Communications Director, Hydrogen

Put your passion and skills to work for the planet. Climate change is the most urgent issue of our time, and we need people like you to help us build a vital Earth — for everyone.

We’re Environmental Defense Fund, a fast-paced nonprofit with a growing staff of more than 1,000 people in nearly 30 countries. We deliver game-changing solutions that cut climate pollution and strengthen people’s ability to thrive despite the effects climate change is already having. We work wherever we can have the most impact, from local communities to top companies to governments worldwide, and even in space.

Our culture, values and commitment to diversity make EDF an exciting and meaningful place to work. Every job here makes a difference. Won’t you join us?

Overall Function

The Communications Director, Hydrogen, is responsible for spearheading the development and implementation of a global communications strategy that can achieve the goals of the hydrogen initiative and establish our issue experts as thought leaders. The Director oversees all functions of communications for the hydrogen work, including earned, social and paid media; digital content on edf.org and blogs; thought-leadership activities; and message/story development.

This position requires an understanding of and keen interest in the energy and climate space and its key players, and an ability to manage multiple projects at once across distributed teams that are working on this EDF initiative in Europe, the U.S. and Asia.

The ideal candidate is a strategic and creative thinker with a proven ability to use data and narrative storytelling to focus target audiences’ attention on nuanced messages and to develop and execute on communications strategies that influence decision-makers, motivate action and produce results. They distill complex policy, science and economic issues into simple, accurate and compelling narratives that advance our thought leadership.

The Director works closely with our hydrogen experts and policy teams, and the communicators supporting Energy Transition work across global regions. They will manage an outside consultancy hired to operate communications campaigns in markets relevant for progressing our work in Europe, the U.S. and Asia, and manage at least one team member. The Director reports to the Associate Vice President for Energy Transition Communications.

Key Responsibilities:

• Advise senior leaders on the most effective global communications strategies and tactics – both in real-time and in long-range planning discussions – to ensure message coherence and discipline and communication is maximized as an advocacy tool in achieving goals.
• Develop, implement and oversee communications strategies and tactics to advance goals, including media outreach, messaging, talking points, events, social media, digital communications and collateral development.
• Build and refine core narrative and messaging on the challenges and appropriate opportunities for deployment and use of hydrogen as part of a clean energy transition.
• Direct development of the global hydrogen media strategy to build EDF’s authority and market acceptance of our science on hydrogen’s climate impacts with stakeholders, media and influencers in key geographies.
• Develop a PR plan with KPIs, manage and monitor performance of PR team/contractors including RFPs, adhering to timelines, budgets, and approvals, and ensuring delivery of on-brand, on-message publicity and quality results; ideate and manage a content pipeline that feeds thought leadership work.
• Work closely with EDF experts to stay abreast of changes in objectives, strategies and communications needs; closely coordinate with other communications colleagues across EDF to ensure alignment and cross-pollination of ideas, strategies and messaging.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with targeted journalists.
• Plan and execute events such as press conferences and in-person meetings with journalists and other influential stakeholders.
• Oversee all social media elements including support for experts’ social accounts and coordination with EDF’s Digital Marketing Team across brand, region and energy accounts.
• Create, edit and proof written, digital and/or video materials under intense deadline pressure.
• Prepare staff with training and advice for communications opportunities.
• Manage and mentor more junior staff as appropriate.
• Participate in advancing EDF’s goals for diversity, equity and inclusion in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.
• Prepare summaries and analyses of media coverage on a quarterly basis.

Required Qualifications:

• Minimum of 10 years’ marketing/communications/media experience, preferably involving the intersection of science and technology with policy/public affairs and issue advocacy.
• Media experience on energy and environment required.
• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree in a related field is preferred.
• Proven ability to use communications as a tool to achieve policy goals.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Excellent collaborator with an inclusive approach to how they work and create content.
• Strong leadership, team management and mentoring skills.
• Superb communications strategy, writing, and editing skills.
• Experience pitching and developing strong relationships with top tier media, and track record of producing national media coverage; familiarity with environmental media is a plus.
• Experience providing creative communications support and strategy to multiple internal project teams simultaneously.
• Experience building a public platform for leaders within an organization.
• Experience hiring and managing communications consultants and internal staff.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Budgeting and strategic planning skills.
• Demonstrates self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Commitment to the mission of Environmental Defense Fund.

Hiring Range

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization.

The pay range for this role is 115,000 – 130,000 USD which takes into account factors such as candidate experience, skills, training, internal team equity and local norms.

Environmental Defense Fund is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant’s qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.

Environmental Defense Fund