This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days per month in the office. You can be based in our offices in The Hague or London with an expectation of regular travel within Europe.

About the Program:

WRI Europe is a rapidly growing regional office which engages with colleagues from all of WRI’s Global Programs and centres and is now developing a targeted portfolio of work ‘on’ Europe (the EU and UK) next to the work coordinated ‘from’ Europe.

EU institutions, as well as governments and philanthropic foundations fall outside the scope of this position, as they are covered by other teams. As the Partnerships and Engagement Lead, you will not be responsible for all contacts but will ensure a well-coordinated collaboration between all partners, maximizing the results of our collaboration.

WRI’s global programs cover:

• Food, Land, Water (including Oceans)
• Cities
• Energy
• The enabling systems of Climate, Economics and Finance.

Job Highlight:

As our Partnership and Engagement Lead reporting to the Regional Director, you will work with the Heads of Offices (HoO) in both The Hague and London on strengthening institutional relationships with a limited number of strategic partners based in Europe. You will work with WRI teams as well as external partners such as universities, think-tanks, consulting firms, and corporate institutions, creating strong structural links based on reputation, funding, and/or knowledge and networks.

You will be responsible for preparing, convening, and managing a limited number of strategic partnerships, with the aim of raising our profile, creating knowledge partnerships, and creating funding opportunities. Making sure our knowledge is available and accessible to partners on the European ecosystem is also part of your role.

What will you do:

Convening and engagement (40%):

• Implement strategic partnerships by preparing and convening teams from both sides to develop concrete proposals and outcomes
• Build strong working relationships and trust with selected organizations, and represent WRI in a network of like-minded organizations based in The Hague, London and Brussels
• Support the Head of London and The Hague offices with their annual partnership events and alumni network
• Work with different WRI teams to develop strategic opportunities with partners (e.g. adoption of our research, joint research and fundraising, or high-level visibility for our institute)

Research and analysis (30%):

• Prepare, research and write a WRI Europe partnership strategy, based on our institutional strategy, WRI Europe Strategy and WRI Partnership Strategy (under development) on the basis of an assessment of the most relevant institutional partners
• Participate where relevant in the work of the Global Partnership team, on behalf of WRI Europe
• Develop and support multi-country initiatives

Fundraising and Strategic Communications (30%):

• Collaborate with WRI Development and project teams where relevant to develop or pursue funding opportunities with strategic partners
• Increase the profile of WRI’s work with the partners and together raise the profile of WRI as a whole by identifying moments for strategic communication and joint advocacy
• Organise an annual pre-COP partnering event in cooperation with Heads of Office and Development team.

What will you need:

• Education: You have a completed bachelor’s degree in a relevant area, such as Project Management
• Experience: You have 7+ years of experience, including working on sustainability issues in an international environment
• Demonstrated experience in implementing strategic partnerships
• Experience in developing or supporting funding opportunities or proposals
• You have a well-developed existing network in Europe related to sustainability issues
• You have experience in creating and delivering presentations to communicate complex issues to various audiences
• Experience working on cross-sectoral issues (e.g. food and forests, water and food, land and energy)
• Experience working within a multicultural team
• Willingness and ability to travel within Europe on a regular basis
• Languages: You have written and verbal proficiency in English. Proficiency in other European languages is desirable
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required if based in London. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization in the UK and can only support visas in the Netherlands if local legal requirements are met.

Potential salary:

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume and a cover letter by 9 August 2024. You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• A competitive salary
• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
• Long-term commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours.
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure.

About Us:

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysisto solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our Human Resources team carefully reviews all applications.