U.S. Energy Initiative Director

REPORTS TO: Senior Director for U.S. Initiatives

Position Summary

The U.S. Energy Initiative Director will lead strategic grantmaking campaigns to achieve policy wins that accelerate the transition to clean energy in the U.S. This role will work with Climate Imperative’s leadership team to align the strategy with the organization’s values and theory of change. The individual will also work with a diverse group of partners, from grassroots advocates to high level policymakers and aligned philanthropies, to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission policies quickly and equitably.

OUR COMMITMENT

Energy Innovation is committed to diversity, equity, & inclusion and to a transparent recruitment process that fosters belonging. Our goal is to hire and advance people regardless of race, gender, ability, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, military service, medical condition, and any other protected characteristic under local, state, or federal law. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.

We are committed to an accessible application process and employee experience. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please email jobs@climateimperative.org.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy

• Building from an existing strategy, identify the near-term opportunities to support policymakers and advocates in key U.S. geographies to accelerate a clean energy transition
• Ensure the efforts we are promoting mean all people are able to afford and enjoy the benefits of this transition
• Identify opportunities to knit state and regional efforts into a cohesive strategy, amplifying and replicating wins
  
  

Campaign Coordination & Coalition-Building

• In collaboration with advocates, policymakers and funders, determine how to secure and maintain U.S. energy policy progress in line with national greenhouse gas reduction targets
• Ensure that justice and equity and an economic transition strategy for affected communities are central to the design, implementation, and impact of the strategy
• Build and sustain a concise and metric-driven campaign strategy to win, in consultation with partners
• Ensure we and our partners have a clear understanding of how to win in each decision-making venue
  
  

Grantmaking & Convening

• Identify and build authentic and durable relationships with the grantees who can execute the strategy, and develop a portfolio of grants to succeed
• Regularly convene grantee and funding partners to ensure strong coordination, track progress, repair problems, expand, contract or phase down elements of the initiative, as necessary
• Report, without bias, on progress and stalls to the Board of Directors
• Serve as a thought leader to the broader philanthropic and NGO community on strategy and grantmaking
• Lead on the grantee relationship through regular check-ins
• Serve as a leader and resource for other Climate Imperative and aligned foundation staff
  
  

Required Skills & Experience

• 7+ years of experience leading initiatives to achieve policy change at a broad scale and in US geographies
• Expertise in the clean energy landscape across sectors (private, public, nonprofit)
• Experience in grantmaking through first-hand experience in government, nonprofits, and/or philanthropy
• Campaigner’s mindset to assess the landscape, identify targets and enroll others for strong implementation
• Ability to prioritize and be flexible in a fast-paced, constantly evolving, and collaborative environment
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Managerial skills to lead a highly skilled and diverse team, operate as a thought partner to foundation leadership and collaborate with peers to meet grantmaking goals, timelines, and other benchmarks
• Develop strategies that consider and synthesize multiple perspectives into a coherent big-picture strategy and workable plan
• Ability to track multi-dimensional efforts and see opportunities for leverage and scaled impact
• A deep commitment to equity and inclusion reflected in prior campaigns
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically (up to 20%)
• Deep interest, passion, and commitment to reducing climate change
  
  

SALARY

Energy Innovation provides a salary commensurate with qualifications and experience, with local adjustments made for candidates outside of the San Francisco and D.C. offices to reflect distinctions in the cost of living. The target salary range is $210,000 - $230,000 for San Francisco or D.C. Currently, all staff local to the D.C. or San Francisco offices go into the office one to three days a week.

Equity is incredibly important to the organization, and a pay audit for equity is completed annually.

Benefits

Energy Innovation provides a comprehensive benefits package. The benefits include:

• Up to 100% of premium paid for medical, dental, and vision
• Short term and long term disability insurance
• Company sponsored life insurance and voluntary life
• Carrot fertility and family planning benefits
• Student loan repayment assistance
• 401k retirement plan with a company match contribution
• Annual professional development budget
• Internet, cell phone, and health & wellness reimbursement
• 14 paid holidays and four weeks of paid time off (PTO)
• Paid parental leave, jury duty, and bereavement
• Public transportation benefit options for office staff
• Regular staff lunches and team building activities
• SF and DC office stocked with healthy snacks and beverages
• An innovative, collaborative, welcoming work culture
  
  

About Us

Climate change is governed by physical facts—about carbon sources, accumulation, impacts, and timing, and more importantly, about solutions that work. These facts must inform strategy: they show that avoiding dangerous climate change is only possible through strong policy to cut carbon, promptly, in the biggest countries.

To address these issues, Energy Innovation was established in 2012 as a clean energy and environmental policy firm to provide timely research and analysis on low-carbon energy policy options to policy makers, thought leaders, and members of the media. The Energy Innovation team has expertise in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable urban development, technological innovation, and energy policy design. In addition to conducting policy research, Energy Innovation also works with clients to facilitate philanthropic investments into technology and advocacy that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Innovation also staffs Climate Imperative Foundation.

Climate Imperative is focused on the most important climate policy decisions in the world and to do so equitably. Each Climate Imperative initiative targets one policy area and, by informing policy change, aims to save billions of tons of CO2e cumulatively by 2050. For each initiative, we are convening and supporting a talented, proven team of grantees, and supporting them to do whatever is needed: providing world-class technical advice, undertaking targeted communications, and/or building public support. The decisions targeted represent the largest near-term carbon abatement opportunities around the world.

Energy Innovation supports a hybrid work environment and requires all employees to come together in person two to three times per year.