Senior Manager, Partnerships and Impact, GCoM

Position title: Senior Manager, Partnerships and Impact, GCoM

Department: Global Covenant of Mayors

Reporting to: Director, Climate Action Innovation, Research, and Impact, GCoM

Location: Brussels & London - Please note that if your right to work in one of the listed locations is not confirmed at the time of applying, C40 will be unable to proceed with your application.

Salary: (Grade 3) Brussels EUR 91,065, London GBP £65,318 gross per annum - Due to its commitment to maintain equity and fairness, C40 operates on a spot salary model. This means that our employees are paid the same salary according to their grade and location.

Term: Fixed term contract until 31st December 2028 (The appointment and the duration of the role is subject to the final approval of funding).

Background

ABOUT THE GLOBAL COVENANT OF MAYORS FOR CLIMATE & ENERGY

The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM or Global Covenant), is a global coalition of cities and local governments with a shared long-term vision of promoting and supporting voluntary action to combat climate change and move to a low-carbon, resilient society. The alliance unites and inspires its stakeholders to strengthen global climate coherence, accelerate the energy transition, and generate locally-tailored solutions for a common purpose: creating an inclusive, just, low-emission, and climate-resilient future for all.

Co-chaired by former New York City Mayor and UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions, Michael R. Bloomberg, and European Commission Executive Vice-President, Teresa Ribera and with the support of global and regional city networks, the Global Covenant of Mayors represents the strongest and clearest signal to national governments that cities are not only acting to stop the effects of climate change, they are leading and leading together.

C40 Cities is the fiscal sponsor of the Bloomberg Philanthropies funded parts of the Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM). As the host organization, C40 provides financial, administrative, and operational services to GCoM. C40 and GCoM are working closely together on aligned programmes and areas of activity.

GCoM’s STRATEGIC DIRECTION

No single organization, initiative, sector, or government, however innovative or impactful, can accomplish all the transformational, systemic changes required of the global community. The Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy enables cities, local governments, and the networks that support them to bridge the gap from climate ambition to action delivery. The alliance unites and inspires its stakeholders to strengthen global climate coherence, accelerate the energy transition, and generate locally-tailored solutions for a common purpose: creating an inclusive, just, low-emission, and climate-resilient future for all. GCoM’s Strategic Plan is focused on deepening support through technical assistance and other means to cities that have already committed to the Global Covenant and to accelerate action delivery across all levels of government and with the private sector, academia and civil society.

ABOUT C40

C40 is a network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities, who are working to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis, and create a future where everyone, everywhere can thrive. Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using a science-based and people-focused approach to help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities. Through a Global Green New Deal, mayors are working alongside a broad coalition of representatives from labour, business, the youth climate movement and civil society to go further and faster than ever before.

C40’s team of 400+ staff is based in offices in London, in New York, Johannesburg, Singapore, Delhi, Rio de Janeiro, Copenhagen, Beijing and Paris, and individual staff based across 25+ different locations.

The strategic direction of the organisation is determined by an elected Steering Committee of C40 mayors, which is chaired by Mayor Sadiq Khan of London and Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown. Three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the C40 Board of Directors, responsible for operational oversight. A regionally diverse management team, led by Executive Director Mark Watts, leads the day-to-day management of C40. C40’s two core strategic funders are Bloomberg Philanthropies and Realdania.

Our international staff work with the C40 network under the leadership of city governments to deliver this mission. Using a data-driven approach, our team identifies and promotes the exchange of proven programmes and policies developed by cities; provides world-class research, technical expertise and access to key partners to deliver new programmes and policies with cities; and communicates cities’ individual achievements and collective leadership.

Diversity statement

C40 is committed to supporting and promoting equity and diversity and creating an inclusive working environment for everyone. We believe that when people with different life experiences are involved in decision-making, we deliver better.

We believe having a diverse workforce ensures we connect better with all the different communities and people affected by the climate crisis. This enables us to make better decisions which lead to better outcomes in the work we do through increased creativity, productivity, greater global impact alongside a broader perspective and approach to our work.

We welcome applicants that are diverse in terms of age, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity and perspective. Our goal is for C40 to be an environment where everyone, from any background, can flourish and can be themselves whilst contributing to our mission. If you identify as a person with a disability, we work to provide reasonable appropriate measures and any additional support needed to provide an equitable working experience. If you are living with a disability, chronic illness or neurodiversity please inform us, to provide you with the proper assistance in the application process.

C40 promotes a work culture where staff can input to improve equity, diversity and inclusion through staff-led groups and formal forums. We know that creating our ideal working environment is a learning process and we are committed to the ongoing effort.

Department description

The Climate Action Innovation, Research, and Impact (CAIRI) sits within the GCoM Global Secretariat. The team advances research and knowledge, develops cutting-edge data and AI-enabled tools for climate action, and fosters city–business collaboration to accelerate implementation at scale.

Position description:

The Senior Manager, Partnerships and Impact will coordinate and measure the delivery of the GCoM 2026-28 Strategic Plan at a global and regional level, as well as showcasing impact to partners, funders and internally.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the monitoring and evaluation of the GCoM Strategic Plan.
  • Plan and track the delivery of Strategic Plan priorities and KPIs across the GCoM Global Secretariat.
  • Support partner organizations in implementing the Global Strategic Plan 2026-2028, including developing tailored strategies and annual workplans.
  • Actively promote the alignment of regional and national Covenant strategies and workplans with the Global Strategic Plan, ensuring effective planning and execution across GCoM Technical Working Groups and the Strategic Advisory Committee.
  • Collaborate with other members of the Climate Action Innovation, Research, and Impact to learn from existing methods for measurement, to test and inform monitoring the ‘Deepen’ and ‘Accelerate’ goals within the Strategic Plan;
• Cultivate existing - and forge new - strategic partnerships among the GCoM alliance to build buy-in and deliver on the goals of the GCoM Strategic Plan, in particular on the “Deepen” goal.
  • Develop a robust understanding of the GCoM mission and critical opportunities for partnership across different multilateral and non-state systems, such as the European Union, the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC), and others.
  • Establish and maintain strong partnerships across the three global strategic goals (Deepen, Accelerate, and Grow) and cross-cutting initiative areas, including Data4Cities, Innovate4Cities, and Invest4Cities.
  • Prepare and deliver presentations for external partners and prospective organizations with whom GCoM engagement would be valuable.
  • Facilitate events and one-on-one opportunities to strengthen partnerships across all GCoM goal and initiative areas.
• Coordinate impact measurement across the GCoM Alliance to showcase progress on activities, including:
  • Synthesise data reported by cities, local governments and partner organizations to generate solutions-oriented insights. Support the Communications Team and Technical Working Groups with the translation of insights into communication materials.
  • Collaborate with the Head of Regional Coordination and Regional/National Covenant partners to identify actions and impact to communicate to tailored regional audiences.
  • Engage with teams across C40 & GCoM - such as Communications, Multilevel Partnerships, Urban Transitions Mission, Regional Coordination, and Finance - to collate cross-sectoral insights and advance joint storytelling.
  • Inform – with strong audio and/or visual aids – GCoM co-funders and key partners on how the impact of the alliance brings value to their contributions and prospective engagements.
  • Prepare and deliver presentations for senior management on progress.

Person specification:

• Experience of partner and stakeholder network building across multiple regions of the globe.
• Proven experience in project management, with a strong understanding of formal project management methodologies.
• Proactive in tracking and monitoring project progress, with an ability to identify blockers and find innovative solutions.
• Strong strategic thinking and effective external communication skills to make convincing cases for action and collaboration.
• Experience in translating data into clear impact narratives, identifying trends and telling compelling stories to non-technical audiences.
• Flexibility and ability to adjust on the fly to new demands and a proven record to deliver.
• Decisiveness in order to tackle and resolve difficult issues and to meet the Global Covenant’s mission.
• Effective team player, comfortable with working collaboratively, and with strongcross-team communication ability for a complex organisational structure.
• Familiarity with the missions and priorities of C40, GCoM, and the global climate and sustainability space; understanding of US-based philanthropy and international NGOs is a strong asset.
• Experience working in international, cross-cultural environments, including collaboration across time zones and languages.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required; proficiency in additional languages is an asset but not required.

Other requirements

Applicants must already have the right to work in the country where they apply. Moderate travel will be required as part of the role.

We seek to recruit individuals who not only have the appropriate skills and experience for the role, but are committed to carrying out their roles in line with our organisational values.

C40 offers a comprehensive benefits package to support employee well-being and work-life balance:

• Paid Time Off: Full-time employees receive 35 days of paid time off annually, which includes all national holidays.
• Company Close-downs: In addition to the standard paid time off, C40 provides two non-contractual, non-statutory close-down weeks each year (mid-year and end-of-year) for a full break.
• Parental Leave: All employees are eligible for up to 52 weeks of parenting leave. The first 16 weeks are paid at 100% of the employee's current salary. Weeks 17 through 52 are unpaid by C40, unless payment is required by national law.
• Flexible Working: C40 supports flexible working arrangements to enhance work-life balance, provided they align with business requirements.
• Time off in Lieu (TOIL): Employees can take TOIL to recover following periods of excessive hours or travel in line with C40’s Toil Policy.
• Sick Leave: Entitlement to sick leave increases upon the successful completion of the employee's probation period.
• Employee Training: Training and development opportunities are available to all staff (excluding temporary staff and interns) after they have completed and passed their probation period.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): Confidential services, such as counselling, are accessible for short-term support.

C40 offers additional benefits based on specific location requirements. This might include Private Pension Schemes and/or Private Health Insurance (where publicly funded healthcare is not available). Therefore, availability is determined on a country by country basis.

Application process

Interested applicants should submit a curriculum vitae and cover letter. The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday, 24th April 2026 at 9am UK time. C40 reserves the right to close this job opening before the closing date for applications so please do submit applications early.

Please note that shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview on Monday, 27th April 2026.

To learn more about the work of C40 and our cities, please visit our website or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.