Executive Director
March 2022
Letter from the Chair I’m delighted that you’re interested in the role of Executive Director at Greenpeace UK. You’re no doubt familiar with our work in defending the natural world and standing for a green and peaceful future. There is no more important task than this, and no time to delay. As Executive Director of one of the most established and influential environmental justice organisations in the UK, your leadership and passion to create change and address systemic environmental and social injustice will be vital to our success. Today, Greenpeace is part of an evermore diverse and energised ecosystem of activism. We’re incredibly proud of what makes us distinctive – our track record, our commitment to direct action, our respected and robust evidence base, our positive brand reputation, and our national and international capacity. Your role will be to make the most of these strengths to maximise our reach, impact and effectiveness. The right person (or persons, if you’re applying as a job share) has gathered wide and varied leadership insights and experience. You appreciate how environmental justice relates to a wider, intersectional framework of social equity,
Executive Director
and you understand that not everyone will feel the impacts of the climate and ecological emergency in the same way. Frontline communities and Global South countries are bearing the impacts even though they have contributed least. Your determination to address systemic injustices and ongoing power imbalances will make an important contribution to the work that needs to be done. Our former Executive Director, John Sauven, has given exceptional service over more than 30 years, and he leaves the organisation in robust shape. Financially strong with a solid reputation, we’re a united and determined group of volunteers, supporters, staff and board members, with a clear vision of how to advance our purpose. John’s retirement presents a rare and excellent opportunity for a new leader to take us forward at a critical time for Greenpeace and for the world. I look forward to meeting you.
Andrew McParland Chair, Greenpeace UK
2
About Greenpeace UK Greenpeace is a movement of people who are passionate about defending the natural world from destruction. Our vision is a greener, healthier and more peaceful planet, one that can sustain life for generations to come. We’re independent. We don’t accept any funding from governments, corporations or political parties – our work is funded by ordinary people. That means we’re free to confront governments and corporations responsible for the destruction of the natural world and push for real change. We do this by investigating, documenting and exposing the causes of environmental destruction. We work to bring about change by lobbying, consumer pressure and mobilising members of the general public. And we take peaceful direct action to protect our Earth and promote solutions for a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace was founded in 1971 by a small group of concerned individuals, who set sail to Amchitka Island off the coast of Alaska to try and stop a US nuclear weapons test. Their old fishing boat was called “The Greenpeace”. Today,
Executive Director
Greenpeace is present in over 40 countries around the world. Our movement is growing every day and our commitment to realising our vision is as strong as ever. We find ourselves at a pivotal point in human history. Climate change and biodiversity loss are both rapidly accelerating, and we’re seeing and feeling the effects of it ever more – in the changes to our air, sea levels and more extreme weather events, and in the daily warnings of ecological collapse. The need to act to protect our planet has never been so urgent, yet governments and corporations are still dragging their feet. Our mission is to promote radical changes and new solutions to the ways we live on this planet so that we can all call it home for generations to come. • • • •
Find out more on our website. Read our Impact Report 2020. Meet our board. Watch our video celebrating 50 years of Greenpeace.
3
The Role Role: Executive Director
Location: London
Salary: circa £90,000
Other benefits: • Annual leave is 25 days per year for full-time staff and additional leave is accrued according to length of service up to a maximum of 32 days. Annual leave is applied pro-rata for part-time staff. The office is normally closed between Christmas and new year and staff don’t have to use annual leave to cover this period.
Executive Director
• Greenpeace UK offer a generous salary sacrifice pension scheme held with Aviva. Greenpeace contributes 8.5% of basic salary, provided you contribute at least 3%. • To assist with meeting the costs of travel to work, you can take advantage of an interestfree season ticket loan or a tax-efficient bicycle loan • We offer a life assurance scheme paying four times your annual salary in the unfortunate event of death during employment. • Along with all employees, you have access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provided by Workplace Options.
4
Job Summary People pay attention to what Greenpeace says and does, and in this role you’ll play a crucial role in shaping what that is and making it happen. Your leadership will contribute towards national and global change in the service of a fair, green, peaceful future. At its simplest, this role will allow you to lead and shape what Greenpeace says and does, and make sure that people listen to and act on our research and recommendations. Our hard work over the past five decades has earned us a hearing in the centres of power, and major actors can’t ignore or evade the truth we tell. At your disposal will be an organisation with strong finances, a high profile, a thriving supporter base and an unrivalled reputation for making a sound, evidence-based case for change. You’ll be instrumental in leading us as we use our strong position to drive change further up the agenda than ever before, persuading more and more people to amplify our messages to policy makers. You’ll also be comfortable in standing with us to challenge power wherever we see the need – and to be clear, that means that the insides of courtrooms will probably become pretty familiar. As Executive Director, you’ll be leading a proudly activist organisation, and must be
Executive Director
personally committed to direct action when you see injustice prevailing. However, you must also be adept at quiet diplomacy and sensitive negotiation when required, as well as being capable of managing a complex organisation. You offer well-developed cross-cultural awareness, and are likely to have worked as part of an international NGO at some point in your career. In this role, you’ll not only have an impact on change in the UK but will contribute to far-reaching global action for change. As Executive Director, a key aspect of your work will be around the relationship between Greenpeace UK and the Greenpeace International network. We contribute significantly to the global organisation, and it must be an arena – and a way of working – that excites and stretches you. It’s vital that we consider local actions and decisions in the global context, to ensure we don’t divert resources from our overarching international strategic framework or inadvertently create a challenge for Greenpeace in another country.
You’ll be able to shape a distinctive vision of the role that Greenpeace can most effectively play now, within an evolving operating environment that now encompasses diverse types of environmental activism, so that we can
continue to speak directly and powerfully to both longstanding and new supporters, and integrate the perspectives of all those who are committed to climate justice and wider global equity.
5
Role Purpose and Key Accountabilities • Provide outstanding and dynamic leadership across the organisation and model the values of Greenpeace: personal responsibility and nonviolence; financial independence; equitable solutions to the climate and nature emergencies • Work for global climate justice and social equity by developing excellent relationships and acting as an effective, thoughtful collaborator with existing and new allies in the Greenpeace International network and beyond • Deliver transformational change to create a sustainable and peaceful future by motivating and empowering our staff, supporters, partners and the community • Build an inclusive, diverse, and dynamic culture within Greenpeace to ensure that everyone who works for the organisation feels valued and empowered to contribute and thrive, leading by example with a democratic approach • Meet current and emerging challenges in all parts of the environmental social justice campaigning landscape by building on past successes and creating new campaigns • Arrest climate change and biodiversity loss by inspiring, developing and mobilising support across all communities to work together, leveraging significant moments in the coming years and prioritising those most impacted by environmental degradation and climate change Executive Director
• Advance justice and equity by consolidating and creating key partnerships, working cross-culturally and with an intersectional lens, and championing anti-racism and diversity of perspective and position • Build alliances which reflect the authority and credibility of Greenpeace and bring policy change, influence behavioural change and shift corporate strategy with courage and creativity • Consolidate Greenpeace’s position, nationally and through its international offices, as a thought leader in science and research • Ensure the sustainability of the organisation in terms of resources and financial management, with transparency and accountability across all forms of governance • Personally engage high level funders, opening new conversations and relationships and closing high value deals • Understand and use investigative journalism within the organisation to drive our arguments and case for change • Articulate, lead and develop a strategic plan which will deliver critical changes to meet key global environmental challenges • Provide clear direction and leadership for overall planning, decision making and delivery targets
6
Person Specification You have an outstanding track record in a campaigning organisation with conspicuous success in driving transformational change. You must be able to demonstrate that you can: • Engage, energise and motivate people to commit to and deliver our mission with purpose and passion • Inspire confidence in anyone you interact with – staff, board, volunteers, activists, policy makers, donors and business. This is key to the urgency and achievability of our mission • Build and sustain inclusive partnerships for action, across all sectors, to optimise impact • Develop and maintain key major donor relationships and deploy your personal charisma and credibility to ask for transformational gifts
And that you are: • A change maker who has led transformational and sustainable change through campaigning activity • A communicator and listener who can inform as well as mobilise passion, generate support and influence behaviour, and enable others to do the same
Executive Director
• A knowledgeable and fearless advocate with the courage and credibility to challenge structural economic and political interests and change minds and policy • A natural thought leader, at home with the science and technical aspects of environmental issues, and capable of thinking ahead • An empowering leader, committed to building a diverse organisation, clear about priorities and roles, transparent in action, creative, accountable to all, with the optimum synergy between Board and staff • Committed to building an ambitious and sustainable campaigning organisation which enables everyone involved to give their best and receive the best possible support • An exceptional manager of complex risk in highly unpredictable and challenging contexts
7
Person Specification The following experience is essential: • Direct action: experience of, and a commitment to, using direct action as a means of effecting social, behavioural and political change, including willingness to be arrested if necessary, in potentially high risk cases • Campaigning: experience of inspiring / leading / mobilising successful national / global campaigns for change • Cross-cultural awareness and strong commitment to EDI: evidence of working effectively within an intersectional framework, promotion of EDI, commitment to anti-racism and the communication skills to take part fully in cross-cultural programmes. • Leadership experience: leading or being part of the leadership team, with
Executive Director
experience of working in and delivering to the combined goals of a complex, national/ global organisation • Situational understanding: comprehensive knowledge of the extent and nature of global environmental damage, the science, economics, politics and justice dimensions of environmental issues, and a clear and persuasive vision for priorities for action • Influence: evidence of ability to change hearts and minds, through evidence, persuasion and action • Strategic development: experience of designing and delivering strategies for change involving powerful and impactful direct action and partnerships
8
Further Information Greenpeace is a non-party political organisation and it’s important for its future that it remains this way. It is, therefore, a condition of employment that employees shall not normally stand for any official position within a political party. Greenpeace expects all its employees to be fully committed to the organisation’s diversity & inclusion and health & safety policies and to
Executive Director
accept personal responsibility for applying them. This position will be considered as a job share. If you don’t have all the experience or skills listed in this job pack but do have relevant experience and feel you would be a good candidate for the role, we would very much welcome a conversation with you.
9
How to Apply All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page. Here you must complete our online application form and submit your CV and cover letter in two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process. The cover letter should be no more
than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit. As part of your cover letter please consider the following questions:
The documents should be saved in MS Word in the following format: Your First NameYour Last Name-Document Name-Date (mmyy) e.g., Malika-Cooke -CV-032022Greenpeace or Malika-Cooke-CoverLetter032022-Greenpeace.
Timeline Closing Date: 12th May 1. We invite you to tell us more about yourself, your values and why would like to be the next Executive Director of Greenpeace UK 2. The broad ‘environmental movement’ is at a pivotal moment in time, the scale and urgency of the challenges are unprecedented. Historically Greenpeace’s commitment to non-violent direct action has been perceived to be at the radical edge of the wider campaigning world. However, recent grassroots activism of others have, not without controversy, stepped into that radical space. How and where do
Executive Director
you see Greenpeace’s positioning and activism being most effective in the future in fulfilling its mission? 3. We are living through rapidly evolving times – Brexit, the pandemic, conflict, and now energy, food and cost of living crises. What do you see as the major risks for Greenpeace, and what opportunities could arise from these fluid and volatile circumstances to mobilise and grow our members and supporters, and to engage with previously marginalised groups?
First stage interviews with Oxford HR: 27th May, 30th May, 31st May, 1st June Second stage interviews with Greenpeace UK and Oxford HR: TBC Final interviews with Greenpeace UK: TBC
Equality Statement Greenpeace UK is committed to providing equal opportunities for everyone regardless of their background. We acknowledge that people from certain backgrounds are under-represented in environmental and campaigning organisations and we’re
committed to doing what we can to correct this. We are particularly keen to receive applications from people of colour; people with disabilities; people who identify as being LGBTQIA; people who have a mental health condition; and people who identify as working class now or in the past.
Get in Touch If you would like to have an informal discussion, have any queries, or need additional information please email at greenpeace-executive-director@ oxfordhr.co.uk in the first instance.
Next Steps All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.
10
About Oxford HR Oxford HR operates globally - mainly within the international development, environment and charity sectors. We carry out retained executive search mandates at board and senior management levels. We also offer human resource and organisational development consultancy.
Executive Director
Oxford HR has many years of experience in search as well as an extensive network of international development, social sector, corporate, public sector, and academic contacts from across the world. We carry out comprehensive and often international searches designed to meet the specific needs of our client.
11
OXFORD
LONDON
AMSTERDAM
NAIROBI
46 Woodstock Road
5 Tanner Street
Korte Schimmelstraat 12
Workify Africa
Oxford
Bermondsey
1053 SZ
ABC Place
OX2 6HT
London
Amsterdam
Waiyaki way
SE1 3LE
Nairobi
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The Netherlands
Kenya
+44 (0) 1865 985 457
+44 (0)20 7939 7451
+31 (0) 621 153 452
+254 (0) 797 233 217
www.oxfordhr.co.uk | Company No. 6456325
Executive Director
12