Executive Communications Lead

The Landscape Alliance, established in 2025, is a collaborative initiative between the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF). It focuses on environmental conservation through research in forestry and agroforestry.

The Executive Communications Lead is responsible for delivering comprehensive communications support to the CEO and senior leadership, ensuring their messages are clear, consistent, authoritative, and impactful across all internal and external platforms. Reporting to the Director of Communications, this role involves acting as a strategic writer, researcher, and advisor to the leadership team. The successful candidate will develop diverse executive communications, prepare leaders for significant engagements and high-level meetings, and collaborate closely with corporate, regional, and program communications teams to align executive messaging with organizational priorities and a unified institutional narrative. The position demands exceptional writing and editorial skills, strong political and organizational judgment, intellectual curiosity, discretion, and the ability to translate complex scientific, policy, and organizational issues into compelling communications for various audiences.

1. Provide strategic communications assistance to the CEO and other senior leaders.
2. Draft and refine speeches, keynote addresses, talking points, briefing notes, presentations, correspondence, and official statements.
3. Create concise executive briefs summarizing complex issues, organizational stances, and relevant external developments.
4. Prepare leaders for meetings, interviews, panels, conferences, and donor engagements.
5. Tailor content to match the communication style and voice of individual executives while maintaining organizational consistency.
6. Proactively identify communication needs and opportunities for leadership engagement.
7. Support the positioning of the CEO and senior leadership as authoritative voices on key mission-related issues.
8. Identify opportunities for executive thought leadership aligned with organizational priorities and global policy agendas.
9. Develop narratives, messages, and evidence to strengthen executive positioning.
10. Draft or coordinate executive social media content, opinion pieces, commentaries, and forewords.
11. Monitor global developments to identify issues requiring senior leadership communication or engagement.
12. Collaborate with communications colleagues to link executive visibility with broader institutional campaigns.
13. Conduct high-quality research and analysis to support executive communications.
14. Perform rapid research on policy, scientific, political, economic, and institutional issues relevant to leadership engagements.
15. Condense complex information into clear, actionable briefs and messages.
16. Verify facts, statistics, quotations, and references in executive communications.
17. Work with technical experts to ensure scientific accuracy while maintaining accessible language.
18. Maintain relevant background materials, key messages, and organizational facts for executive use.
19. Provide communications and substantive preparation for major international events and strategic convenings.
20. Develop executive communications packages for conferences, summits, bilateral meetings, and organizational events.
21. Prepare speeches, talking points, session briefs, participant profiles, and anticipated questions.
22. Support the development of strategic narratives and leadership objectives for priority events.
23. Coordinate with events, media, digital, and program teams before, during, and after major engagements.
24. Identify opportunities to extend the impact of executive participation through media and digital communications.
25. Facilitate clear and consistent communication between senior leadership and staff.
26. Draft CEO and senior leadership messages to staff, including updates and strategic announcements.
27. Support preparation for staff meetings, town halls, and internal leadership forums.
28. Ensure consistency between internal and external leadership messaging.
29. Advise on tone, sequencing, and communication approaches for sensitive organizational issues.
30. Integrate executive communications with the organization’s broader communications program.
31. Collaborate with corporate, regional, program, and project communications teams to identify priorities and opportunities.
32. Coordinate with media, digital, events, publications, and creative teams to maximize impact.
33. Ensure executive messaging reflects organizational strategy, positioning, and brand.
34. Maintain effective workflows for commissioning, reviewing, and approving executive communications.
35. Build strong working relationships with technical experts and leadership offices.
36. Maintain exceptional editorial standards across all executive communications.
37. Ensure communications are concise, compelling, accurate, and audience-appropriate.
38. Maintain a recognizable and authentic executive voice across all communication channels.
39. Apply rigorous editorial quality control, including fact-checking and consistency.
40. Translate technical and scientific language into accessible narratives without compromising accuracy.
41. Develop and maintain executive messaging, style, and voice guidance.

1. An advanced degree in communications, journalism, international relations, public policy, environmental studies, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
2. 5 to 10+ years of progressively responsible communications experience, with significant experience supporting executives or senior leaders.
3. Exceptional English-language writing and editing skills, with a proven ability to write effectively for senior executives.
4. Demonstrated experience in producing speeches, talking points, executive briefs, presentations, and high-level correspondence.
5. Experience working on international policy, development, science, environment, or related issues is strongly preferred.