About the Company: Chaberton Partners, leading executive search firm in Europe, on behalf of the FIA Foundation, is seeking their next Executive Director.
The FIA Foundation is an international philanthropic organisation dedicated to advancing global road safety, environmental sustainability, and climate action, working closely with governments, multilateral institutions, and partners worldwide.
About the Role: The Executive Director will lead the organisation in a phase of strategic evolution, strengthening its global impact, advocacy capabilities, and high-level partnerships. This role requires a highly international profile, combining strong institutional exposure with the ability to translate vision into execution.
Responsibilities:
* Define and drive the Foundation’s long-term strategy in close collaboration with the Board of Trustees;
* Act as the primary global representative, engaging with governments, multilateral organisations (e.g. UN), philanthropic institutions, and senior stakeholders;
* Build and strengthen strategic partnerships to enhance the Foundation’s visibility, credibility, and impact;
* Oversee the global grant-making portfolio, ensuring effectiveness, transparency, and alignment with strategic priorities;
* Lead the management and allocation of a multi-million Euro budget, ensuring financial sustainability and discipline;
* Lead and develop a senior, international team, fostering a high-performance and mission-driven culture and drive organisational transformation and continuous improvement initiatives;
* Manage Board relations, including strategic alignment, reporting, and governance processes;
* Oversee global communications and media engagement, acting as spokesperson on complex and high-profile topics.
Qualifications:
* 10–15+ years of senior leadership experience in international environments (foundations, multilateral organisations, NGOs, or similar);
* Proven track record in building high-level partnerships with governments, institutions, and private sector stakeholders;
* Strong experience in global strategy development and execution within complex, multi-stakeholder environments;
* Exposure to international policy environments (e.g. sustainability, mobility, public health, development);
* Experience managing significant budgets and, ideally, grant-making frameworks;
* Outstanding communication (fluent in English) and influencing skills, with experience representing organisations at senior international forums and demonstrated ability to lead and develop international teams.
Location: LONDON, UK, with frequent global travel required.
Equal Opportunity Statement: We welcome applications from all candidates and actively foster an inclusive hiring environment, selecting the best person for each role regardless of sex, gender identity, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity.