environment governing international trade
- Experience of working with a unionised workforce
- Non-English language skills could be helpful, particularly French or Spanish