Blue Ventures is looking for a Chief External Affairs Officer (CEAO). This is a pivotal Executive Leadership Team role, accountable for ensuring Blue Ventures has the visibility, authority, influence, relationships and resources needed to deliver impact at scale for coastal communities and ocean conservation. As part of BV’s distributed leadership model, the CEAO provides expert executive leadership with clear decision rights and accountability, serving as the organisation’s senior architect and champion of external influence.
Role Purpose
The role will enable the driving of our ambitious thought leadership, profile-raising and influence agenda that strengthens BV’s standing as a leading, values-led voice in community-centred marine conservation, ensuring BV is consistently present, compelling and credible in the places and conversations that shape funding, policy, practice and public narratives—translating BV’s evidence and partner-led model into narrative leadership that advances systems change.
Key Responsibilities
- Executive Leadership: Provide leadership for BV’s external engagement portfolio, maximizing the strategic work in the fundraising and strategic communications teams to amplify the organisational profile with donors, media and sector influencers.
- Performance & Delivery: Accountable for performance across fundraising and communications, enabling day-to-day delivery through partnership with the Director of Development and Director of Communications.
- Spokesperson: Serve as a persuasive, highly credible spokesperson representing BV at the highest levels, engaging scientists, practitioners, philanthropy leaders, policymakers, and journalists.
- Advocacy & Events: Proactively identify, secure, and lead high-profile speaking opportunities (e.g., at Our Ocean, Skoll, and New York Climate Week).
- Strategic Alliances: Act as a featured speaker, panellist, or convenor to build strategic alliances and attract mission-aligned investment.
- Alignment & Integrity: Ensure external positioning and resource mobilisation align with programme priorities, community needs, BV values, and safeguarding/ethical standards while protecting BV’s reputation and legitimacy.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree (BA/BSc/HND) in a relevant field.
- Extensive executive or senior leadership experience in a global or complex environment.
- Proven track record in external affairs, strategic communications, profile-raising, and influencing agenda.
- Strong experience in fundraising management and managing relationships with high-level donors and sector influencers.
- Exceptional skills as a spokesperson with the ability to tailor messages across diverse platforms and audiences.
- Experience in community-centred conservation or international development sectors is highly desirable.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should apply online through the official Blue Ventures careers portal at careers.blueventures.org.
