Opportunity: Are you an experienced corporate campaigner and natural leader looking for the next global challenge? Keen to tackle some of the biggest drivers of climate change? Come and apply your proven campaign skills, management experience and strategic mindset to the steel sector, responsible for over 7% of annual GHG emissions. The sector has had little scrutiny or challenge until now – help SteelWatch to change that.
The Role: we seek an experienced corporate campaign leader as Campaigns Director in SteelWatch. This is an international, mainly remote, role that can be based in Asia or Europe and will be a key appointment shaping the growth of SteelWatch. You will develop our campaign strategy as we challenge huge steel producers and the wider steel sector to step up the pace of decarbonisation. You will support our campaign teams and allies on design and delivery of impactful change-making work, while supporting the growth of a pioneering team.
This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced campaign leader and strategist who wants to influence change in a sector that is just waking up to its role in a decarbonised future. You will be at the heart of the world’s first international climate campaign non-profit focused exclusively on steel.
You do not need to know about the steel sector per se. You do need to have an appetite for the fluidity and creativity of a start-up, wisdom from deep experience of corporate campaigns, great team-leadership and management skills, and an ability to straddle strategy and delivery.
This role can be located in Europe or Asia. We particularly seek applicants from across Asia, with the exception of India and China where we are unable to set up contracts at this time.
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The organization: SteelWatch is a new international civil society organisation, driving corporate accountability in the steel sector and urgent climate action. Our vision is a steel sector that underpins a thriving zero emissions economy. SteelWatch’s initial focus is to push the steel sector on-track with a 1.5 degree warming trajectory this side of 2030.
We are registered in the Netherlands and work internationally, mainly in Europe and East Asia. We complement the work of other civil society change-makers, bringing a vigilant voice, corporate scrutiny and a willingness to challenge.
SteelWatch developed during 2023, with registration in June 2023. We are already speaking out regularly and planning campaigns for 2024. We are growing fast, learning while doing, and anticipating a team of around 11 people by spring 2024.
The Role: The newly created role of Campaigns Director is critical for the growth and future direction of SteelWatch. You will lead the development of our long term campaign strategy while managing and supporting team members to create and deliver highly engaging, corporate campaigns in close collaboration with our global coalition allies. The Campaigns Director will be a key member of the senior team, sharing in the strategic leadership of the organisation, shaping our role and voice in the space, building team capacity and global alliances. The role reports to the Executive Director.
Responsibilities:
1. Strategy development: develop our long-term strategic approach to driving change in the steel sector via corporate campaigning. During 2024 this will include refining our own approach and voice in corporate campaigns, how we prioritise corporate and campaign targets or choose tactics within any given campaign. Within 2024-25 it will include reviewing how our work in OECD countries can contribute to change-making in China, India and beyond, and priorities for our geographic scope.
2. Support and steer ongoing campaigns and teams: support and steer our campaign teams (staff and allies) in Japan and Europe to design and implement campaigns effectively, supporting context-specific choice of tactics, adaptability of means combined with focus on clear goals.
3. Build SteelWatch voice: collaborating with communications colleagues and steel analysts (internal and external), harness communications opportunities to achieve our change-making goals. Speak on behalf of SteelWatch and support others to do so too.
4. Build alliances: identify and build key partnerships around our campaign approach such that SteelWatch resources are used to add value, build capacity of others, and collectively achieve more than each organisation could on its own.
5. Focus on impact: sharpen our campaign and strategic goals, assess how we will track and report on outcomes, and how we will pivot in response to change to keep driving impact.
6. Team leadership and engagement: Support and line manage campaign leads (in 2024, likely 2 posts). Actively help build a thriving team culture and team collaboration as SteelWatch grows in size and diversity.
7. Fundraising: Co-create funding opportunities and successful grant proposals, in collaboration with the ED, Operations Lead and wider team.
8. Other responsibilities assigned by the Executive Director.
Essential competencies and experience
Knowledge of the steel sector or heavy industry decarbonisation is useful but not essential. Broad familiarity with of drivers of climate change and the transition to a decarbonised world is required, as is understanding of the role of corporates in driving or blocking change.
About you – essential qualities you need
You are able to hold long-term, medium term and short-term perspectives at the same time, and move fluidly between them. You drive delivery and respond rapidly as information and insights emerge, but must also be able to reflect strategically and navigate towards long-term change.
You enjoy the flexibility and fluidity of a start-up organisation, being comfortable with change, keen to lean in to learning and committed to organisation building.
You have an instinct for change-making, a flair for spotting opportunities or vulnerabilities, and reacting to them creatively.
You do not hesitate to to call out and challenge laggards or greenwashing.
You are able to work early or late hours on some days to overlap with other time zones, and to travel at least twice per year
Essential skills and experience
At least 5-7 years’ experience (possibly considerably more) in designing and managing multiple campaigns targeted at corporate actors to drive change in their behaviour. Familiarity with a range of campaigning approaches and tactics.
Experience of change-making internationally, across countries and with international colleagues and partners, including in Asia.
Experience in developing, updating and delivering strategy; ability to plan and execute change-making with short, medium and long-term goals.
Proven experience in leading and managing others and working collaboratively across cultures and time zones.
Ability to convey an argument crisply and convincingly, both verbally and in writing.
Ability to digest the complexities of steel making and the decarbonisation transition sufficiently to identify campaign priorities and articulate campaign demands
Familiarity with broad approaches to transitioning to a decarbonised economy
Desirable skills and experience
Languages, particularly Korean, Japanese or other Asian languages
Passion for and understanding of the climate crisis
Experience of working with Global South colleagues
Experience of communication for campaigns/change-making, whether public presentations, writing, or digital
An eye for detail and experience of knowing which details matter, particularly for assessing and managing organisational risk.
Strong existing networks in civil society, climate action, or industry.
Knowledge of the drivers of climate emissions, the energy transition, or wider industrial contribution to emissions and decarbonisation.
Additional information:
Location: the position is remote but you would require a valid working permit for the location where the work is performed. You will be employed in that country. SteelWatch is unable to support any visa application process.
The work is mainly remote with some face to face depending on location. The working hours are flexible. Team members are currently located in Japan, UK, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands and as the team grows, we will continue to be internationally spread. So there will be some early mornings or evenings with ability to adjust your weekly schedule accordingly, to enable interaction across the team and timezones. Travel will be required, to work with allies and meet the team face to face.
Terms: The role is expected to be long-term and managed via an Employer of Record. The initial contract will be for 24 months, if feasible within local employment regulations.
Full-time/part-time: We see this as a full-time role, but are open to other options (minimum 60% unless a job share). Please specify your preference in your application, and if part-time state the number of days per week.
Equal opportunities: we strive to be an equal opportunities employer. We actively welcome applications from candidates from historically underrepresented groups in the climate change movement. If you require any adaptation or assistance during the application process, please let us know.
How to apply:
Send a cover letter (2 pages max), and a CV (3 pages max) to Caroline and Laura at opportunities@steelwatch.org. CVs submitted without a cover letter will not be reviewed.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Please mention in your cover letter the country you will be working from (and if you have a valid working visa for that country), any salary expectation and availability to start in the role.
The latest deadline to submit your application is Tuesday 21st November 2023 (by midnight in Europe). First round interviews will be between November 30th and December 8th.