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About World Animal Protection

World Animal Protection is a global, non‑profit animal welfare organisation dedicated to ending cruelty and suffering for animals worldwide. It has been active for over 75 years and was formerly known as the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA). It now operates through a network of international teams and country offices in about 12–14 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

World Animal Protection works across multiple fronts to achieve this, including:

• Advocacy and policy change — influencing governments, intergovernmental bodies, and businesses to improve animal welfare laws, regulations, and corporate practices worldwide.
• Addressing systemic causes of suffering — focusing on industrial farming and the commercial wildlife trade to create humane food systems and protect wild animals from exploitation.
• Research and education — generating evidence and raising awareness about animal sentience, cruelty, and humane alternatives to harmful practices, and campaigning for more ethical treatment in tourism, agriculture, and trade.

With more than 75 years of history, the organisation has a strong track record of global campaigns and measurable impact — from improving farm animal welfare to securing wildlife protections and strengthening the visibility of animal welfare on the international agenda.

About the Role

The Chief Growth and Engagement Officer will lead the global strategy to engage, inspire, and grow their supporter community while driving the organisation’s external engagement agenda. They will oversee fundraising, external affairs and media (including the private and public sectors), and digital engagement and brand strategy teams, ensuring communications, partnerships, and advocacy amplify the mission, influence key stakeholders, and strengthen the organisation’s global profile.

The role is pivotal in unlocking new markets, diversifying income streams, and deepening relationships with supporters and stakeholders. Success will be measured by growth in reach, creative and effective supporter experiences, and income that fuels lasting systems change for animals. The postholder will develop strategies to increase individual giving, expand partnership fundraising, convert more supporters into long-term donors, and strengthen external influence through targeted engagement and media presence.

As a global leadership role with few direct lines of authority, success depends on influence, collaboration, and alignment across cultural and geographic boundaries, working closely with country offices and global teams. The postholder will balance immediate delivery with long-term transformation, combining commercial acumen with creativity and empathy to shape how the movement grows and engages externally for maximum global impact.

This role works closely with other Global Leadership Team members, particularly the Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Transformation and Culture Officer, to ensure integrated, sustainable growth and measurable impact. By embedding clarity, evidence, and learning across the organisation, the team delivers the right work in the best way for the greatest possible impact.

Reports to: Global CEO
Grade: Global Leadership Team (13)
Reportees: Director of Fundraising, Director of External Engagement and Media, Director of Digital Engagement and Brand Strategy
Budget holder: Yes
Global/Local role: Global

Duties and Responsibilities

As a member of the Global Leadership Team:

• Take shared responsibility for the whole organisation, placing animal welfare at the heart of every decision, representing their mission internally and externally while driving their global priorities across brand, engagement, fundraising, people and resource management, and beyond.
• Provide enabling leadership that strengthens their global network and supports distributed decision-making. Role model their values and ways of working, champion equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and lead with a culture of collaboration and accountability that ensures we work as one.

Strategic Leadership Vision and Growth

• Drive the global supporter growth strategy through innovation and scale across individual giving, partnerships, and supporter engagement to deliver the income and reach needed to achieve their mission.
• Provide clear, supportive leadership to Fundraising, External Engagement, Media, Digital, and Brand teams, ensuring functions are integrated, ambitious, and acting as strategic enablers of organisational success.
• Shape the global supporter experience, ensuring their supporter journey is compelling, consistent, and impactful, building long-term loyalty and alignment with their mission.

Global External Influence

• Lead and shape the organisation’s global external engagement strategy, including ensuring their messaging, advocacy, and campaigns amplify their mission and influence key stakeholders worldwide.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with external audiences and partners, positioning the organisation as a credible, authoritative, and innovative voice on animal welfare.

Governance, Insight and Accountability

• Provide the CEO, the International Board and its committees with clear analysis, forecasting and market insight, offering challenge and strategic foresight to strengthen organisational growth and support strategy.

Global Collaboration and Capability

• Champion collaboration across the global network, creating the environment for high performance across the whole Growth and Engagement network, ensuring the teams deliver against fundraising income, donor growth, and brand development goals.
• Influence and align the global network, engaging and collaborating with Country Directors and senior colleagues, securing buy-in, building shared ownership, and driving collective delivery without direct line management authority.
• Navigate a challenging funding environment with creativity and discipline, balancing ambition with realism, and ensuring that every fundraising investment delivers maximum impact.

Culture and Integrity

• Model transparent and trusted leadership by communicating openly and clearly across the organisation, building trust and setting the tone for a culture of accountability, collaboration, and shared purpose.

Leadership Responsibilities:

• Foster a culture of empowerment, collaboration, and innovation.
• Delegate effectively, remove barriers, and ensure optimal outcomes.
• Address conflicts, obstacles, and performance gaps constructively.
• Translate global strategies into clear deliverables aligned with the mission.
• Prioritise actions using evidence-based decisions and manage risks.
• Navigate ambiguity, drive growth, and push boundaries responsibly.
• Build authentic relationships and recognise organisational dynamics.
• Align team energy with goals, maintaining momentum in uncertainty.
• Set ambitious, collaborative goals while fostering continuous improvement.
• Value diversity and foster an environment where everyone feels empowered and included.

Skills and Experience

Essential

• Significant senior leadership experience in supporter engagement, external engagement, fundraising, or growth-focused role (e.g. Chief Development Officer, Fundraising Director, or equivalent) within a complex, networked global organisation.
• Proven track record of delivering substantial income growth across multiple fundraising streams (e.g. Individual Giving, partnerships, philanthropy, digital campaigns).
• Strategic thinker with a strong understanding of global fundraising and external engagement trends, with the ability to innovate and adapt approaches across diverse markets.
• Experience leading high-performing teams across multiple disciplines (fundraising, digital, brand), with evidence of identifying and realising opportunities for growth and engagement.
• Experience of working with Boards/Committees at a strategic level, providing insight, foresight, and challenge to inform organisational decision-making.
• Knowledge of ethical fundraising standards, compliance, and governance within an international charity/non-profit context.

Desirable

• Experience in leading work in animal welfare, environmental, humanitarian, or other mission-driven sectors.

At World Animal Protection, they cherish diversity and inclusion. They understand that varied backgrounds, identities, and perspectives drive innovation and resilience in their pursuit of global animal welfare. They are committed to creating a workplace where every individual is valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique strengths, especially welcoming those from underrepresented communities.

At World Animal Protection, there is a strong emphasis on integrating core values into every aspect of work and conduct. These values are expected to be reflected not only in day-to-day activities but also consistently embedded into all relevant policies and procedures. Below is a list of these values and behaviours, exemplifying the expectations set forth for the team:

• Global: They make decisions & act with a global mindset.
• Diverse and inclusive: They actively encourage and promote diversity, ensure all voices are heard and included, and are committed to equal opportunities for all.
• Collaborative: They work together and co-create to achieve lasting change.
• Agile: They make change happen in a fast-moving world.
• Growing People: They continually learn and develop.
• Accountable: They are role models. They take responsibility for their actions and encourage others to do the same.
• Courageous: They push boundaries, take risks, and set ambitious targets.