Salary: circa £80k – £90k (on a graded system)
In the words of our founder, Nelson Mandela, The Elders “derives its strength not from political, economic, or military power, but from the independence and integrity of those who are here. They can speak freely and boldly, working both publicly and behind the scenes. They will support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict, and inspire hope where there is despair.”
Reflecting this spirit, our Director of Communications will be responsible for supporting and catalysing the influence of the Elders to deliver action on some of the most pressing and consequential issues facing humanity: the climate and nature crisis, pandemics, nuclear weapons, and conflict. The group of Elders holds a significant platform for change, and a core part of this role is to strengthen the role The Elders’ Secretariat plays in developing their public profile, advocacy campaigns and engagement partnerships, bolstering and maximising their influence across public constituencies and at the highest political levels.
Our Director of Communications will lead and manage a team of five that is responsible for media relations and analysis, brand development, content production and reputation management. This role works closely with individual Elders, reports to our CEO and plays an important role on our Senior Management Team of four, with strategic and organisational development responsibilities.
Finally, as a key member of our SMT, our Director of Communications will be an important steward of the culture of the Secretariat, ensuring that we remain an inclusive, agile, and welcoming organisation and become an increasingly diverse one, as we continue to hire staff around the world to better reflect and advise the diverse Elders we serve. How our Director of Communications leads is of fundamental importance to us.
External Responsibilities
- Drive the development and implementation of The Elders’ communications strategy to ensure our public advocacy delivers on Elders’ programme and organisational objectives.
- Provide counsel to Elders and other stakeholders on their communications outputs, identifying opportunities to boost influence and mitigate potential risks.
- Support, protect, and promote The Elders’ public profile for moral and ethical leadership among society’s leading figures, whether in civil society, the donor community, future political leaders or current decision-makers.
- Maintain an agile, responsive, and proactive approach to Elders’ requests and external events.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with senior media figures across the world, ensuring that The Elders’ communications reflect their global footprint and vision.
- Plan and execute high-profile multi-platform communications projects, including events and coordinated packages of activities to raise Elders’ profile and advance their programmatic objectives.
Internal Responsibilities
- Act as a member of The Elders’ Senior Management Team, including playing a role in developing and executing our strategy, and promoting teamwork, collaboration, respect and efficiency across all three Secretariat teams.
- Develop and lead a communications team that has global reach, ensuring that The Elders’ communications function is fit for purpose, dynamic, and influential, and that the team’s development is supported.
- Lead the development of communications as a strategic function for The Elders across a variety of channels, from print to digital media, ensuring that we are agile, responsive and proactive.
- Ensure that communications is integrated across The Elders, working effectively with our Programmes, Operations and Development teams.
- Oversee communications and engagement partnerships with our Advisory Council and other stakeholders / consultants / partners.
Working at The Elders
We operate a hybrid working policy, with a high degree of flexibility for staff. We ask staff to attend the office based on need, not a quota of days. We believe there are certain activities that are best conducted in person and also hold monthly “in days” when the whole team comes together. Additionally, some roles involve international travel, the timing of which is usually decided by Elders’ commitments. Aside from these obligations, staff are free to choose the balance between working remotely and working in the office that suits them best. We are based close to Green Park station in London, in a newly refurbished office.
In addition to a competitive salary we offer the following benefits:
- Private pension scheme with 10% employer contributions.
- Optional private medical and dental insurance.
- Group life assurance equivalent to 5 x annual salary.
- 28 days of paid annual leave (with 3 of these days on stipulated dates between the Christmas/New Year holidays) plus all UK bank holidays and public holidays.
- Enhanced parental leave.