Senior Director, Marketing and Communications

The Rainforest Alliance is seeking a visionary and results-driven Senior Director of Marketing & Communications to join our senior leadership team, reporting directly to the Chief Commercial Officer. This pivotal role will shape and implement the organization’s global brand and communications strategy, driving awareness, engagement, and influence across diverse audiences and markets.

The successful candidate will be a seasoned marketing leader with a proven track record of building impactful global brands across multiple channels. They will bring creativity, strategic acumen, and deep consumer/customer insight to elevate the Rainforest Alliance brand towards a position of strength and leadership in the sustainability space. The ideal candidate will be entrepreneurial and action-oriented, capable of delivering bold results with limited resources. We are looking for a doer, not just a strategist, someone who thrives in a lean environment, rolls up their sleeves, and maximizes impact without relying on large marketing budgets.

Key Objectives

• Develop and implement a compelling brand and communications strategy aligned with organizational goals.
• Deploy and lead a high-performing global marketing, communications and advocacy team.
• Maximise brand impact through curated strategic marketing partnerships and multi-stakeholder engagement.
• Drive integrated and highly efficient marketing and communications campaigns that amplify our mission, products and programs.

Responsibilities

Leadership

• Work with the CCO to ensure alignment and delivery of marketing and communication outputs within the organisation’s strategic priorities.
• Cultivate a culture of excellence, and accountability within the marcoms function.
• Model strong, purposeful leadership as part of the Senior Management Team.
• Engage with the executive board to provide strategic updates and insights on brand and communications performance.

Marketing & Communications Strategy

• Lead the digital, creative/editorial, and corporate affairs teams to enhance brand awareness and thought leadership in sustainability.
• Design and implement multi-channel marketing strategies to promote products, programs, and new initiatives.
• Expand brand presence in established, emerging, and new markets.
• Position the Rainforest Alliance as a global leader in sustainability through strategic storytelling and brand positioning.
• Ensure consistent, impactful messaging across internal and external communications.
• Be responsible for media relations, reputation management, and risk mitigation.
• Develop and manage press, PR, and event strategies to support advocacy and influence.
• Working with the Communications lead to ensure the global advocacy team focus on European and International policy and regulatory engagement is aligned with the organisational priorities.
• Craft strategies to influence policy and drive systemic change in areas such as deforestation, agrochemical use, and social equity.
• Deliver targeted campaigns that elevate key sustainability issues and mobilise stakeholder support.
• Build, mentor, and empower a diverse, globally distributed team across digital, creative/editorial, communications, and advocacy.
• Foster a collaborative, entrepreneurial, and high-performance culture.
• Drive recruitment, talent development, and performance management to build a world-class marcoms and advocacy team.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of senior-level experience in brand and marketing leadership, ideally spanning both corporate and NGO sectors.
• Demonstrated success in developing and delivering brand strategies that drive measurable impact.
• Deep understanding of sustainability markets; familiarity with certification systems preferred.
• Proven leadership in complex, multi-stakeholder environments across marketing, communications, sales, and advocacy.
• Track record of achieving outsized results through creativity and resourcefulness, especially in budget-constrained environments.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in budget oversight and strategic planning.
• Experience working in international organisations and multicultural teams.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills in English; adept at engaging executive audiences.
• Collaborative leadership style with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to influence and build trust with internal and external stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Administration, or related field; Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
• Passion for sustainability and alignment with the Rainforest Alliance’s mission and values.

Salary

National Salary range (Excluding NY and DC) – $106,322 – $151,887
New York Salary Range – $115,796 – $165,4225
Washington DC Salary Range – $113,764 – $162,519

Contact

For any questions about the job vacancy, please contact the HR department: recruitment@ra.org

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Rainforest Alliance encourages diversity and inclusion across the global organization. With this commitment to diversity, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, colour, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, ages, disability and any other protected group.

Job Details

Seniority Level: Director
Employment Type: Full-time
Job Function: Marketing
Industry: Non-profits