SLOCAT Partnership’s current Secretary General Maruxa Cardama has announced she will step down from her role in December 2025. Over the past seven years, she has consolidated SLOCAT’s role as a leading multistakeholder partnership, setting ambitious global agendas and catalyzing progressive thinking for the urgent transformation of transport and mobility systems worldwide.
The SLOCAT Board of Directors is looking for an experienced, values-driven, visionary and entrepreneurial leader to build upon SLOCAT’s legacy of impact over the past 15 years and lead the next frontier of the sustainable, low-carbon transport movement. The movement has advanced significantly over these years, and SLOCAT is today the go-to place for international collaboration.
With its international, multi-stakeholder network of over 100
members, SLOCAT is widely recognised for its leading convening power and strong outreach capacities, longstanding thought leadership in sustainable, low-carbon transport, and skilled collaboration within and beyond the transport community. Over the years, through direct collaboration with a panoply of actors and donors, SLOCAT has also consolidated its international
recognition as a reputable, trustworthy, competent partner.
The next Secretary General will join at a pivotal moment: as SLOCAT embarks on a new strategic planning cycle, while the interface between transport, sustainability, climate action and social justice is as critical as ever. This is an extraordinary opportunity for a visionary leader to guide our
global partnership.
About SLOCAT Partnership
SLOCAT accelerates the transformation of transport systems and services towards inclusive, healthy, green and resilient solutions for people and the planet.
SLOCAT provides collaborative data and evidence-based knowledge, action initiatives, political strategies, dialogue, and strategic communications. This helps build collective thought leadership and advocacy at the crossroads of transport, sustainability, climate and social justice issues. SLOCAT emphasises all land transport modes with universal analyses and actions, especially for low- and middle-income countries.
About the position
Working closely with the Board of Directors (elected by SLOCAT Partners) and leading the Secretariat team, the SLOCAT Secretary General is responsible for:
● Setting strategic vision, developing multiannual strategies, and driving programme delivery.
● Serving as spokesperson for and a senior public face of SLOCAT.
● Nurturing and expanding the SLOCAT Partnership and its networks.
● Ensuring institutional sustainability through robust fundraising, business development, and effective and accountable operations.
● Managing and coaching the SLOCAT team to fulfill their potential.
Overview of responsibilities
Vision and strategy
● Develop and implement SLOCAT’s strategic vision and multiannual strategic plan in consultation with SLOCAT Partners and funders, and in alignment with the directives of the Board.
● Design and oversee coherent work programmes, decision-making processes,
organisational architecture, and performance and evaluation frameworks that leverage the Partnership and enable effective delivery of the strategy.
● Foster innovation, adaptive management, and responsive activities to address evolving transport, climate, and sustainability challenges and opportunities.
● Engage regularly with the SLOCAT Board of Directors and report through its Chairperson.
Public representation
● Lead and serve as a senior public face of SLOCAT, representing the organisation at high-level events and meetings, and creating profile-raising opportunities to advance its mission and highlight the contributions of its Partners.
● Develop and nurture strategic relationships with policymakers and decision-makers in government, multilateral organisations, civil society, philanthropy, academia, and the private sector, as well as with peers and leaders in the sustainable transport community and related movements.
● Ensure SLOCAT is seen as a thought leader and provide strategic guidance on
communications, campaigning, and outreach, ensuring alignment and coherence in core messaging.
Partners and networks
● Build and sustain productive relationships with SLOCAT Partners and networks to ensure delivery of the added value they expect from their association with SLOCAT.
● Proactively identify and facilitate opportunities to co-design, co-fundraise, and co-deliver projects and activities with SLOCAT Partners that advance the implementation of the multiannual strategic plan.
● Develop and implement strategies to enlarge SLOCAT’s Partners and network base across the broader transport spectrum and other relevant communities.
Fundraising and business development
● Lead the development, implementation, continuous evaluation, and adaptation of fundraising and business development strategies, collaborative planning, and prioritisation of resources, to enable the successful delivery of programmes and commitments.
● Cultivate and manage mutually beneficial funder relationships and partnerships.
● Foster a culture of proactive business development and robust funder relations.
Institutional sustainability | Operations
● Ensure alignment and compliance with SLOCAT’s governance rules and structures across all workstreams and modes of operation, both internally and externally.
● Work closely with the Chairperson to support and facilitate the work of the Board, including the preparation of Board meetings.
● Set and oversee annual budgeting and financial reporting processes, in close cooperation with the Treasurer and under the directives and scrutiny of the Board.
● Ensure sound, cost-effective, and accountable financial and organisational administration, with full compliance to all relevant legal and financial requirements, including those of SLOCAT’s funders, across all areas and service providers.
● Anticipate and proactively manage organisational risks of all kinds.
● Maintain, update, and develop all necessary operating policies and procedures.
People and culture
● Champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and a values-driven culture across all organisational levels and processes, and external engagements.
● Manage, coach, and empower the multicultural Secretariat team through approaches and tools that prioritise health and well-being, support effective remote work across timezones, and enable staff to grow and reach their full potential.
● Oversee talent acquisition, performance management, and enabling environments, professional development, and succession planning, using inclusive and values-driven approaches that promote learning, collaboration, and well-being.
Who are we looking for?
Academic background
Essential: Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field.
Professional background
Essential: At least one of the following:
● At least 10 years of experience in senior leadership roles in civil society NGOs or industry associations with a broad diversity of actors/members, and ideally with a broad diversity of geographies, advocating and delivering multi-actor projects in transnational (United Nations, EU, multilateral spaces, etc) or national environments.
● At least 10 years of experience in senior leadership roles in transnational agencies, national or subnational government, agencies, or similar.
● At least 10 years of management experience in senior roles in multinational and multicultural organisations, with strong track record and skills on leading on strategy setting, business development and operations.
Essential: Experience and subject matter expertise across multiple issue areas at the crossroads of transport, sustainability, climate and social justice issues. Essential: Familiarity with transport, sustainability and climate policy, including under the United
Nations Framework Climate Convention on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Desirable: Experience of working in different countries, particularly in the so-called Global South.
Competencies, skills and key attributes
● Values-driven professional with a proactive, open-minded, and results-focused mindset.
● Strategic, critical thinker and analyst, committed to SLOCAT’s mission and vision, and to championing inclusive spaces for the Global South, low- and middle-income countries, and underrepresented communities.
● Inspirational and empathetic leader, with a track record at motivating peers and managing diverse, multicultural teams.
● Relationship-building orientation and abilities, with a proven capacity to sustain both formal partnerships and informal networks built on collegiality, trust, confidence, and respect, and to mobilise multi-actor coalitions for collective action.
● Effective communicator, including the ability to write complex documents quickly and articulate complex themes for multiple audiences/settings (e.g., staff and Board, Partners and funders, government officials, advocacy groups, philanthropy, etc.)
● Accomplished and engaging public speaker.
● Entrepreneurial, with a strong track record in business development and fundraising.
● Proven expertise in strategy planning and in financial, resource, and risk management.
● Experienced in recruitment, talent, and staff development.
● Sensitivity and open-mindness in working across cultures and differences; intellectual resourcefulness and resilience in navigating uncertainty and complexity.
● Willing and able to travel internationally, with adaptability to varying schedules and working hours as required.
● Exceptional personal and professional integrity, judgement, and the highest work standards; brings flexibility, high & positive energy, and humility to the SLOCAT team.
Languages
Essential: High degree of proficiency in English (spoken and written).
Desirable: Additional languages are an asset.
What do we offer?
You will lead one of the best-known and largest international partnerships at the crossroads of transport, sustainability, climate and social justice issues, and evolve within a vibrant and committed community of peers and like-minded leaders.
This is a remote position so you will be able to work from your current location.
SLOCAT offers an independent contractor arrangement, with a package in line with non-profit organisations of similar team and budget size, including paid vacation days. Candidates must have existing work authorization in the country where they are or would like to be based. SLOCAT is unable to provide visa or work permit sponsoring.
How to apply?
Interested candidates are invited to submit their application in English, consisting of their CV and a 2-3 page motivation letter outlining their interest in SLOCAT and elaborating how the candidate’s skills and experience are aligned with the position’s Terms of Reference, as well as indicating their earliest availability.
Applications should be sent to recruitment[@]slocatpartnership.org with the subject line “First name Last name – SLOCAT Secretary General” no later than Saturday, 11 October 2025.
Early applications are encouraged, as we will evaluate applications on a rolling basis.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for a first-round of online interviews in late October. A second round may be scheduled at a later date.
The successful candidate should ideally be able to start by 5 January 2026, or during the first quarter of 2026 at the latest.
All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Equal opportunity
SLOCAT is an equal opportunity contractor and encourages applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of racial or ethnic origin, opinions or beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, health or disabilities.