Director - Sustainability and Social Impact - London, United Kingdom - Edelman

Description

The Edelman sustainability, social impact and purpose team is growing. We help build trust between companies, institutions, and citizens. We advise Edelman's biggest clients on their strategies and programmes to deliver positive social and environmental impact and build their reputation with all stakeholders, from employees to industry partners to investors to consumers. We develop and deploy stand out purpose positioning and communications that stand-out in culture. Today our work includes advising organisations across Edelman's enviable client list including Unilever, IKEA, Mars, Astra Zeneca, Haleon, Chanel and WBCSD.

With deep specialist expertise, complemented with a passion for the potential for effective action-led communication to drive real impact in the world, you will help the world's biggest brands connect with their audiences, by working collaboratively across the entire Edelman network to deliver measurable societal, reputational and commercial impact. We work in close partnership with our research and strategy colleagues, and client teams in our Brand and Corporate practices.

In order to continue to grow and deliver at a pace, we're now looking for an energetic and ambitious Director to lead the growth of this specialist function with a particular focus on senior sustainability advisory, sustainability communications and purpose strategy and guide award-winning storytelling campaigns. This role is based in London with the opportunity to work on EMEA and global projects.

You will also work in collaboration with senior team colleagues to continue to build and refine our offer and product set. Additionally, using key insights and Edelman's owned IP, particularly the Trust Barometer, you will develop strong strategic platforms and perform with professional integrity to become a trusted counsel to top-tier clients.

• Deep understanding and continual curiosity around the current sustainability topics
• Expert leadership and counsel for selected sustainability, social impact and purpose projects, providing expert advice to our clients and colleagues on their strategies and campaigns as part of an integrated team
• Advising clients confidently and maturely on impactful campaigns to drive reputation on environmental and social issues, including PR, digital, social and content creation and measurement
• Helping to developing impact programme proposals, defining change theories and establishing third-sector partnerships to deliver and scale societal impact

• Work with partners to develop growth for the practice and agency more widely – building on an already strong portfolio of accounts through both organic growth and new brand acquisitions
• Drive deeper integration across the group's planning, creative, digital, influencer, research and storytelling disciplines to continue to find the best ways to deliver meaningful campaigns that stand out in culture, affect positive change and increase Trust in our clients' brands
• Work with existing Edelman major client teams to deepen relationships and expand our remit, and bring work from those clients into the SSIP specialist practice

• Deliver game changing programmes and creative ideas for all clients, elevating Edelman's creative achievements and reputation within the impact communications space; recognised by winning high value awards e.g. Cannes Lions
• Bring innovation and fresh thinking through specific briefs but also proactively against commercial priorities
• Bring fresh approaches to impactful partnerships and brand campaigning
• Instil and drive a sense of progression and innovation through the wider teams, ensuring that the integrated Edelman team are advancing industry leading practice and new thinking
• Support and develop Edelman's IP and marketing initiatives, helping to develop our position in the market and maximising the role of the Edelman Trust Barometer for existing and potential clients

• Demonstrate deep sector and client business knowledge to deliver high-value strategic client counsel that yields consistently high scores in client satisfaction – both anecdotal and on formal reviews
• Drive effective, high quality, collaborative responses to RFPs and other briefs
• Demonstrate an ability to pitch and win business
• Working with Planners and the Edelman Intelligence team, ensure insights and analytics are at the core of all our work
• Drive deeper integration that deliver against multi-practice revenue targets

• Help develop a top talent retention strategy and actively participate in attracting and reviewing new hires
• Work with senior members of the other London based teams to ensure optimal team design and structure across teams for both high quality delivery and efficiency
• Be responsible for finances, including accurate scoping, forecasting and capacity planning
• Support and coach account leads in devising and managing projects
• Ensure appropriate client authorisations are received prior to beginning the work
• Understand different pricing structures and how they work (e.g., hourly versus retainer); drive advocacy for the best model per account

• Act as a champion amongst the Edelman senior management team and work collaboratively at this level to deliver company priorities
• Deliver cross practice and agency wide programmes
• Represent your team and the company at key external marketing events, to support new business initiatives and to recruit top talent
• Responsible for the career-pathing and team and line-management

• Proven experience working with leading businesses and brands on sustainability, social impact or purpose strategies and campaigns – a breadth of experience across environmental and social sustainability campaigns is preferred
• Strong, proven track record of high-level client advisory and counsel
• Confidence in working with multidiscipline client-side teams – for example, experience working with corporate affairs, marketing, sustainability, procurement and HR teams within a client organisation
• Experienced in theories of change, behaviour change, impact measurement and reporting
• Proven ability to develop and manage multistakeholder partnerships focused on positive environmental and societal impact
• Strong creative capabilities and best in class delivery of campaigns end to end
• Strong understanding of digital and other technologies for storytelling and communications
• Experience of working with brand research and social impact measurement
• Proven ability in identifying areas of growth and opportunity for clients
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to inspire and unite teams behind the offer, with experience of successfully selling in those concepts to clients and seeing them through to execution
• Global experience and mindset: understanding of diverse global market needs and cultural nuances.

LI-SS34

Edelman is a global communications firm that partners with businesses and organizations to evolve, promote and protect their brands and reputations. Our 6,000 people in more than 60 offices deliver communications strategies that give our clients the confidence to lead and act with certainty, earning the trust of their stakeholders. Our honors include the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for PR; Advertising Age's 2019 A-List; the Holmes Report's 2018 Global Digital Agency of the Year; and, five times, Glassdoor's Best Places to Work. Since our founding in 1952, we have remained an independent, family-run business. Edelman owns specialty companies Edelman Data & Intelligence (DxI) and United Entertainment Group (entertainment, sports, lifestyle).

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