The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a charity committed to building a circular economy, so we can create a better future for business, society and the natural world. As part of our Plastics Initiative, you will work collaboratively across the Foundation to drive our common vision of a circular economy for plastic, in which it never becomes waste. 

Your role is within the Plastics Pacts and Field Building Pillar of EMF Plastics Initiative, working with a wide range of leading organisations around the world to create a future free of plastic waste and pollution. Your focus will be on reuse for packaging, one of the key areas of work for the Plastics Initiative. 

You will be responsible for the delivery of the 2030 strategy to catalyse breakthroughs that will move reuse from “pilot land” to being on a path to scale. You will work to build alignment, facilitate knowledge exchange, and joint strategising, planning, and driving action across the global field of organisations working on the topic. In addition, alongside others in the team, you will support the Pacts and Field Building Lead, in the shaping of the overall strategy for the pillar. 

Working with mission-aligned colleagues in an ever-changing and stimulating environment, this role will suit someone who has a good grasp of reuse systems for packaging, has experienced different national contexts (including in the Global South) and is an excellent bridge-builder able to find common ground with a wide range of stakeholders. The ability to inspire and to drive action will be critical to be successful in this role. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the agenda and advance progress for a key lever of the circular economy.

Role & Responsibilities:

Reporting to our Programme Lead your main responsibilities will be as follows:

Strategy development: Evolve the strategy, with the support of the Lead, considering the landscape, wider context, and trends. Whilst the high-level strategy has been defined, in the initial stage this role will entail significant shaping and scoping of the specific projects (deliverables, timelines, resources), building stakeholder alignment behind those, ensuring connection with other parts of the Initiative and with the wider field of reuse organisations.

Programme delivery: Lead the delivery of the multiple workstreams of reuse strategy which can include mobilising “demonstrator at scale”, policy, thought leadership projects. Working with internal teams and external partners to facilitate collaboration, activate other organisations, and deliver industry leading perspectives. This will include project planning and management, content development, project team management, stakeholder management, upward management of leadership. Some fundraising to support the delivery of reuse programme may be required. 

Stakeholder Engagement: Build, manage, and activate relationships with a wide range of stakeholders around the world, relevant for the agenda of scaling reusable systems: other NGOs, companies, academia, philanthropic funders, and policymakers. Strengthen and develop the Foundation’s reach and influence. International travel will be required for this role.

Representing the Foundation externally: Represent the Foundation at key events, with partners and with the media to consistently promote reuse systems as well as other circular economy solutions and their relevance for key stakeholders.

Strategic thinking and thought leadership. Actively contribute to the Plastics initiative’s delivery of the overall 2030 Strategy by providing input, strategic thinking and technical guidance for any relevant work in the other pillars of the initiative (Business Action, Policy and Thought

Your Profile:

• It is essential that you demonstrate experience of working on reusable packaging models as this will mean you will be able to hit the ground running - experience through for example “on the ground” implementation of projects, commercialisation of reuse business models, leading multi-stakeholder initiatives focused on reuse systems, participation in reuse thought leadership projects

• The knowledge of the policy and regulatory landscape enabling scaling of reuse and experience of working with policymakers would be an advantage

• Project management experience with proven capability of managing multiple projects in parallel with tight deadlines, ensuring high-quality results, and effectively collaborating with various internal functions and departments.

• Relationship management experience, particularly in the context of global, multi-stakeholder initiatives; the ability to interact effectively with individuals at various management levels across a variety of organisations and geographies.

• Experience across a range of geographies including in the Global South is desirable. Fluency in additional languages beyond English is a plus. 

• Communication and facilitation skills, including public speaking; evidence of delivering impactful workshops or events; evidence of having written engaging documents.

• Entrepreneurial mindset, comfortable with ambiguity, and energised by operating in an ever-changing external environment.

• Excellent written and spoken English

• A minimum of 7 years relevant work experience in a relevant sector (e.g. business, economics, NGO).

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Apply by clicking the green icon where you will be asked to upload a CV and covering letter.

Desired starting date: as soon as possible.

Closing date: 19th May 2025.

Salary package: circa £59,000 per annum dependent on experience level plus generous holiday allowance 25 days plus UK Bank Holidays plus discretionary organisational extra days leave at Christmas and Easter, generous parental leave; enhanced pension options/private health scheme after 6 months; wellbeing programme.

Location: We have offices in Cowes, Isle of Wight and London; we will also consider a remote UK location for this role. Please note that we cannot support remote working outside of the UK for this role but would consider Skilled Worker Visa sponsorship if relocation to the UK is needed.

Application process:

• Initial Zoom meeting with our Talent team and prospective Line manager to start the process (we will send you the outline of the interview, so you know what to expect).

• A work-related assignment to complete at home or as part of the interview process so we know you will be comfortable with the type of work you would do here.

• Interview with our People Team, Team Lead and prospective manager. This may be based in our offices on the beautiful Isle of Wight, even if the role isn’t based here. We think it’s important you see where we started and meet the team! Alternatively, this will be via Zoom as we recognise this isn’t always possible, especially for our international candidates. 

• For more senior roles we will conduct a presentation interview too.