Director, External Affairs

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director, External Affairs based in Netherlands.

The Director, External Affairs will shape the organization’s profile, reputation, and engagement with influential stakeholders across the philanthropy sector.
The role will lead external affairs, media relations, brand strategy, digital engagement, and executive communications.
A key focus will be building compelling, evidence-based narratives around climate, health, nature, food systems, and balanced diets.
You will work closely with philanthropy, grants, strategy, and impact teams to support fundraising and stakeholder engagement objectives.
The position will oversee external communications partners and coordinate initiatives across a globally distributed organization.
You will also develop event strategies, strengthen senior-leader profiles, and manage communications across multiple markets and audiences.
This is a fully remote, international role suited to a strategic and entrepreneurial communications leader who thrives in a fast-moving environment.

• Develop and implement an external affairs strategy in partnership with senior leadership, aligned with organizational growth and fundraising objectives.

• Design targeted engagement strategies for key audiences across the climate, health, nature, and philanthropy sectors.

• Lead cross-functional communications initiatives, coordinating with teams across the organization and ensuring consistent messaging.

• Manage external communications partners, including agencies, designers, and content creators, ensuring their work supports strategic communications goals.

• Monitor, analyze, and report on external affairs performance using relevant metrics and insights.

• Shape compelling, evidence-based narratives around balanced diets and food systems transformation, adapting messaging for different cultural and geographic audiences.

• Develop messaging frameworks and create or curate written, visual, and storytelling content that resonates with diverse donor audiences.

• Develop and oversee an events strategy, including donor and grantee convenings, while coordinating with philanthropy, grants, strategy, and impact teams.

• Lead media relations and proactive profile-building initiatives for the organization, CEO, and selected senior leaders.

• Build and maintain relationships with specialist and relevant mainstream media, identify proactive opportunities, and manage reactive media enquiries.

• Oversee reputation management, brand consistency, and crisis communications planning across external channels.

• Develop and maintain brand guidelines and ensure consistency across markets and touchpoints.

• Oversee digital communications, including the website and social media channels, in line with broader communications objectives.

• Develop high-impact communications materials that strengthen fundraising efforts and clearly articulate the organization’s value proposition.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, public relations, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

• Extensive, proven experience in strategic external affairs, communications, public relations, or a closely related senior role.

• Native or fluent English proficiency, both written and verbal; additional languages such as German or Portuguese are advantageous.

• Strong track record in media relations, brand development, senior executive profile building, and stakeholder engagement.

• Experience managing external communications agencies, consultants, and creative partners.

• Demonstrated experience leading international communications for a global organization operating across multiple regions.

• Strong understanding of sustainability, climate, and health issues, particularly where they intersect with food-system sustainability.

• Experience working with or within philanthropic organizations, foundations, NGOs, or similar mission-driven environments.

• Experience supporting executive profile building and working closely with fundraising or philanthropy teams.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to create compelling narratives for sophisticated philanthropy audiences.

• Strong strategic thinking skills, with the ability to translate organizational priorities into practical communications strategies and plans.

• Excellent media relations, digital communications, social media, and content management capabilities.

• Experience using communications analytics and performance metrics to evaluate effectiveness.

• Strong project and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver against tight deadlines.

• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across different organizational levels, cultures, and geographies.

• Collaborative leadership style and an entrepreneurial mindset suited to a growing organization.

• Comfort working with ambiguity, adapting quickly, and operating in a fast-paced, start-up-style environment.

• Creative problem-solving skills and a high degree of adaptability.

Benefits

• Fully remote position with flexibility to work across time zones between EDT and CET preferred.

• Full-time role within a globally distributed and international team.

• Opportunity to shape external affairs, communications, and reputation at a growing mission-driven organization.

• Exposure to senior stakeholders across philanthropy, climate, health, nature, and food-system transformation.

• High-impact role with direct contribution to fundraising, stakeholder engagement, and organizational growth.

• Collaborative, cross-functional working environment with teams spanning multiple regions.

• Opportunity to work with a broad network of external communications agencies, creative partners, philanthropies, and sector stakeholders.