Director of Communications & Knowledge Translation

• Job title: Director of Communications & Knowledge Translation
• Location: Flexible/remote with travel to Brussels, Belgium
• Eligibility: All candidates must hold the right to work in Belgium, the EU, or the UK
• Hours: Full-time one-year fixed-term contract (with the strong possibility of extension to a permanent contract). Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe offers a four-day week - 8h/day - to aid productivity and support a better work-life balance.
• Salary: €73,000, or equivalent to be discussed in relevant remote-working country
• Closing date: Sunday, 2 November 2025
• Starting date: January 2026 preferred

About Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) Europe

HCWH Europe is an international non-profit NGO and an acknowledged leader in the field of sustainable healthcare. Its mission is to, ‘Transform the healthcare sector so that it reduces its environmental footprint, becomes more resilient, and establishes itself as a leader for sustainable development in Europe’.

HCWH Europe is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, with staff working remotely in five other European countries. It is part of the HCWH international organisation with other offices in the US and Asia, as well as a global team that works across all regions. HCWH works closely with health professionals, hospitals, healthcare systems, NGOs, local government, Ministries of Health and international organisations. HCWH Europe is a membership organisation with 194 institutional members representing 7,834 healthcare facilities collectively serving 144 million people in 27 countries of the WHO Europe region. Its members are also part of the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals (GGHH) network, the largest sustainable healthcare network in the world, focused on the interests and needs of healthcare practitioners.

This is an important year for HCWH Europe as it develops a new organisational Strategy 2026-2030, taking forward learnings from its current strategic plan. The new Strategy will contain an important new focus on Knowledge Translation, in order to drive greater impact at scale on national and European healthcare policy and practice.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Executive Director and serving as a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), the Director of Communications & Knowledge Translation will provide strategic leadership for all Health Care Without Harm Europe’s Communications and Knowledge Translation activities, ensuring that they operate cost efficiently and meet their defined measures of success. The Director will form a key part of a small, high-performing team working at the timely intersection of health and the environment. S/he will lead and support all of the organisation’s engagement and communication with target audiences, so that they achieve maximum impact on European healthcare policy and practice in support of the organisation’s mission.

The post is for an initial 12-month period, at a critical time of development for the organisation’s communications and knowledge translation activities. We intend to make the post permanent thereafter, subject to receiving sufficient funding, and we have high hopes that this will be the case.

Key Responsibilities

• As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, support the Executive Director (ED) and contribute to the organisational management of Health Care Without Harm (Europe) and successful development and implementation of its future organisational goals and objectives.
• Lead the Communications & Knowledge Translation Department, developing and managing team work plans in support of strategic objectives.
• Working closely with the Executive Director and Director of Programmes, develop HCWH Europe’s Knowledge Translation strategy; and lead the subsequent implementation of activities and initiatives to maximise the impact of the organisation’s outputs and expertise on EU and national healthcare policy and practice.
• Coordinate with partners, global colleagues and others to develop consistent and compelling storytelling and other content that grows and engages audiences and effectively communicates HCWH Europe’s mission.
• Oversee brand development of HCWH Europe and the wider HCWH organisational family and marketing activities, including innovative storytelling campaigns, and provide leadership to ensure brand consistency.
• Oversee the development, distribution and maintenance of all digital, media and print content to ensure they are compelling and usable by target audiences, including: HCWH Europe’s website, newsletters, organisational and project reports and publications, policy and advocacy initiatives, and fundraising materials.
• Support the development, reach and impact of HCWH Europe’s events (including CleanMed Europe and the European Healthcare Climate Summit).
• Support the development of HCWH Europe’s networks of members and volunteers (including Global Green and Health Hospitals (GGHH), Doctors for Greener Healthcare, Pharmacists for Greener Healthcare and Nurses Climate Challenge Europe) to be able to understand and use the organisation’s outputs; and development of innovative and creative impact reporting to measure the success of organisational and KT strategies.
• Advise and support the maintenance and development of HCWH Europe’s external partnerships, and its advocacy policies, positions and external engagement activities.
• Develop and lead implementation of HCWH Europe’s multi-lingual activities, as defined by its Knowledge Translation strategy.
• Support the Executive Director, Director of Programmes and other staff members in any specific representation of the organisation at conferences, meetings and events. Where required, represent HCWH Europe in national or international events.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 10 years’ relevant communications and/or knowledge translation experience in the non-profit sector, with at least three years in a senior leadership/supervisory role.
• Experience in the fields of sustainability and/or health would be a distinct advantage.
• A Master’s degree in Communications, Public/Media Relations, or related area of study – or equivalent experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Dynamic and creative thinker with outstanding writing/editing and verbal communication skills.
• Fluent English (verbal and written) is mandatory for this role; working knowledge of other European languages would be an advantage.
• Effective storyteller – able to transform knowledge into exciting, engaging and impactful messages and disseminate them to the right audiences through the most effective distribution channels.
• Demonstrable experience of working and engaging with multiple stakeholders to translate complex technical outputs into policy and practice at national or international levels.
• Experience working with diverse teams to develop and implement communications and knowledge translation strategies.
• High energy, maturity and leadership, results-focused with exceptional organisational skills – strong track record of managing a range of communications initiatives concurrently.
• Experience using data to make communications decisions.

Rewards & Benefits

In addition to salary, we offer a range of additional benefits to our employees. The package will vary depending upon which country the successful candidate is based, but will include:

• We award leave at the higher of 25 days per annum or the legal minimum requirement in the country of employment;
• Christmas break: The office is closed between Christmas and New Year inclusive (this is an additional paid holiday);
• We operate a four-day work week, where every Friday is an additional paid day off without the need for extra hours, resulting in 32 (efficient) hours of work instead of 38 hours;
• We offer flexible working arrangements. We understand the importance of work-life balance and strive to accommodate our team members’ preferences whenever possible.

We are also working hard to create an inclusive culture that is grounded in our mission to create a more sustainable healthcare sector. We aim to encourage people from all backgrounds to work with us and are particularly interested in hearing from people from minority backgrounds and all socio-economic sections of society.

How to apply

All candidates must demonstrate that they hold the existing right to work in Belgium, the EU or the UK. To apply for this position please send an email to jobseurope@hcwh.org.

• Please include your last name and the job title in the subject line: i.e., LAST NAME Director of Communications & Knowledge Translation.
• Attach your CV and a cover letter (Word or PDF format) explaining your motivation for the position.
• Please let us know where you found the position advertised and when you would be able to start.

Timeline

Successful candidates will be contacted by 9 November 2025.

First interviews will be held remotely (online) in the week beginning 17 November.

Please note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

In addition to salary, we offer a range of additional benefits to our employees. The package will vary depending upon which country the successful candidate is based, but will include:

• We award leave at the higher of 25 days per annum or the legal minimum requirement in the country of employment;
• Christmas break: The office is closed between Christmas and New Year inclusive (this is an additional paid holiday);
• We operate a four-day work week, where every Friday is an additional paid day off without the need for extra hours, resulting in 32 (efficient) hours of work instead of 38 hours;
• We offer flexible working arrangements. We understand the importance of work-life balance and strive to accommodate our team members’ preferences whenever possible.

We are also working hard to create an inclusive culture that is grounded in our mission to create a more sustainable healthcare sector. We aim to encourage people from all backgrounds to work with us and are particularly interested in hearing from people from minority backgrounds and all socio-economic sections of society.