Director, Policy & Advocacy Implementation Strategy in London

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a global community of over 200 of the world’s leading businesses driving systems transformation for a better world in which 9+ billion people can live well, within planetary boundaries, by mid-century. Together, we transform the systems we work in to limit the impact of the climate crisis, restore nature, and tackle inequality. We accelerate value chain transformation across key sectors and reshape the financial system to reward sustainable leadership and action through a lower cost of capital. Through the exchange of best practices, improving performance, accessing education, forming partnerships, and shaping the policy agenda, we drive progress in businesses and sharpen the accountability of their performance.

We are seeking a Director to be part of the design of the next phase of our policy & advocacy strategy as we develop new action‑oriented mechanisms that enable business and government to tackle shared implementation challenges. The Director will work across the organization and with leading businesses and governments to design and execute impactful public‑private engagement and advocacy strategies. You will develop new insights, convene leaders, build partnerships and drive targeted engagements that enable positive policy shifts to accelerate scalable, competitive, low‑carbon solutions.

Main Responsibilities and Candidate Profile

• Strategy Design: Lead the design of clear, targeted engagement strategies and tactics for priority outcomes, creating buy‑in with relevant WBCSD members, teams, governments and partners, mapping leverage points, assessing opportunities and sequencing engagement.
• Intelligence: Provide strategic insight and thought leadership on business‑relevant policy trends. Translate complex policy debates into concise business‑relevant insights and narratives, and equip companies with practical guidance and materials for constructive, non‑partisan government engagement.
• Build Partnerships: Engage proactively and build senior relationships with stakeholders across value chains — including businesses, industry platforms, key institutions, think tanks, government, and civil society — to advance shared goals and build strategic collaborations.
• Convening: Apply best practices in the design and facilitation of high impact convenings (roundtables, sprint workshops, implementation dialogues) focused on concrete outputs that result in co‑created solutions, implementation roadmaps, and deep trust.
• Drive Implementation: Lead and/or coordinate a matrixed team, providing strategic orchestration, establishing a pragmatic cadence to track progress, de‑risk bottlenecks, and keep delivery on time.
• Business development: Work with the Senior Director to identify and cultivate funding partners, business models and co‑financing opportunities to sustain and scale our policy impact.

You bring deep expertise in coalition building and corporate policy engagement, with a sophisticated understanding of political economy, power dynamics and informal stakeholder influence – experience in emerging markets is an asset. You are comfortable operating in complex, agile environments and have demonstrated experience working with businesses and governments at senior levels. You combine strategic judgement with a sharp analytical mindset and the ability to bridge the languages and worlds of business, government and finance. You have experience leading high‑impact initiatives across multi‑stakeholder networks, with the skill to innovate in the design of approaches that result in trust, alignment and action across a range of actors, including business, governments, think tanks, and civil society. You lead with integrity and self‑awareness, work effectively across teams and cultures, and understand how to manage both complexity and delivery. You have a track record of matrix‑management, and you use collaboration as a lever for influence and success.

Qualifications, skills and experience

• Strong understanding of business policy dependencies, with proven expertise in advising senior executives on advocacy positioning, navigating political sensitivities, and enabling companies to engage constructively and credibly with governments.
• Track record of building and stewarding high‑impact partnerships, coalitions or platforms that strengthen evidence, alignment and collective influence in support of policy outcomes.
• An understanding of sustainability transition pathways with the ability to rapidly assimilate knowledge, engage experts and assess opportunities across a wide‑range of topics.
• Expertise in designing and facilitating participatory convenings—such as roundtables, design workshops—that enable inclusive contribution, surface diverse insights, build trust, and drive co‑created solutions.
• Established networks across business, governments and economic policy communities. Networks related to climate, nature and/or social policy and in emerging markets are an asset.
• Outstanding analytical, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to synthesise complex political and economic information for diverse audiences, including businesses and policymakers.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship‑building skills, with a track record of effective collaboration across international and cross‑sectoral teams.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as a senior matrix leader, building alignment on direction, drive deliver, and foster collaboration within and across teams.
• Strong commitment to fostering inclusion, wellbeing, and diversity within the workplace and in external partnerships.
• Experience of fundraising, grant management and business model development would be an asset.

The position is fixed‑term for 12 months in London or Amsterdam, with potential to extend subject to performance and funding. International travel is expected to support high leverage engagements and convenings. The application deadline is Saturday, 28 February 2026 at 23:59 (CET).

WBCSD is a purpose‑driven organization that values diversity across gender, nationalities, and professional backgrounds. Headquartered in Geneva, with offices in Amsterdam, London, Singapore, Wuhan, Chicago, and New York.

What we offer

• Generous Time Off to Recharge: In addition to 25 days of paid holiday, you will have extra time off on your birthday and one cultural or religious celebration day. In addition, the option to buy up to 5 additional days each year for even more flexibility.
• Hybrid & Flexible Work: Work from the office a few days a week and from home the rest, with flexible hours to fit personal needs.
• Supported Hybrid Work: Financial support to set up your home office with essentials like a screen, headset, and desk for home work days.
• Mobility/Transport: We offer an annual contribution towards public transportation or other soft mobility options.
• A Pension scheme: Our comprehensive pension scheme allows you to invest in your future.
• Learning and Development: Free access to LinkedIn Learning, and the possibility to engage in other training opportunities.