Our talent matters

At Zurich, we are passionate about cultivating our talent. Our culture creates an environment where everyone is encouraged to get involved and be inspired at every stage of their career. Zurich is committed to developing a sustainable workforce and supporting employees to explore opportunities that enhance their talents.

Our FlexWork@Zurich approach empowers employees to work where, when and how they choose, balancing this with business and team priorities. Zurich is a place where people can belong, thrive and make a positive impact beyond their role.

The adventure we are on at Zurich

We take pride in uniting our people within an energized culture that empowers everyone to focus on what matters most to our customers, partners and each other. This is an exciting time to be at Zurich as we fuel innovation, collaborate across diverse teams and help our customers build resilience in a changing risk landscape.

About the business

Zurich Resilience Solutions is a global network of risk experts operating at the forefront of today’s world of risk, where volatility and change demand strategic foresight. The Climate Resilience Centre will help Zurich translate climate risk insight, resilience expertise and practical advisory capabilities into market impact, stronger partnerships and increased external influence.

About this role

A great opportunity exists as Climate Engagement and Partnerships Lead, reporting to the Head of Climate Resilience Centre. This role will act as a strategic partner and right-hand person to the Climate Centre Head, helping to build Zurich’s external voice and influence in climate resilience, adaptation and risk-informed decision making.

The role is responsible for driving the Centre’s external engagement agenda through thought leadership, strategic academic and institutional partnerships, media activation, stakeholder engagement and flagship convenings. It will work across Zurich businesses, academia, public-sector institutions, development finance, industry networks, communications teams and selected media stakeholders to ensure the Centre delivers visible, credible and practical impact.

Key responsibilities

Strategic support to the Climate Centre Head

• Act as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the Head of Climate Resilience Centre.
• Support development and execution of the Centre’s strategic priorities, annual plan and external engagement roadmap.
• Prepare executive briefings, speeches, talking points, presentations and stakeholder materials for senior Zurich leaders.
• Coordinate priority initiatives on behalf of Centre leadership and ensure actions are progressed across internal and external stakeholders.
• Represent the Centre in selected meetings, working groups and external forums where appropriate.

Thought leadership and external influence

• Lead development and execution of the Centre’s thought leadership agenda, including reports, white papers, executive views, opinion pieces and market insight publications.
• Identify emerging topics in climate resilience, adaptation, insurability, infrastructure resilience and risk-informed investment that strengthen Zurich’s market position.
• Work with subject matter experts across Zurich to translate technical expertise into clear, differentiated and externally relevant content.
• Manage an editorial and activation calendar that connects publications, campaigns, events, media opportunities and stakeholder engagement.

Academic and research partnerships

• Identify, secure and manage strategic partnerships with leading universities, research institutes and think tanks aligned to the Centre’s mission.
• Develop opportunities for joint research, fellowships, publications, advisory panels, practical pilots and policy-facing outputs.
• Build a trusted network of academic advisors and knowledge partners that enhances Zurich’s credibility and thought leadership.
• Ensure partnerships result in practical outputs that support Zurich clients, public-sector stakeholders and the broader resilience ecosystem.

Media and journalist activation

• Develop and maintain relationships with selected journalists, editors and influential media platforms covering climate, sustainability, finance, infrastructure and risk.
• Work closely with Group and Regional Communications teams to shape messages, narratives, media angles and executive positioning.
• Identify opportunities for interviews, commentary, bylined articles, podcasts, panels and external visibility for Zurich’s climate resilience agenda.
• Help position Zurich leaders as credible and practical voices on climate resilience and adaptation.

Stakeholder ecosystem and partnerships

• Cultivate relationships with governments, multilateral development banks, development agencies, NGOs, industry associations, climate platforms and financial-sector networks.
• Support engagement with priority platforms such as IIF, GAIP, SEADRIF and other climate resilience, adaptation finance and insurance ecosystem partners.
• Develop a structured stakeholder engagement plan for the Centre, with clear relationship owners, target outcomes and follow-up actions.
• Identify external partnership opportunities that can increase the Centre’s reach, visibility and impact without creating conflicts with Zurich’s commercial responsibilities.

Events, forums and executive engagement

• Design and deliver flagship Climate Centre events, executive roundtables, workshops and stakeholder dialogues.
• Coordinate participation in major climate, sustainability, finance and resilience forums across APAC and globally.
• Secure meaningful speaking opportunities for Centre leadership and selected Zurich executives.
• Develop event concepts that move beyond visibility and create tangible follow-up opportunities for partnership, client engagement or thought leadership.

Centre coordination and delivery discipline

• Provide structure, cadence and follow-through for the Centre’s key external engagement activities.
• Track progress against strategic priorities, partnership commitments, publication plans and engagement outcomes.
• Coordinate across ZRS, Sustainability, Communications, Commercial Insurance, Public Affairs and regional teams to ensure alignment and effective execution.
• Maintain practical reporting for leadership on progress, risks, decisions required and upcoming priorities.

Important to your success

Experience and capabilities

• Significant experience in strategic partnerships, stakeholder engagement, communications, public policy, sustainability, journalism, academia or related fields.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex topics into clear executive and external-facing messages.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across business, academia, media, policy or international institutions.
• Strong strategic judgement, intellectual curiosity and ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, drive follow-through and create structure without relying on heavy formal authority.
• Experience developing thought leadership, executive communications, convenings or external positioning strategies.
• Comfort working across a complex matrix organization and influencing stakeholders across geographies and functions.

Preferred experience

• Exposure to climate resilience, sustainability, climate finance, risk management, public policy or international development.
• Existing relationships across academia, think tanks, media, financial services, development finance or climate-focused networks.
• Experience supporting senior executives with speeches, briefing materials, media positioning or external engagements.
• Experience developing partnerships that combine research, practical implementation and external visibility.

Success measures

• Strategic academic and institutional partnerships established and activated.
• High-quality thought leadership outputs delivered and effectively promoted.
• Increased external visibility of the Climate Resilience Centre and Zurich’s climate resilience agenda.
• Media engagement opportunities secured and supported in coordination with Communications teams.
• Executive speaking opportunities and flagship convenings delivered with clear follow-up actions.
• Clear stakeholder engagement plan maintained, with measurable progress against priority relationships.
• Effective support to the Climate Centre Head through strong briefing, coordination and execution discipline.

We are here to support your needs

As a leader in the insurance industry, Zurich embraces the development needs of employees to ensure they can achieve success and thrive in the workplace. Zurich is committed to ensuring that recruitment and selection processes are fair and accessible for all candidates.

A new Zurich adventure awaits you

If you are interested in being part of an adventure that helps build a brighter future together, and if you want to contribute to Zurich’s climate resilience ambition through partnerships, thought leadership and practical impact, then we look forward to hearing from you.