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Job vacancy

Policy and Impact Director

Closing date: 9 May 2025

Salary: ELN Grade F1 (£93,952.49)

Location: Remote, with right to work in the UK or Germany. Options for coworking with colleagues and in-person team gatherings roughly every 8 weeks. Travel for business is also to be expected.

Contract type: Full-time; 37.5-hours per week (opportunities for flexible working considered)

Contact: charissef@europeanleadershipnetwork.org

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About the ELN:

The European Leadership Network (ELN) is an independent, non-partisan, pan-European network of over 450 past, present and future European leaders working to provide practical real-world solutions to political and security challenges. Our mission is to educate governments and the public and resolve conflicts in relation to the gravest risks to European security in the areas where the ELN can make the greatest difference.

The ELN is a Network, not a Think Tank, that aims to advance for the public benefit of national and international conflict resolution, education and research on security and related challenges in Europe, and the sound administration of, and compliance with, established international law on multilateral nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The ELN’s strategic vision is to deliver these goals effectively through its Network of experienced and emerging leaders, which is at the heart of everything we do.

Purpose of Role:

The Policy and Impact Director plays a critical role in building ELN’s influence and impact by ensuring our Network is utilised to maximum effect and, along with the rest of the senior leadership and management teams, ensuring that the ELN runs robustly and efficiently.  The job requires outstanding leadership skills, high levels of policy expertise and political acumen, excellent communication and a sharp focus on outcomes, results and organisational impact.

The post holder will help shape the ELN’s strategic vision, lead our direction and strategy on Network development and alignment, and on communications, and will collaborate closely with the Policy and Research Director on government relations and on designing projects for policy impact. They act as an ambassador for the ELN with relevant governments and the media and help to build the ELN’s profile and credibility with a wide range of external stakeholders as well as Network members. The Policy and Impact Director will be expected to be involved in the ELN’s’ fundraising efforts, including by identifying funding opportunities, drafting proposals for new projects as well as supporting fundraising efforts across the team. They will also oversee colleagues working on Network engagement, development and alignment, communications, and commissioning; ensure structures and systems are in place for these areas of ELN work and for government outreach; and ensure close collaboration across the full ELN team.

Accountabilities:

The key accountabilities of the post holder are:

  • Focused, ambitious and effective network, communications, and impact components of the ELN strategy that will help build better security for Europe.
  • ELN maintains and strengthens its reputation for high-quality policy work of direct relevance to decision-makers’ needs.
  • Opportunities to influence government decision-makers and policy debates are identified. In coordination with the Policy and Research Director, effective reach on policy work delivered through a range of government contacts, networks, and media channels.
  • ELN messages gain ground in media and in the wider policy ecosystem (such as think tanks, expert communities and other influencers).
  • Effective performance of the Policy and Impact team, with team members consistently meeting objectives and targets.
  • The job supports ELN fundraising by identifying funding opportunities, liaising with governmental, philanthropic and private sector funders, as well as proposal writing.
  • The position oversees the achievement of impact and impact metrics for funders and contributes to the monitoring of funder commitments in the senior management team.
  • Excellent, well-managed strategic relationships and partnerships relevant to the impact, network and comms that enhance ELN’s ability to influence and shape global security policy.
  • Our Network of leaders is engaged and help us to deliver meaningful and measurable impact, and more people want to join and work actively with us.
  • Our Network is seen as a powerful asset by our team as well as by external decision-makers and partners.
  • Our communications are highly effective in both quality and reach.
  • ELN has a high-performing, inclusive and impact-focused culture.

Ensures that the ELN can plan, measure, evaluate and articulate our impact clearly and effectively

Responsibilities:

These responsibilities indicate the range of activities that the post holder may be responsible for, rather than an expectation that any one person would cover all these activities at once.

Strategy and development

  • As part of the Senior Management Team, play a lead role in shaping and delivering the ELN’s overall mission and strategy.
  • Oversee and lead the development and implementation of an impact strategy that underpins our overall mission.
  • Lead ELN’s strategies and plans around media and communication, and work with the Policy and Research Director and other colleagues to advance government relations and policy influence in our key areas of work.
  • Seek out, appraise, and nurture strategic opportunities for ELN to grow, develop and become more influential.
  • Ensure that clear objectives, KPIs and work plans are in place across the Policy and Impact Team.
  • Develop and write funding proposals as agreed with the Senior Management Team and identify new opportunities for fundraising and business development.
  • Take a lead role in setting out and monitoring the planning and performance reporting framework used across ELN. This will include clear methods and tools for impact measurement.

Management of people and resources

  • Lead a positive and inclusive culture across the organisation by ensuring impact work is aligned to the aims of ELN and role-modelling the values and inclusive leadership behaviours, including diversity and equality.
  • Champion and set the tone for an impact-focused culture across ELN, where all colleagues are encouraged and supported to understand and articulate the difference that we make to European security.
  • Ensure the effective allocation and use of resources across the Impact Directorate to ensure excellent value, impact, and prioritisation.
  • Manage colleagues within the team effectively providing coaching, 1-2-1s, support and performance management in line with the organisation’s performance framework.
  • Develop and manage significant budgets and resources related to impact work as agreed with the ELN’s Executive Director.
  • Ensure support and adequate resources and expertise is provided for fundraising activities.
  • Deputise, or partially deputise, for the ELN’s Executive Director in their absence, as appropriate.

Delivery

  • Ensure effective systems and culture are in place for developing, growing, and engaging our Network of leaders.
  • Actively build relationships with governments and senior political figures / leaders in the many ways that increase impact to promote ELN and help to ensure that our work is effectively shaped to maximise impact.
  • Meet and win the confidence of key decision makers so that they and their institutions become more receptive to ELN work, and so ELN can be better informed about their interests and needs.
  • Work with the Policy and Research Director to spot and seek out political opportunities for ELN to maximise our real-world impact.
  • Devise, commission, edit publications, commentaries, social media, and audio-visual outputs that are relevant to policymakers’ needs and interests.
  • Implement a robust evaluation framework that will enable us to assess results and monitor impact.
  • Deliver presentations and represent ELN at significant conferences and meetings as agreed with the ELN’s Executive Director. Ensure an effective and structured approach to media activity and journalist briefings.
  • Develop relations with high-priority journalists and op-ed editors.
  • Ensure the effective oversight and leadership of events, conferences, and overseas high-level delegation visits.
  • Assist with fundraising relevant to strategic priorities as agreed with the ELN’s Executive Director.

Governance and risk

  • Ensure strong governance in line with charitable requirements.
  • Take a lead role in ensuring compliance within our impact work with relevant legislation, policies, and good practice, including around Health and Safety, data protection, employment law etc.

Stakeholders

  • Establish and manage positive and productive relationships with high-level strategic stakeholders within governments, political institutions, thinktanks, the media and academia – using these to build the capacity and influence of ELN.
  • Ensure effective relationship mapping and management across the organisation – enabling us to work with stakeholders in a coordinated, efficient, and productive way.
  • Take a lead role in managing relationships with (current and potential) high-value funders and commercial partners.

Other

  • Be an enthusiastic advocate for our values.
  • Be administratively self-supporting, e.g. take care of own diary management, schedule meetings, take notes of meetings, process own expenses.
  • Maintain own professional networks and promote ELN on a local and national level.
  • Undertake any other duties and responsibilities commensurate with the post.
Applicant requirements and how to apply

Deadline: 9 May 2025

Please visit our website careers page for the full person specification, detailing the essential and desirable experience for the position and expanding on the position’s responsibilities and accountabilities.

  • To apply, please email your CV and 1-page cover letter to: [email protected].
  • The position is open to applicants with a permit to work in the UK and Germany. Please enquire about location eligibility.
  • ELN is committed to creating a diverse environment and becoming an equal-opportunity employer. Therefore, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment.
  • For more information on the European Leadership Network, please visit our website at europeanleadershipnetwork.org