Title: Executive Director
Location: Remote, with travel to Washington, DC once a month
Reports to: Board of Directors
Salary: $100,000- $120,000
Background:
Our Climate empowers young people to advocate for the science-based, equitable and intersectional climate justice policies that build a thriving world. We engage and empower young leaders to eliminate greenhouse gas pollution and achieve a transition away from an extractive, profit-based economy towards one that is equitable and regenerative to build a thriving world. Since our founding in 2014, Our Climate has mobilized thousands of young people to advance state and federal level climate justice policy.
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Action (DEIBA):
We’re human, which means we’re not perfect. We strive to treat our people and our communities right with compassion, humility and respect. As an organization, we’re dedicated to holding ourselves accountable daily, as we nurture a supportive, comfortable and anti-racist workplace and intersectional youth-focused community. Our openness and bottomless curiosity allows us to learn from one another and we’re all better for it. Our differences and diverse backgrounds are our superpowers, which is why we don’t tolerate racism, sexism, or any other discriminatory-isms. We’re dedicated to intersectional climate justice and are committed to prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and action (DEIBA) in our programs, hiring process and organizational culture.
We encourage all applicants to visit our DEIBA website page to learn more about our recent DEIJ achievements and our journey to cultivate a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion and justice for all in Our Climate’s internal and external work.
Overview of Position:
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for organizational leadership, change and strategic visioning, fundraising, brand expansion, board development and engagement, staff supervision, operations, and fiscal and legal oversight.
Responsibilities:
Organizational Leadership & Strategic Visioning
● Ensure Our Climate’s programs are focused, cohesive, and aligned with our mission of empowering the next generation of climate justice leaders to advocate for climate justice policy.
● Strategically support staff and youth leaders to meaningfully advance science-based, equitable and intersectional climate justice policies that build a thriving world.
● Oversee team members (staff, student leaders, and volunteers) and consultants in the creation of robust multi-year strategic plans and annual goals and KPIs.
● Develop organizational and campaign goals through a participatory, inclusive process that fosters a culture of shared leadership, transparency and continued learning.
● Incorporate feedback and evaluation into every aspect of the organization to ensure programs are continuously improving.
- Serve as DEIBA champion and ensure equity across the organization as you refine and implement our internal DEIBA strategy.
- Steward a culture of collaboration, accountability, communication and transparency.
Fundraising
● Actively engage staff, Board of Directors, and Grassroots Fundraising Task Force in fundraising activities, including campaign development, goal setting, networking, and relationship building.
● Initiate, develop, and cultivate strong relationships with foundations, individual donors, and organizational stakeholders.
● Support the Director of Strategic Relationships & Programs in ensuring that all grant proposals, applications, and reports are completed in a timely manner, well written, and accurately represent the organization’s work and potential.
● Continually develop new and existing relationships that result in maintaining and increasing the annual budget to meet yearly goals.
Brand Expansion
● Serve as the spokesperson for the organization; appearing in national news media, providing quotes for national publications, raising awareness via podcasts, written media and social media.
● Attend conferences, events, and networking socials.
● Provide thought leadership in the environmental justice space.
Board Development & Engagement
● Provide board members with updates, information and tools necessary to govern the organization and make informed decisions.
● Ensure healthy and productive communication between the board members and the Our Climate team (staff, student leaders and volunteers).
● Meet with the Board of Directors every other month to provide organizational updates, discuss top-level strategic visioning, and raise pertinent questions for the Board’s consideration.
● Engage the Advisory Council, a group of individuals who represent the organization as an ambassador and assist with advocacy, outreach, strategic planning, and more.
● Partner with consultants as needed for board development, training and recruitment.
Staff Development & Supervision
● Hire, manage, and support a diverse staff of climate justice leaders that reflect our mission to help achieve the implementation of short and long term goals for the organization.
● Foster a supportive work environment that encourages growth, learning, unlearning, collaboration and empowerment.
● Support the Operations Manager in providing an accommodating and inclusive workplace that celebrates our differences, identities and backgrounds.
● Identify and pursue opportunities for staff to participate in relevant training, workshops, and networks for career development.
● Actively engage and energize Our Climate’s team (staff, student leaders and volunteers) and stakeholders (field partners and coalitions, funding partners, Board of Directors, and Advisory Council)
Operations and Fiscal & Legal Oversight
● Develop and manage annual budgets, with the support of the Operations Manager and Director of Strategic Relationships & Programs.
● Oversee and follow compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations; this includes insurance procurement, labor laws, reporting lobbying hours, and taxes.
● Ensure the financial health of the organization and apply best practices to secure adequate cash flow.
Required Qualifications:
We’re seeking candidates who are collaborative, results-oriented, forward thinking, dedicated to our mission, and view the world through a creative political lens. They will resonate with our organizational culture values and have a deep commitment to racial equity and inclusion.In addition to these “must haves”, candidates should demonstrate the following:
- Visionary. You stay on top of the trends in the climate justice movement and you understand how young people can make a difference. You can communicate this vision clearly and skillfully on a national level.
- A deep commitment to equity and inclusion in your work and proven experience devising and implementing ways to address or prevent potential equity challenges and mitigate bias
- A close alignment with Our Climate’s mission. You have empowered and mobilized young people to effect political change. You have advocated for climate justice policy.
- Experience raising money for nonprofit organizations. You know how to foster alignment and collaboration around both big goals and essential details. You have worked with at least one Board of Directors at another nonprofit. You aren’t afraid to ask for six-figure gifts.
- Exemplary record of leadership. You have held executive positions at other nonprofits for at least five years. Your colleagues look up to you.
- A strong track record of managing people. You can motivate people to bring their best selves to the task at hand. You give constructive and meaningful feedback that empowers staff. You know when to delegate.
Compensation & Benefits:
This is a full time exempt role compensated at $100,000-$120,000 annually, depending on experience. Our Climate also has a generous benefits package. Benefits include earned 20 days paid time off, 12 days of accrued sick time annually, 12 paid holidays, cell phone reimbursements, health care insurance, up to 3% matching for a Vanguard Simple IRA, headspace subscription and subsidized public transit. Our Climate also provides a $1,000 stipend to purchase the necessary technology and materials to do this role. Any tech purchased belongs to Our Climate.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. NRG Consulting Group is conducting this search. Please contact jobs@nrgconsultinggroup.org with questions.
EEO Statement: We welcome applications from all communities, and strongly encourage Black, indigenous, and people of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, and members of the LGBTQ community to apply for this role. Our Climate is an equal opportunity employer and will not tolerate discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sex stereotyping, gender identity, gender expression or transgender status), national origin, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, age, protected genetic information, status as a parent, marital status, political affiliation, or retaliation based on prior protected EEO activity. In addition, Our Climate will not permit discrimination or harassment – sexual or nonsexual – of any employee or applicant for employment.