Lead - Flexibles Programme

Lead: Flexibles Programme Plastics Mission UK based/hybrid Role Overview The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an international non-profit organisation committed to building a circular economy, and as such creating a better future for business, society and the natural world. As part of our Plastics Mission Team, you will work collaboratively across the Foundation to drive progress towards this vision.  In this role you will have the opportunity to lead, shape and drive one of our flagship programmes: a multi-year market-building programme for responsibly designed paper-based flexible packaging, moving it from promising innovations toward at scale deployment. This is tackling one of the world's most challenging sources of plastic packaging pollution. 25,000 pieces of flexible plastic packaging end up in the ocean every second. In this role you will have the opportunity to be at the forefront of driving innovative solutions to address this issue. This comes at an exciting moment in the programme, following the September 2026 public launch of the multi-year overall programme and its innovation component specifically (The PaperFlex Consortium). This means the incoming Lead will be able to both build on strong existing momentum, and confirmed multi-year funding and still shape the programme's implementation, coming in at the start of the journey.  The programme aims to implement mutually reinforcing interventions, including: accelerating innovation, charting the path to cost competitiveness, informing policy, and mobilising finance. It builds on a recent, widely endorsed publication “Paper- Based Flexible Packaging – The role it could play in tackling small-format flexible plastic pollution in markets with high leakage rates” and engages a large network of businesses, NGO, finance actors and other stakeholders. This programme is a key part of our overall 2030 Plastics Agenda. In this role you will work with a team of passionate, expert colleagues and partners who are committed to creating lasting change in a collaborative and forward-thinking workplace culture. You will be part of the Plastics Mission's leadership team, co-shaping the direction of the wider mission. Role & Responsibilities: With guidance from the Strategy Lead, you will shape the Flexibles Programme's strategy and objectives and be responsible for leading the programme team and delivery. You'll play a central role in managing the most strategic and senior stakeholders and representing the programme externally to build momentum behind it. You will lead a small Flexibles team and work together with colleagues in our policy, finance and legal teams as well as with external partners to bring in their expertise where needed. Main areas of work:

• Strategy & Thought leadership — With guidance from the Strategy Lead, further develop and evolve the strategy for the programme. You will become a thought leader on how to best build the market for responsibly designed paper-based flexible packaging, recognising this requires a broad combination of interventions. Based on continuous stakeholder engagement and a deep understanding of the topic, you will proactively identify and prioritise impact opportunities, and shape the plans, governance and engagement model needed to turn these into real action.
• Programme Delivery — Manage the delivery of a complex and dynamic programme, with multiple projects, ensuring these are mutually reinforcing to maximise the programme's impact. For each workstream in the programme, you will need to work with your team to (a) define objectives; (b) set up and manage the project team, external partners and governance; (c) manage stakeholders incl. identifying and resolving sensitivities; (d) do high-level problem solving and strategic steering to ensure projects stay on track and deliver the strategic objectives.
• Team and people management — Manage a small team to deliver the programme and take responsibility to coach and support them in their professional development.
• Relationship Management and Development — Together with the team, build and manage strong relationships with a wide network of businesses, innovators, investors, NGO and other actors engaged in the programme. Shape and drive active and structured convening of this network, to further stimulate momentum, alignment and collaboration.
• Representing the Foundation at key meetings and events, and on occasions with the media, to consistently promote our vision of a circular economy and expand the momentum behind the programme. International travel to events and to meet key stakeholders is required. Your Profile:
• A minimum of 10 years relevant work experience, including experience in a packaging-related sector. Management consultancy experience would be a major plus.
• Extensive programme and project management experience with proven capability of managing multiple projects in parallel with tight deadlines and multiple stakeholders involved, ensuring high-quality results, and effectively collaborating with various internal departments and external partners. 
• Relationship management experience, particularly in the context of global, multi-stakeholder initiatives; the ability to interact effectively with individuals at various management levels across a variety of organisations and geographies.
• Strong strategic and analytical thinking skills: The programme's workstreams cover a range of very different areas – from R&D to economic analysis, to policy, finance and recyclability. Whilst we would not expect candidates to have expertise in all of these areas, we do need someone to quickly grasp technical content and navigate conversations with technical experts in these fields. We do not expect candidates to have experience or expertise in all of these. We do look for someone with the intellectual curiosity and ability to quickly grasp and master new, sometimes technical, content and the ability to navigate conversations with technical experts in these fields. 
• Communication and facilitation skills, including public speaking; evidence of shaping and delivering impactful workshops; evidence of mobilising stakeholders behind a common agenda; evidence of having written engaging documents.
• Experience in or strong understanding of the packaging or waste management sector in developing economies is a plus - esp. South/South-East Asia as the key focus area for the programme. Apply by clicking the green icon where you will be asked to upload a CV and covering letter. Closing date: 28th October 2026 Desired starting date: as soon as possible. Salary package: This is a senior position within the Foundation and the salary package  will be highly competitive within the NGO sector. Generous holiday allowance (25 days plus UK Bank Holidays plus discretionary organisational extra days leave at Christmas and Easter), generous parental leave; enhanced pension options/private health scheme after 6 months; wellbeing programme. Location: A remote UK location will be considered for this role. What we do The Ellen MacArthur Foundation develops and promotes the idea of a circular economy.  We work with, and inspire, business, academia, policymakers, and institutions to mobilise systems solutions at scale, globally. Our mission is to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Our vision is a new economic system that delivers better outcomes for people and the environment. Business models, products, and materials are designed to increase use and reuse, replicating the balance of the natural world, where nothing becomes waste, and everything has value. A circular economy, increasingly built on renewable energy and materials, is distributed, diverse, and inclusive. Our commitment to you​ We are keen to receive applications from people from underrepresented backgrounds, including (but not limited to) those of colour, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTQIA+, and people from other marginalised groups.  It is important to us that our recruitment approach makes the opportunity as accessible as possible and ensures a diverse range of people are able to demonstrate their potential.  We would be happy to provide any further support that you may require - please get in touch so that we can work together.  If you would like further information on our diversity and inclusion policy or any further assistance, please contact us at recruitment@ellenmacarthurfoundation.org.