Director, Public Affairs

Director, Public Affairs Job Title: Director, Public Affairs Location: Remote, Washington D.C. Preferred Supervisor: Vice President, Strategic Partnerships The Director of Public Affairs is a U.S.-based role that promotes transparency and ensures that accurate information about EF is shared with U.S. and international stakeholders. The role helps build understanding of EF's work with English speaking audiences and supports its ability to operate effectively. Reporting to the Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and working closely with the President, legal counsel, and China-based Corporate Communications Team to coordinate cross-country risk and communications alignment, the Director of Public Affairs will: Design and implement a communications and engagement strategy that promotes a transparent and accurate understanding of EF among key external stakeholders, including external legal advisors, media, peer NGOs, research institutions, academia, and more. Respond to media inquiries and proactively engage with U.S. and international media to provide factual information and ensure EF's work is represented accurately and credibly. Track public-policy, geopolitical, and international media developments relevant to EF to help EF respond to changing contexts and manage risks. Coordinate EF's efforts to mitigate risks by collaborating with all the relevant teams within EF and the stakeholders outside EF. The ideal candidate is a well-networked leader who has deep understanding of stakeholder engagement and the context of complex geopolitics, as well as passion for systems-level climate/energy work. They should have exceptional experience in relationship-building and stakeholder engagement, as well as storytelling. Stakeholder Engagement Cultivate and manage relationships with key international stakeholders relevant to EF's work, including legal service providers, media, peer NGOs, research institutions, academia, and more. Increase accurate understanding among these stakeholders of EF's mission, history, impact, and identity as a U.S.-headquartered, independent grantmaking charitable organization that provides funding for research, pilot demonstrations, capacity building, and international exchange related to climate change and China. Participate in relevant events in the U.S. and other places, as appropriate, on behalf of EF (e.g., Climate Week NYC), helping to maintain the organization's credibility and neutral/independent profile. Risk Management and Compliance Awareness Monitor and assess public-policy, geopolitical, and media developments relevant to EF. Manage relations with external relevant players, including those in the public-policy, geopolitical, and media spheres, while maintaining EF's non-lobbying, non-advocacy posture. Work closely with leadership, internal legal counsel, corporate communications and program teams to identify institutional risks and coordinate mitigation actions. Ensure internal alignment on risk-related issues and conduct periodic training for staff on compliance, communications, and risk management protocols. Provide strategic advice to senior management and the Board on emerging risks and political developments that could impact EF's work. Serve as a bridge to donors and peer institutions, communicate as needed on operating contexts and constraints in a transparent and responsible manner. Communications and Crisis Management Develop communication strategies that reflect EF's mission and independence while maintaining sensitivity to the geopolitical dynamics. Working closely with the Corporate Communications team, monitor international perceptions of the organization and implement strategies to protect EF's reputation. Lead or coordinate responses to international media inquiries and external communications as warranted. Serve as EF's English-language spokesperson when appropriate, ensuring factual, balanced representation. Advise cross-programmatic teams on how to tell compelling, accurate narratives about EF's work. Cultivate and pitch stories to international media as warranted. Periodically suggest and contribute content for EF's website and social media feeds. Provide review and risk-sensitivity guidance on organizational publications, public statements, and website or social media content. Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field. Master's degree preferred. Working Experience: at least 10 years of related work experience in public affairs, government relations, corporate communications, risk and crisis management, public relations, etc. Experience in philanthropy, government, civil society, CSR, or some combination thereof is preferred, as is experience in energy, environment, or climate change. Language Level: native-level English skills required; while Mandarin language skills and an understanding of Chinese culture are preferred but not required, experience in cross-cultural contexts is essential. Networking: the ability to develop new alliances and formal networks, mobilize external resources, and foster relationships with key stakeholders to achieve long-term mutual interests. Communication and Coordination Skills: strong negotiation and diplomacy skills, and excellent verbal, written, and storytelling communication skills are essential attributes for the role. Team Leadership: able to define direction and develop shared purpose, build a team with strong coaching skills, provide timely constructive feedback to team members, and support them in long-term career development. Strategic Thinking: an independent thinker with a systems-level view, able to understand different areas of climate/energy, development-related issues, and the field landscape. Able to anticipate future scenarios with big-picture thinking, and able to maintain balance and an awareness of the status of all programs. Problem Solving: able to define and prioritize key issues, make analyses with logical reasoning, utilize and synergize various resources to summarize and find solutions, and use a holistic approach to determine the best solution. Success Factors Ethical Behavior/Integrity – Demonstrates principled performance and sound ethics, showing consistency among principles, values, and behaviors to build trust and credibility internally and externally. Broader Views for Systematic Solution – Proactively link program strategy and goals with the ones of the whole organization and other related programs, as appropriate, for cooperation and organization-wide capacity enhancement. Mission-driven/Initiative – Inspired by the organization's vision and mission, and takes actions with ownership, a can-do attitude, and a proactive mindset. Team Spirit – Collaboratively works toward solutions that benefit all involved parties; willingly cooperates with others to accomplish team/organization objectives. Energy Foundation China