Director, Private Sector Engagement Environmental Defense Fund

Overview

EDF Europe (EDFE) is hiring a Director, Private Sector Engagement to lead our work with businesses and financial institutions in Europe. The role provides vision, strategy and leadership for work that supports the decarbonization of the real economy and sustainable finance. The position reports to the Executive Director, Europe with a dotted line to the US-based Senior Vice President EDF+Biz and collaborates with EDF's global and European colleagues, especially the EDF+Business department.

The EDF+Business team globally develops and deploys business and investor engagement strategies that accelerate environmental leadership, innovation, and results across industries and supply chains. In Europe, the work helps redirect financial flows toward decarbonisation efforts, with focus areas including shipping, agriculture, oil & gas, and hydrogen. We collaborate with businesses and financial institutions to identify real-world tools and solutions, and engage with policymakers and standard-setters to advocate for policies that support greening the financial sector. We also partner with policymakers to drive decarbonization while building successful businesses. Examples include the Dairy Methane Action Alliance (DMAA) and the Net Zero Action Accelerator (NZAA). Information is available at the EDF Europe and EDF+Business sites.

To learn more, please visit the EDF Europe and EDF+Business pages for additional context.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and further develop the Europe Sustainable Finance and Corporate Engagement strategies and workplans in partnership with the global EDF+Business team.
• Act as an external voice and strategic driver of climate action within the financial system, including engagement with major regulatory bodies.
• Build and grow relationships and strategic partnerships with high-impact investors, companies, and industry consortia to deliver objectives.
• Develop and leverage internal and external networks; connect with stakeholders in European and national institutions, governments, industry, and partner NGOs to advance objectives.
• Create thought leadership, including blogs and reports for external publication.
• Manage the EDFE Sustainable Finance and Corporate Engagement budget and monthly communications plan.
• Support fundraising to raise resources for this programme and the wider agenda.
• Manage a small Brussels-based team, shaping and delivering the team's workplan and engagements, including analysis and reports.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team from policy, business, science, economics and communications.
• Promote EDF organizational culture and effectiveness, fostering an inclusive environment aligned with EDF values.

Skills & Experience

• Master's degree or equivalent professional experience with 10+ years of work experience.
• Prior experience in the corporate or financial sector with understanding of how finance drives business decisions.
• Ability to bridge sustainability goals and business objectives with practical, real-world insights.
• Experience in building new workstreams, including gap analyses and stakeholder mapping.
• Strategic development experience for projects or advocacy campaigns, including identifying funding and establishing work plans; a collaborative team player.
• Experience in a highly matrixed and global organisation.
• Strong networking skills with the ability to develop relationships with stakeholders in and outside the financial and corporate sectors.
• Experience influencing financial institutions and businesses regarding legislation, policy, and EU/UK corporate behavior change.
• Ability to translate environmental challenges into actionable engagement strategies.
• Proficiency in commissioning or producing high-quality analyses to support engagement and policy proposals.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to persuade, influence, and tailor messaging for corporate audiences; comfortable with formal presentations to senior stakeholders.
• Experience managing small teams and supporting their development.
• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency, inclusivity, and ability to work across diverse backgrounds.

Eligibility

The position is a 2-year fixed-term contract based in London (remote) or Brussels (hybrid). You must be eligible to live and work in the UK or Europe when applying, and be willing to travel regularly to Brussels if based in the UK.

Application Deadline

Please submit your CV and cover letter (max. 1 page) by October 12, 2025. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; early applications are encouraged.

Compensation

• United Kingdom: 90,000 - 100,000 GBP annual
• Belgium: 110,000 - 125,000 EUR annual

Application instructions

Please indicate that you saw this position on when applying. Apply through the designated channel on the job posting.