Strategic Portfolio Designer

Summary

Join Climate-KIC as a Strategic Portfolio Designer and play a pivotal role in shaping our climate innovation initiatives. This advanced-level position requires expertise in systems thinking and strategic alignment across our diverse portfolio. You will design frameworks, facilitate workshops, and develop narratives to connect projects with broader strategic goals. The role demands strong analytical, communication, and collaborative leadership skills to drive systemic change and maximize our impact. Based in Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, UK, this ongoing contract offers flexibility with remote or hybrid work options.

Requirements

• Proficiency in systems thinking, sensemaking, and complexity analysis in multi-stakeholder environments
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement strategies that align initiatives with larger systems goals
• Skilled at synthesising diverse data into actionable recommendations
• Ability to craft compelling systems narratives that communicate the interconnected value of portfolios
• Experienced in facilitating cross-functional teams and enabling alignment in complex systems
• Fluent in English
• Experience or willingness to work with collaborative IT applications (we use Office365 and Microsoft Teams, as well as Miro, Zoom, Mentimeter etc.)
• Candidates must have the right to work in the location they’re applying for (I.e. not require visa sponsorship) prior to applying for the position

Responsibilities

• Design frameworks and tools to synthesise complex data streams from projects and portfolios
• Identify systemic patterns, leverage interconnectedness, and reveal emerging opportunities to drive proactive adaptation
• Design/facilitate sensemaking workshops, enabling stakeholders to align their work with larger system dynamics and strategic priorities
• Develop a systems narrative for portfolios, linking individual projects (Riff 1, Riff 2 CoP) to Climate-KIC’s broader mission and systemic impact goals (Portfolio Riff 3)
• Map interdependencies within and across portfolios to enhance synergies, resource efficiency, and collective impact
• Provide actionable recommendations to prioritise initiatives that advance systemic outcomes and strategic goals
• Lead research to identify emerging systemic challenges and opportunities, connecting them to new pathways for climate action
• Translate insights into actionable prototypes and pilots, enabling Climate-KIC to address evolving climate system needs
• Working in conjunction with the Learning Designer and MEL Orchestrator to build an insights pipeline to inform iterative strategy refinement and program innovation
• Facilitate collaboration between teams to integrate systems insights into program design, strategy, and stakeholder engagement
• Act as a bridge between operational teams, research, and leadership to ensure systemic alignment in organisational interfaces eg campaigns (Product Marketeer), fundraising (Strategic Partnerships), and delivery(Cluster Leads)
• Design shared language and visualisation tools to help stakeholders understand interconnected impacts and opportunities

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge of climate innovation or systemic transformation in sustainability is highly desirable

Benefits

• We offer a high degree of flexibility to accommodate all working patterns
• We’re happy to discuss your situation during the interview and see how best we can support you
• We support fully remote or hybrid forms of working and offer a high degree of flexibility