Executive Director (gn) Expeditions & Operations

About Active Philanthropy

To safeguard life on Earth, we must be bold and act now. Mitigating the causes of the climate crisis and helping those most affected to adapt is essential for the well-being of future generations. The coming decades are critical, as the decisions and actions we take now will determine the future of humanity.

Philanthropy can be highly effective in driving progress towards a just and sustainable future by providing unrestricted capital, fostering public awareness and ownership, scaling and innovating solutions and creating the space for inclusive dialogue. Yet not enough philanthropic attention is given to fighting the drivers of global emissions and driving innovative climate solutions that have benefits beyond emissions cuts.

Active Philanthropy is working to change this. We’re on a mission to unleash the power of philanthropy by supporting individuals, foundations, and businesses to channel their resources into solutions that tackle the climate crisis and catalyse systemic change. For over 20 years, we’ve worked alongside our clients to deepen their understanding of climate challenges and turn ambition into action.

Through our expeditions, we create immersive, first-hand experiences that connect leaders with the realities of climate change, the latest science, and pathways to solutions. They are designed in collaboration with local communities and subject-matter experts to ensure diverse, on-the-ground perspectives are at the heart of the experience. Our knowledge and content work bridges science and solutions, providing the crucial expertise and insights needed to enable our clients and communities to design impactful giving strategies and make confident decisions that lead to lasting impact. These insights come to life via our Publications and Tools which are publicly accessible and make complex climate and philanthropy topics clear, practical, and actionable.

We are a non-profit organisation and rely on donations and grants as well as service fees to fund our work. In our day-to-day work, we depend on expert knowledge, international collaboration, and creative thinking but, above all, on people who want to make a difference. Are you one of them?

Context & Profile

As Active Philanthropy celebrates its 20th anniversary, we are entering an exciting new phase. Following two decades of leadership, our founder is stepping back from operational responsibilities, and we are introducing a co-leadership structure with two Co-Executive Directors, each heading a core pillar of our work – Climate Insights and Philanthropic Strategies and Expeditions & Operations.

We are now seeking a full-time

Executive Director of Expeditions and Operations (gn)

to steward the next phase of the organisation. The Executive Director of Expeditions and Operations will be responsible for driving external engagement and strategic growth, designing and facilitating expeditions, leading business and partnership development and strengthening key networks. Alongside their outward-facing focus, they will be responsible for ensuring the effective and smooth running of internal operations. This is a rare opportunity to pair strategic vision with hands-on delivery.

The ideal candidate should bring senior leadership experience in a foundation, philanthropic advisory or mission-driven organisation. They should have a genuine passion for climate action and the role philanthropy can play in driving catalytic change. Candidates should bring a proven track record of both working with stakeholders at the highest levels to affect meaningful change and of developing unique learning experiences that enable participants to connect to their head, hands and heart.

Although the Active Philanthropy team is primarily based in Berlin, we are open to remote working within Europe. Candidates based elsewhere will be expected to travel to Berlin for team engagement at least once a month. In the first six months, candidates should be prepared to spend several days a week in Berlin to build strong relationships within the team.

1. This is a co-executive director role, reporting directly to the Board with joint accountability for the strategic direction, organisational health, and external impact of the organisation.
2. You will lead the Expeditions pillar, setting the strategic direction and taking overall responsibility for the design and successful delivery of expeditions, including the development of new formats and concepts. This will involve participant and partner acquisition, partnership management, expedition facilitation and project management of high-level bespoke expedition projects.
3. You will lead on the Expedition Alumni community, setting the strategic direction and acting as the head of the community. This will involve building meaningful relationships with community members, hosting in-person and online events and identifying ways to activate and mobilise the community to support Active Philanthropy’s mission.
4. You will proactively identify and drive fundraising opportunities working closely with the Founder as well as the Executive Director of Climate Insights and Philanthropic Strategies to secure long-term funding for the organisation.
5. You carry ultimate accountability for operations and organisational development however the day-to-day operations are led by a dedicated Operations Lead. This will involve overseeing operations through clear strategic judgement, prioritisation, and escalation, rather than hands-on execution.
6. You will oversee all external communications and brand strategy, ensuring consistent messaging and positioning to key stakeholders.
7. You will work in close collaboration with the Climate Insights and Philanthropic Strategies team to ensure that all knowledge and content work is integrated into expedition, alumni and communication activities while ensuring that field and stakeholder experiences continuously inform our knowledge strategy.
8. Serve as a public face of the organisation by speaking at events, sharing thought leadership on LinkedIn, and advocating for the role of philanthropy in addressing climate change.
9. Manage a small, agile and highly capable team across expeditions, communications and operations.

1. Proven track record of designing, delivering, and facilitating unique experiences across multiple geographies (expeditions, learning journeys, or large-scale events)
2. Ability to operate confidently and as a credible counterpart at the highest stakeholder levels e.g. HNWI’s, Corporate CEO’s, philanthropy executives, etc.
3. Established personal network of philanthropists, investors and senior leaders across sectors
4. Extensive experience in partnership development and/or fundraising, with a history of successfully negotiating and securing multi-year partnerships
5. Experience in building and managing high-level communities of purpose or alumni networks
6. Expertise in philanthropy and the role philanthropy can play in enabling catalytic change
7. Strong interest and experience in leading teams and overseeing the effective day-to-day running of a small organisation
8. Collaborative, adaptable, and inspiring leader
9. Strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial mindset
10. Ability to hold organisational responsibility at a high, strategic level, without micromanaging operations
11. Strong interpersonal intuition; skilled in managing complex relationships, ambiguity, and organisational dynamics
12. Passion for tackling the effects of climate change and creating a just and sustainable future
13. Fluent in English
14. Fluent in German (desirable)
15. Willingness to travel frequently either to facilitate/plan expeditions or represent the organisation at relevant conferences/events
16. Ideally based in Berlin, or alternatively willing to travel to Berlin frequently to work with the team.

Apply even if you don’t meet every single requirement. Studies show that, on average, men tend to apply for a job when they meet about 60% of the criteria, while women and non-binary people often apply only when they meet a much higher percentage. We’d love to get to know you and see what you bring to the role.

1. Impact that matters! We are working to advance climate resilience at speed and scale
2. A highly relevant, exciting challenge in a dynamic, agile organisation that promotes personal development and learning
3. A small, motivated and multifaceted team of people committed to tackle the climate crisis together
4. An excellent network in the third sector, especially with foundations and donors in the European environment
5. A beautiful office with a garden and four-legged anti-stress officer in the heart of Berlin
6. The possibility of mobile working and flexible working hours