Senior Communications Manager

Position description

The Global Centre for Climate Mobility (GCCM) is a global partnership at the nexus of climate action and human mobility to enable positive adaptation journeys for people and communities at the frontline of the climate crisis, prioritizing their adaptive capacities and right to stay. It is hosted at the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and advanced with champion countries, UN Agencies, the World Bank, and regional organizations with support from philanthropies, civil society organizations, and research organizations. Together, they are part of the vibrant global ecosystem of partners and stakeholders that the GCCM is fostering to enable community-led adaptation. The efforts and engagements of the GCCM are also supported by the GCCM Foundation hosted by the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Scope of Work

The GCCM Foundation seeks a Senior Communications Manager to lead day-to-day communications planning and execution across the GCCM Foundation’s institutional priorities during a period of high activity and strategic opportunity.

The Senior Communications Manager will serve as the central coordination point for GCCM Foundation’s communications work, ensuring consistent messaging, high-quality outputs, timely delivery, and strong collaboration across internal teams and external partners. The role will combine strategic planning with hands-on execution and editing, and will work closely with GCCM Foundation leadership, programme colleagues, communications support staff, consultants, and external firms.

The consultant will support the GCCM Foundation in strengthening its overall communications approach while also leading delivery around specific high-priority moments, particularly the Berlin Climate Mobility Forum in June 2026, preparatory communications work for the Climate Mobility Summit and related moments in New York in September 2026, and the Climate Mobility Pavilion at COP31. The role will also support thought leadership, media engagement, owned channels, content packaging, and a first step toward stronger institutional impact reporting.

Key responsibilities include:

Communications leadership and coordination

• Lead day-to-day communications planning and execution across GCCM Foundation’s institutional priorities
• Maintain a master communications calendar across major moments, campaigns, products, and events
• Serve as the first point of coordination for communications-related internal workflows
• Help prioritize communications workstreams and ensure that effort is focused on the highest-impact activities
• Support GCCM Foundation leadership in maintaining message discipline and strategic clarity across initiatives

Event communications and campaign support

• Lead communications planning and coordination for the Berlin Climate Mobility Forum in close collaboration with programme, events, and senior leadership teams
• Begin groundwork for New York communications before Berlin concludes, including narrative development, media mapping, and identification of priority moments and announcements
• Support communications planning for the Climate Mobility Summit during UN General Assembly High-Level week and related sea-level rise moments
• Contribute to later-year communications planning related to the Climate Mobility Pavilion and other GCCM Foundation convenings as required
• Support the development of clear communications objectives, messaging, and media engagement strategies around priority convenings and announcements.

Media relations and external positioning

• Manage the relationship with external communications and PR firms and ensure alignment with GCCM Foundation priorities
• Support the development of media strategies, press materials, talking points, spokesperson briefs, and interview preparation
• Identify and help advance proactive media opportunities for GCCM Foundation leadership and priority initiatives
• Support the cultivation of relationships with target journalists, editors, and relevant media platforms
• Help shape external positioning around GCCM Foundation’s institutional profile, leadership, and policy priorities

Messaging, content, and thought leadership

• Draft, edit, and quality-control high-stakes external communications materials, including institutional messaging, speeches, opinion pieces, talking points, outreach messages, event language, and web copy
• Work with GCCM Foundation leadership and colleagues to sharpen narrative framing across priority themes
• Coordinate with freelance writers, consultants, and internal subject matter experts on op-eds, commentary, and thought leadership outputs
• Support the development of content tied to GCCM Foundation’s policy work, events, digital channels, and leadership visibility
• Help package and distribute climate literacy and other knowledge products for external audiences

Owned channels and digital communications

• Oversee editorial planning and quality control across GCCM Foundation’s owned communications channels, with a particular focus on LinkedIn and website content
• Work with communications staff and consultants to improve consistency, timing, and impact of digital outputs
• Support content planning around videos, visual assets, event displays, and partner amplification materials
• Contribute to the rollout and content population of the new GCCM Foundation website

Team management and internal collaboration

• Provide day-to-day guidance and supervision to junior communications staff and relevant consultants as needed
• Coordinate closely with programme, operations, knowledge, and leadership teams to ensure strong alignment between substance and communications
• Establish clear working processes, approval pathways, and realistic delivery timelines across communications workstreams

Institutional reporting and impact communications

• Support a first step toward more structured impact reporting for GCCM Foundation
• Lead or coordinate the drafting of a concise “GCCM Foundation impact to date” narrative report or similar external-facing summary of institutional achievements, partnerships, and influence
• Help identify stronger ways to present GCCM’s value, progress, and outcomes to key stakeholders, including partners and funders

Qualifications

• At least 7 years of relevant professional experience in strategic communications, public affairs, media relations, advocacy communications, or a related field
• Strong track record of managing communications workstreams independently in dynamic, high-pressure environments
• Demonstrated experience supporting high-level events, senior leaders, or complex stakeholder-facing initiatives
• Excellent drafting and editing skills in English, with the ability to quickly produce clear, polished, externally facing materials
• Experience working across media relations, thought leadership, digital communications, and institutional positioning
• Strong judgment, discretion, and ability to navigate politically sensitive or high-visibility issues
• Experience managing external firms, consultants, or cross-functional communications processes
• Strong project management and coordination skills, with the ability to move multiple workstreams forward simultaneously
• Familiarity with climate, international development, migration, multilateral policy, or adjacent issue areas is highly desirable

Preferred Skills

• Experience working with international organizations, foundations, multilateral institutions, or policy-focused nonprofits
• Familiarity with communications actions necessary to successfully supporting high-level convenings, diplomatic processes, or political stakeholders
• Experience supporting spokesperson preparation and senior executive visibility
• Working knowledge of other languages is an asset
• Experience with website content management systems, digital publishing tools, and collaborative workflow tools is an advantage
• Strong visual instincts and the ability to collaborate effectively on multimedia, event, and design-related communications products

Duration

This role is expected to begin as soon as possible and run through November 2026, with the possibility of extension depending on organizational needs and performance.

Application instructions

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