Communications Officer, Fondation CHANEL

Location: London
Reports to: Head of Communications, Fondation CHANEL

Contract Type: Permanent

About Fondation Chanel:

Created in 2011, Fondation CHANEL is a corporate foundation aiming for women and girls to be free to shape their own destiny. We work in partnership with nonprofit organisations, international organisations, alliances, academic and research institutions, social businesses and other charitable funds and foundations to address the overlapping discriminations against women and young girls and advance gender equality.

The foundation is guided by a set of core values which lie at the heart of the way in which it carries out its work, both internally and externally with its partners: trust, humility, attentiveness to power and privilege, holistic thinking, collaboration, learning, and supporting sustainable change.

Fondation CHANEL is committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion and to building a collaborative work environment where everyone can perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work.

Why this role matters:

We are seeking an experienced Communications Officer to join our growing Global Communications team and play a key role in shaping and delivering communications across Fondation CHANEL, as well as working collaboratively on connected Global Communications workstreams.

Working closely with Fondation CHANEL’s Head of Communications, this position will support leadership engagement, strengthen internal alignment across global teams, and help ensure our communications reflect the organisation’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.

As an early member of a developing communications function, this role offers the opportunity to help build the foundations of how communications work across the organisation, embedding practical tools, guidance, and processes that enable teams to communicate clearly, consistently, and effectively.

The role will also work in close collaboration with senior leadership and support communications and engagement with Chanel as a company, requiring strong judgement, and the ability to operate confidently in a high-trust environment. The ideal candidate is a collaborative, creative communicator with the ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments.

Key Responsibilities:

Internal Communications and Engagement

• Develop and deliver internal communications for Fondation CHANEL that strengthen alignment, transparency, and engagement across global teams.
• Support key organisational moments including leadership updates, internal briefings, and strategic announcements.
• Help design creative approaches to internal storytelling that connect colleagues both at the Foundation and across the House to the organisation’s mission and impact.

Leadership and External Engagement

• Support in researching and drafting speeches, talking points, and strategic communications for senior leaders.
• Support external engagement around events, convenings, and partnerships.
• Ensure messaging is clear, compelling, and aligned with organisational priorities.

Communications Scanning

• Monitor the external environment to identify emerging issues relevant to the organisation’s work.
• Contribute to proactive planning and risk preparedness.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Prepare briefings and updates highlighting impact, milestones, and strategic developments. Help ensure communications strengthen trusted relationships with key stakeholders.

Communications Tools, Processes and Collaboration

• Support the development and maintenance of communications tools, guidelines, and processes that enable teams across the organisation to communicate more efficiently and consistently.
• Prepare designed communications materials with attention to detail and discipline with visual identity and guidelines.
• Collaborate closely with programme teams to translate complex work into clear and engaging communications.
• Demonstrate expertise in harnessing new technology and/or digital platforms to explore new avenues for storytelling.

What you will bring to the role:

• Experience in strategic communications, public affairs, and/or institutional communications (typically 5-6 years).
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, including experience drafting for senior leaders.
• Experience supporting internal communications in complex or global organisations.
• Strong judgement and ability to navigate reputational risk and sensitive issues.
• A creative communicator with an eye for compelling storytelling and effective engagement, including ability to produce designed materials.
• Highly collaborative, with a track record of working across diverse teams and cultures.
• Experience in corporate philanthropy or mission-driven organisations is an advantage.

You are energised by:

• Working in a purpose-led, values-driven environment where trust, collaboration, learning and humility shape how work gets done.
• Building strong relationships across teams and cultures, and partnering closely with others to bring stories, priorities and organisational moments to life.
• Supporting senior leaders with high-quality briefings, talking points and communications that require sound judgement and attention to nuance.
• Shaping a growing communications capability, making communication more consistent, effective and impactful.
• Using creativity, curiosity and emerging tools to explore new ways of engaging audiences and sharing the Foundation’s mission and impact.

What Fondation CHANEL can offer you:

• Contributing to and learning from a values-driven, purpose-led organisation that is committed to equality, inclusion, and supporting sustainable change.
• A collaborative and inclusive work environment committed to diversity, equality, and personal fulfilment, where everyone can perform at their best and feel confident in their work.
• The opportunity to play a critical role in advancing the organisation’s mission and making a real-world impact on the lives of women and girls.
• Support for professional growth, ongoing learning, and development in a global, multi-sectoral setting.
• The ability to inspire others, and contribute to the organisation’s legacy of trust, humility, collaboration, and holistic thinking.

At Chanel, we are committed to creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth and collective progress. We celebrate the uniqueness of every individual and strongly encourage your application, valuing the perspective, experience, and potential you bring.