Location: Brussels, Belgium / Madrid, Spain / Copenhagen, Denmark
Reports to: Executive Director & Vice-President Europe
Duration: Full time, permanent.
The Senior Director of Communications is a newly created, senior leadership role within Oceana Europe, reporting directly to the Executive Director. The position leads the development and implementation of an integrated communications and marketing strategy that strengthen Oceana’s brand, grow public support, influence decision-makers, and directly advance campaign and fundraising objectives.
In collaboration with senior colleagues across campaigns, science, policy, fundraising, and executive affairs, the Senior Director of Communications develops communications strategies, compelling narratives and high-impact messaging that position Oceana as a leading voice for ocean conservation, expand and mobilise our supporter base across European markets, and use strategic communications to help our campaigns win tangible policy victories for the ocean and underpin sustainable funding growth.
The Senior Director of Communications manages a team of seven communications professionals and oversees all aspects of external communications across European markets, including media relations, digital communications, brand management, content development, public affairs messaging, and strategic marketing initiatives. The role also provides leadership during high-profile campaign moments and reputational or crisis communications scenarios, ensuring consistency, clarity, and impact across all channels.
The role is also expected to contribute to organisational development by supporting fundraising and donor visibility efforts, strengthening partnerships, and identifying opportunities to expand Oceana’s reach and influence.
This position requires strong strategic judgment, excellent leadership and stakeholder management skills, and extensive experience managing communications within an international NGO, advocacy, or mission-driven environment. The successful candidate will be both highly strategic and hands-on: comfortable setting vision and building systems, while also rolling up their sleeves in a fast-paced, results-driven environment. The role involves regular travel, primarily within Europe, with occasional inter-continental travel.
Responsibilities:
Strategic Communications, Brand, and Growth
- Lead the development and delivery of Oceana’s Europe‑wide communications and marketing strategy, ensuring brand consistency, full integration and alignment into campaign design and execution, and alignment with organisational and campaign priorities.
- Shape bold, evidence‑based narratives that strengthen Oceana’s brand, influence decision‑makers, and support funding growth.
- Partner closely with the Head of Campaigns and campaign teams to design communications strategies and plans that position Oceana as a leading, trusted voice on ocean conservation in the EU, elevating the profile of the organisation, its experts, and its campaigns across priority markets.
- Translate scientific and policy priorities into compelling narratives that advance advocacy and resource mobilisation.
- Oversee Oceana’s digital advocacy and online fundraising programmes in Europe across email, website, and social media, driving growth through data-driven strategy, testing, and innovation.
- Grow and engage Oceana’s EU supporter base across social media, email, and digital platforms, with a clear focus on supporter acquisition, retention, mobilisation, and conversion to action and donation.
- Set and oversee a content, SEO, and generative engine optimisation (GEO) strategy that increases traffic, engagement, and key conversions, including joining, acting, and donating.
- Develop and implement a partnerships strategy, including seeking and cultivating amplifiers (such as celebrities and corporate partners).
- Define and track KPIs, using data to optimise messaging, channels, and campaign performance.
Media Relations and Storytelling
- Lead and coordinate public relations strategy, crisis communications and rapid response efforts across Europe to shape media narratives, influence decision-makers, and support campaign victories.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with journalists and editors at leading national, regional, and international media outlets to secure high-impact media coverage, including news stories, op-eds, letters to the editor, and editorial support for Oceana’s EU campaigns.
- Lead media strategy to secure high‑impact coverage and position Oceana’s executive and experts as leading voices in European ocean policy debates through proactive media engagement and thought leadership.
- Oversee media monitoring, analysis, and reporting, including preparation of senior leadership and board-level communications updates.
Team Leadership and Collaboration
- Serve as a core member of the European Senior Leadership Team, contributing to office-wide strategic planning and acting as a strategic partner to the Executive Director and senior leaders.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing, multi-country communications team, fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and accountable culture.
- Work across departments to ensure coordinated storytelling across media, digital, and web channels.
- Oversee the production of high-quality communications materials, including press releases, communications plans, reports, videos, and advertising campaigns.
- Build clear systems, workflows, and priorities that enable the team to operate effectively across multiple markets and time zones.
- Manage contractors to ensure high standards, consistency and coherence across all communications outputs, while overseeing the communications budget, administration and governance processes.
- Oversee the planning, implementation, evaluation, and reporting of major communications initiatives.
Education and work experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in public relations, communications, marketing, journalism, or a related field.
- Minimum of 12 years’ experience in communications, journalism, public relations, or related fields, preferably within advocacy or environmental sectors.
- Strong track record of increasing brand visibility, public engagement, and media impact through strategic communications.
- Demonstrated success growing online supporter bases and increasing digital advocacy and fundraising revenue.
- Proven experience in developing and implementing effective communications strategies, with demonstrable results in achieving communications department objectives.
- Strong media relations experience, including pitching stories, writing for the media, and managing press engagements.
- Experience operating at executive level, including close collaboration with an Executive Director.
- Experience in environmental, conservation, or mission‑driven organisations is highly desirable.
Skills and knowledge:
- Ability to integrate scientific or analytical input into campaign strategy without assuming technical ownership.
- Strong political judgement, influencing skills, and a collaborative leadership style.
- Excellent writing, editing, and verbal communication skills, adaptable to a wide variety of audiences.
- Exceptional storytelling skills, with the ability to distil complex policy issues into accessible narratives.
- Strong digital communications expertise, including social media, content marketing, online advocacy, and fundraising.
- Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to work internationally, cross‑culturally, and collaboratively with staff, partner organisations, and the public.
- Oral and written proficiency in English is a must; fluency in other European languages, such as French, German or Spanish, is an advantage.
- Proven track record of leading and managing high performing teams in complex organisational environments.
- Familiarity with digital tools such as Salesforce, Engaging Networks, and Google Analytics.
- Cultural sensitivity and experience working in international or multicultural environments.
The above declarations are not intended to be an “all inclusive” list of duties and responsibilities of the job described, nor are they intended to be such a listing of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Rather, they are intended only to describe the general nature of the job and are a reasonable representation of its activities.
Oceana is an equal opportunity employer and proud to provide equal employment opportunity to all job seekers. We are actively committed to ensuring that no individual is discriminated against on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
FUNDACION OCEANA is the Controller of the Data Subject’s personal data and informs him/her that these data shall be processed in accordance with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April (GDPR) and the Organic Law 3/2018 of 5 December (LOPDGDD), for a legitimate interest of the Controller, providing the following information on the processing:
- Purpose of the processing: to include the Data Subject in the personnel selection processes, analysing the applicant’s profile with the aim of selecting the best candidate for the Controller’s vacancy.
- Legitimacy of the processing: unequivocal consent clearly indicated by the Data Subject.
- Data storage criteria: data will be stored for a maximum period of one year, after which the data will be erased, guaranteeing full respect for confidentiality both in the processing and subsequent destruction. To this effect, once this period has elapsed, and if you wish to continue participating in the Controller’s selection processes, please send us your CV again.
- Updating data: in the event of any modification to your data, please inform us in writing as soon as possible to keep your data duly updated.
- Data disclosure: Your data may be communicated to third parties because it is necessary to achieve the purpose of the treatment, or by legal obligation.
Rights of the Data Subject:
- Right to withdraw consent at any time.
- Right of access, rectification, portability and erasure of data and the limitation or objection to their processing.
- The right to file a claim with the Spanish Supervisory Authority ( www.aepd.es ) if you consider that the processing does not comply with the current legislation.
Contact information to exercise their rights: FUNDACION OCEANA. Gran Vía 62, 7 Izq. – 28013 Madrid. Email: [email protected]
Oceana's offices operate on a hybrid schedule, and staff are required to work from their assigned office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Actual salary offer will depend on the candidate's exact work location, qualifications, relevant experience, and internal pay equity relative to current employees in similar roles
N.B. Applications will be assessed upon receipt; we therefore encourage early submission.
Due to the high volume of applications received, ONLY successful candidates will be contacted.
Please submit your application by June 29, 2026
