Programme Lead, Foreign Policy and Climate Cooperation - Climate Diplomacy & Geopolitics (London or Brussels)

PROGRAMME LEAD, FOREIGN POLICY AND CLIMATE COOPERATION - CLIMATE DIPLOMACY & GEOPOLITICS (LONDON OR BRUSSELS)

E3G is looking for a senior leader to oversee, shape and advance our efforts related to climate foreign policy and cooperation within its Climate Diplomacy & Geopolitics department. The Programme Lead will be based in one of E3G's offices, with a strong preference for London or Brussels. 

Background 

E3G is the world lead strategist think tank on the political economy of climate change with a global outlook. We work on the frontier of the climate landscape tackling the barriers and advancing the solutions to a safe climate for all. We translate climate politics, economics and policies into action. We pride ourselves on bringing independence to an extremely polarised discussion and holding policy makers to account on their promises. E3G is consistently ranked as one of the top-ten most influential environmental think tanks in the world by the University of Pennsylvania’s Global Go To Think Tank Index. 

E3G is dedicated to fostering an engaging work environment with a competitive remuneration package in the non-profit sector. E3G offers a dynamic and fast paced working environment that will value your insight and initiative
wherever you are in the organisation. We take pride in our team's commitment, supportiveness, and friendliness.
We invest in our staff, offer flexible working conditions and pride ourselves on being an open and collaborative workplace. 

Role Overview   

The Programme Lead is a critical role within the team and organisation, providing structure and focus on its diplomacy and foreign policy engagement within key capitals and across the broader ecosystem to ensure that climate is elevated, incorporated, and advanced in foreign policy. Reporting to the Associate Director for Climate Diplomacy, Foreign Policy, and Geopolitics, you will oversee E3G’s Foreign Policy and Climate Cooperation portfolio, managing a team of Policy Advisors, Specialists, Researchers, and Associates that reside in different locales, including for example in London, Brussels, and Berlin.

You will play an essential role to lead, shape, coordinate, and manage multi-year initiatives that align foreign policy and an understanding of geopolitics with ambitious climate goals. The role requires working across the organisation with other teams and building strategic partnerships and strong relationship management across governments, multilaterals, and non-state actors to drive climate outcomes within a complex geopolitical landscape.

The successful candidate will be both entrepreneurial and team-oriented, have a strong track record in working within and across diplomacy channels, have background in and aptitude for management and mentorship, and be a foreign policy enthusiast.  

Key Responsibilities    

• Provide overall leadership, management, and structure to the Foreign Policy and Climate Cooperation portfolio, ensuring strategic coherence, risk management, and delivery against objectives and KPIs.
• Manage, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary multi-location team, fostering a collaborative culture and ensuring high performance through regular reviews, capacity-building, and professional growth plans. 

• Design, implement, and be accountable to the oversight of comprehensive workplans, budgets, and resource allocations, including funder relationship management and reporting. 

• Develop cutting edge policy and knowledge products - policy briefs, strategic roadmaps, and thought-leadership reports - that inform decision-makers on the intersection of climate action, foreign policy
  and geopolitics. 

• Identify and cultivate diplomatic opportunities by providing timely, evidence-based analysis of trends in foreign policy, geopolitical shifts, multipolar and great power dynamics, trade tensions, and domestic politics. 

• Forge, sustain, and empower the overall team in building strategic coalitions among governments, businesses, and civil society in the EU, UK, China, G20 countries, US, and other key jurisdictions to complement and extend the Paris Agreement framework. 

• Represent E3G at international forums and conferences and in bilateral meetings with senior-level policymakers and thought leaders. Some travel will be required. 

• Liaise and coordinate across E3G teams to draw foreign policy insights, opportunities, and strategies including working across teams focused on climate finance, resilience and adaptation, development, energy transition, and trade and clean economy to integrate foreign policy dimensions into broader climate strategies. 

Person Description   

You bring deep expertise in international diplomacy and foreign policy, with a strong track record of engaging within geopolitical and foreign policy dynamics. You are comfortable operating in politically complex environments and have demonstrated experience navigating multilateral and bilateral diplomatic processes at senior levels. 

You combine strategic judgement with a sharp analytical mindset and are confident developing and communicating foreign policy and geopolitical insights that inform policy and shape engagement strategies. You have experience leading high-impact teams and initiatives across international networks and are skilled in building trust-based relationships with a range of actors, including governments, think tanks, and civil society. 

You are committed to driving ambitious climate outcomes through smart diplomacy and partnership. You lead with integrity and self-awareness, work effectively across teams and cultures, and understand how to manage both complexity and delivery. You have a strong track record of managing people and processes to high standards under pressure, and you use collaboration as a lever for influence and success. 

Experience and skills    

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate

• Advanced degree in international relations, environmental policy, economics, or a related discipline. 

• Extensive experience working in and navigating effectively diplomacy and foreign policy and geopolitics. Climate diplomacy and foreign policy experience in government is highly desirable. 

• Established networks across geopolitical, economic, and foreign policy communities, including among expert, diplomatic, civil society, and/or governmental stakeholders. Networks related to climate diplomacy or climate policy are a strong asset. 

• Demonstrated ability to engage senior-level policymakers across diverse cultural and political contexts, such as in the EU, UK, US, China, and beyond.
• Experience operating in high-level international settings, including engaging decision-makers in government, finance, business, and civil society. 

• Exceptional leadership and people-management skills and experience, including coaching, performance management, and cross-team collaboration.
• Demonstrated ability to set direction, drive delivery, and foster collaboration within and across teams. 

• Strong track record of delivering complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives on time and within budget and leading donor relationship management and deliverable oversight. 

• Outstanding analytical, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to synthesize complex political and economic information for diverse audiences, including policymakers and funders. 

• Excellent written and spoken English language skills. Other languages an asset.  

• Strong commitment to fostering inclusion, wellbeing, and diversity within the workplace and in external partnerships. 

• Willingness to travel internationally and navigate high-pressure environments and across time zones. 

What we offer    

• Permanent, full-time contract.   

• Flexible working arrangements and hybrid working approach.    

• Compressed hours scheme. 

• 25 vacation days + additional leave between Christmas and New Year.   

• Yearly process for remuneration review.  

• Additional pension contribution equivalent to 7.5% of gross annual salary. 

• You will be integrated in a dynamic organisation working to deliver climate safety for all, surrounded by friendly experts working on energy, buildings, industry decarbonation, finance, foreign policy, and more.    

Brussels  

• The indicative salary range in Brussels is €4,762.3 to €5,387.90 monthly reference, dependent on experience, with holiday pay and a 13th month.   

• Mobile phone and contract, lunch and eco vouchers, hospitalisation and travel insurance, travel expense reimbursement (bicycle or public transport).   

London 

• The indicative salary range in London is £62,825 - £67,000 annually, dependant on experience.  
• Cycle to work scheme

While the salary range is consistent across both locations, it can be flexible for a highly qualified applicant.  

E3G is unable to provide any relocation assistance to candidates who would need to move in order to take up this position. E3G will require candidates to demonstrate that they have the right to live and work
in the jurisdiction in which E3G employs them.
 

How to apply   

Please submit your application in English.    

Please include:   

• A CV of maximum two pages   

• A cover letter of no more than one page outlining your motivation to apply and the skills and experience you are bringing to the role, as well as your earliest possible start date.    

The deadline for applications is 21 October 2025. Whilst we very much appreciate the time you will have taken with your application, unfortunately due to the level of response we receive we will not be able to reply to every candidate.  Therefore, if you have not heard from us with 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that on this occasion you have been unsuccessful.

E3G values diversity and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or ethnic background. We aim to build an inclusive workforce that is reflective of the populations we support, and actively seek applications from those who are marginalized and underrepresented. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.