The Director will lead this pioneering initiative, overseeing its founding and growth strategy to engage high-potential philanthropic donors for climate, setting goals, and ensuring a team culture that brings out its strengths and is grounded in the Advisory’s values. This role also works in partnership with an existing network of funders, philanthropic intermediaries, and partner organisations with immense expertise, all of whom are prepared to help develop, refine, and promote strategic efforts to engage and partner with philanthropists interested in climate philanthropy.
The role will have extensive latitude for translating Advisory's unique mission to help move the needle on climate change by mobilising philanthropy across Asia. The Advisory is based on the fundamental premise that today’s leading philanthropists in Asia are ready to do more to leverage their credibility, networks, resources, and experience to mitigate climate change. New donors need to be inspired to give on a scale commensurate with the global scope of the problem. In order to do this effectively, these funders need high-integrity and sophisticated support.
Additionally, the Director will be aided by a strong existing network of philanthropists, funders, and partner organisations with immense content expertise and networks who are prepared to help develop, refine, and promote strategic efforts to engage and partner with philanthropists new to climate giving.
The Director will ensure the Advisory is grounded in serving its mission and the ecosystem, is receptive to feedback and opportunities, and iterates throughout the Advisory’s start-up years to adapt and improve. The role will lead in three key areas:
1. Strategy, Team and Organisation Building
- Build the vision and strategy of the Advisory from its start-up phase, building it to become a highly functioning organisation that can set audacious goals in service of its mission.
- Build and lead the necessary teams, systems and networks to deliver the work of the Advisory. Oversee the establishment of foundational organisational policies and frameworks, which include employee contracts, benefits and compensation structures, ensuring alignment with local employment laws and best practices.
- Lead the team to develop and implement strategies, design a menu of climate opportunities and cultivate venues that help clientele scale their giving.
2. Philanthropic Stakeholder Relationships Building & Management
- Ensure the Advisory fosters direct relationships with principals (the actual donors) in key Asian markets (including but not limited to Hong Kong and Singapore) to help engage their peers and bring in more donors for climate. He/she will also keep a pulse on emerging opportunities for principal connections across other Asian markets.
- Connect and forge strategic alliances with key stakeholders and intermediaries in the climate ecosystem to widen the Advisory’s access to ultra-high net worth individuals.
- Manage and correspond with internal and external stakeholders, such as the Advisory Board of Directors and Advisory Council.
- Bring a genuine and meaningful approach to collaborate to take advantage of the deep technical resources and networks represented in the leaders and other organisations that are committed to supporting this initiative.
3. Organisational Management
- Direct managerial responsibility for the Climate Philanthropy Director, Finance and Operations Lead, and Climate Strategist Lead and others as the organisation evolves
Oversee senior leadership of the Advisory, guiding managers towards best practices in leading and managing, in addition to executing on goals.
