External Engagement & Communications Lead

The External Engagement and Communications Lead is responsible for the Executive Director's external positioning, public presence, and strategic stakeholder engagement. This senior role leads the strategic direction and delivery of the Executive Director's highest-priority external engagements, thought leadership, and communications to strengthen GCF's positioning in the international climate finance landscape.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver on the Executive Director's external positioning and thought leadership in line with the overall GCF communications strategy, ensuring that the Executive Director’s public voice, priorities, and high-level engagements advance GCF institutional objectives.
• Design the Executive Director's external positioning strategy, identifying and shaping the highest-impact communications moments.
• Ensure Executive Director thought leadership is strategically sequenced and coherent across platforms and moments.
• Develop compelling narratives that translate complex technical or policy content into accessible, persuasive communications, working with technical divisions to integrate institutional knowledge, data, and evidence.
• Monitor the global policy, geopolitical, and climate finance landscape to anticipate moments of opportunity or risk relevant to the Executive Director's external positioning.
• Lead the strategic management of the Executive Director's most significant external relationships, ensuring they are purposefully cultivated, well-prepared, and aligned with GCF's broader institutional goals.
• Advise on the strategic sequencing and prioritization of high-level external engagements across governments, multilateral institutions, private finance, philanthropy, and civil society.
• Identify strategic opportunities for the Executive Director to advance GCF's mandate through participation in key global processes, high-level forums, and strategic networks.
• Accompany the Executive Director on overseas missions as external relations lead, coordinating real-time media, stakeholder, and public engagement.
• Ensure effective follow-through on high-level engagements, working with OED and relevant divisions to translate meetings and commitments into institutional action.
• Serve as the senior point of contact within OED for external counterparts seeking engagement with the Executive Director, exercising discretion and sound judgment in managing those relationships.
• Represent the Executive Director or GCF in external settings when delegated, acting with the authority and composure that such representation requires.
• Lead media strategy for the Executive Director's highest-priority engagements across public, institutional, and internal settings, in dotted line coordination with the Department of Communications.
• Develop media strategy and prepare the Executive Director for significant media engagements—including Tier 1 global outlets and high-profile interviews—producing background research, anticipated questions, Q&A documents, quotes, statements, and key message guidance.
• Provide strategic direction on communications approaches for major institutional announcements and milestones where the Executive Director's voice is central.
• Support coordination with journalists and outlets, in coordination with Department of Communications, on choice of outlets, interview logistics, fact-checking, and follow-up materials, and maintain strategic relationships with senior journalists and editors at key outlets.
• Monitor media coverage of the Executive Director and GCF, flagging relevant developments and opportunities, and ensuring messaging is coordinated with Department of Communications on broader institutional communications.
• Serve as principal writer for the Executive Director, producing speeches, op-eds, briefing materials, social media, talking points, presentation decks, one-pagers, and other messaging documents for the Executive Director's engagements.
• Draft internal emails, memos, announcements, and messages from the Executive Director to GCF staff, board members, and stakeholders, including messaging for town halls and all-staff meetings, ensuring appropriate tone, transparency, and alignment with organizational culture and the broader internal communications strategy, in coordination with Department of Communications.
• Together with Department of Communications, maintain a repository of key messages, talking points, and institutional language for consistent use across all communications.
• Play a senior leadership role within OED, reporting to the Chief of Staff, ensuring that the Executive Director’s external agenda is aligned with Secretariat priorities, particularly as it interfaces with the wider Secretariat.
• Provide the Chief of Staff and Executive Director with candid, strategic counsel on political and institutional dynamics and emerging reputational considerations.
• Work closely with the Chief of Staff to align the Executive Director’s external agenda with Secretariat priorities, leadership decisions, and internal institutional realities.
• Lead OED's planning for major external milestones, including key missions, major conferences, Board-related moments, and institutional milestones.
• Act as a senior strategic partner to Department of Communications, Department External Relations, and other relevant divisions, ensuring that the Executive Director’s priorities are integrated into shared external affairs objectives while respecting and reinforcing the mandates of those divisions.

Requirements

• Master's degree in communications, international relations, public policy, journalism, or a related field; or Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline, combined with an additional two (2) years of relevant professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
• 15 years of progressively responsible experience in external affairs, executive communications, speechwriting, international affairs, or strategic advisory roles—with a demonstrated track record of both shaping strategy and personally producing high-impact communications for principal-level leaders in complex, high-stakes environments.
• Exceptional writing ability across the full range of executive formats, including speeches, op-eds, publications, media briefing materials, social media, presentations, and internal communications, with demonstrated ability to write in an executive voice and adapt tone for diverse audiences.
• Deep familiarity with the international climate finance architecture and the multilateral institutional landscape, with the credibility to engage senior counterparts across governments, MDBs, and global institutions.
• Strong media relations skills, including the ability to develop briefing materials, Q&As, and talking points for high-stakes interviews, and experience preparing senior leaders for Tier 1 media engagement.
• Exceptional strategic thinking and the ability to design comprehensive external engagement strategies that advance institutional and executive positioning.
• Strong research skills and the ability to quickly master complex technical or policy content.
• Strong diplomatic judgment, cross-cultural awareness, and political sensitivity, with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted working relationships across institutional boundaries and operate effectively as a senior strategic partner to divisional leadership.
• Ability to operate with maturity, agility, and composure in fast-paced, high-pressure environments, managing multiple competing priorities under tight deadlines.
• Ability to travel internationally on a regular basis.
• Fluency in English required; additional language skills (French, Spanish, Portuguese, or others relevant to GCF's work) a bonus.

Skills

• Executive Communications
• Speech Writing
• Strategic Advisory
• External Affairs
• High-Impact Communications
• Writing for Executive Audiences
• Media Relations
• Briefing Material Preparation
• Social Media Communication
• Presentation Development
• Internal Communications
• Climate International Finance
• Multilateral Institutional Engagement
• Strategic External Engagement
• Research Skills
• Diplomatic Judgment
• Cultural Awareness
• Political Sensitivity
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Travel readiness

Languages

English