Executive Director

Title: Executive Director

Location: Remote in the U.S., with a preference for New York City, Washington, DC, or Philadelphia, with an expectation to travel up to 25% of time to meet with staff, partners, and funders.

Reports to: Board of Directors

Manages: 1 FT and 2 PT staff members

About Our Climate: Our Climate empowers young people to advocate for the science-based, equitable climate justice policies that build a thriving world. We engage, educate, and empower young leaders through a semi-annual fellowship to eliminate greenhouse gas pollution and achieve a transition away from an extractive 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 in the U.S.. In 2016, Our Climate led the #PutAPriceOnIt campaign, which was featured in National Geographic’s Years of Living Dangerously series in redoubled pursuit of our original goal: passing strong and equitable state-level carbon pricing policy. We expanded beyond our Oregon campaign to launch programs in Massachusetts, Washington, Florida, Massachusetts, New York, and Nebraska and Our Climate was a key player in the fight to win New York’s nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, Our Climate is committed to empowering young people to not only learn, but to also make a difference in local, state, and federal campaigns for climate action.

Organizational Values

As an organization, we’re dedicated to holding ourselves accountable, as we nurture a supportive, comfortable and highly inclusive workplace, and youth-focused community. Our differences and diverse backgrounds are our superpowers and we foster an environment that celebrates the full breadth of our humanness and lived experiences. We’re dedicated to creating the conditions for a livable future together with young people from across the country and in our local communities.

Overview of Position: Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for organizational leadership, change management, strategic visioning, public awareness, fundraising, board development and engagement, staff supervision, operations, and fiscal and legal oversight.

Responsibilities:

Organizational Leadership, Change Management & 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.
• Provide a clear organizational vision that positions Our Climate as a national voice in youth organizing and climate leadership development.
• Strategically support staff and youth leaders to meaningfully advance science-based, equitable climate justice policies that build a thriving world.
• Steward a culture of collaboration, accountability, communication and transparency during organizational, societal, political, and economic shifts.
• Provide thought leadership in the climate and environmental justice spaces.

Fundraising

• Drive revenue growth through diversified fundraising to ensure long-term stability through existing funding relationships and skilled grant writing.
• 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 that result in maintaining and increasing the annual budget to meet yearly goals.
• Support the Development Staff with 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.

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).
• 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.
• Assist with recruitment of new board members

Staff Development & Supervision

• Build internal systems and operations, support staff growth, and guide intentional, sustainable expansion.
• Hire, manage, and support a diverse staff of climate and environmental justice leaders that reflect our mission to help achieve the implementation of short and long term goals for the organization. The Executive Director will directly supervise program and administrative staff members.
• Foster a supportive work environment that encourages growth, learning, unlearning, collaboration and empowerment while actively engaging and energizing Our Climate’s team (staff, student leaders and volunteers) and stakeholders (field partners and coalitions, funding partners, Board of Directors, and Advisory Council)
• Identify and pursue opportunities and new partnerships for staff to participate in relevant training, workshops, and networks for career development.

Operations and Fiscal & Legal Oversight

• Develop and manage annual budgets, with the support of Accountants and Operations Manager
• Oversee and follow compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, which includes insurance procurement, labor laws, reporting lobbying hours, annual reporting, bi-annual financial audits, and taxes.
• Ensure the financial health of the organization and apply best practices to secure adequate cash flow and maintain a balanced budget and financial oversight with the Board of Directors Finance Committee

Programs, Activities, and Visibility

• Lead and oversee effective, measurable state-level policy campaigns that elevate youth voices and achieve real climate wins.
• Maintain and grow Our Climate’s visibility and influence in state and regional coalitions, ensuring the organization is a respected and effective collaborator.
• Serve as a compelling public spokesperson for Our Climate and articulate its vision across media, coalition, and funder spaces.
• Build relationships with key allies and advance Our Climate’s message and mission

Required Qualifications:

We’re seeking candidates who are collaborative, results-oriented, forward thinking, and dedicated to our mission. Successful candidates will resonate with our organizational values and should demonstrate the following:

Strategic vision. You stay on top of the trends in the climate justice movement and understand how young people can contribute to a larger strategy and make a difference in the climate justice movement. You communicate this vision clearly and skillfully to a national audience.

A close alignment with Our Climate’s mission. You have empowered and mobilized young people to effect political change. You have successfully advocated for climate and environmental justice policy and have inspired and collaborated with young people.

Experience raising money for nonprofit organizations. You know how to foster alignment and collaboration around both big goals and essential details and can effectively communicate these ideas to philanthropic funders and individual donors . You have worked with at least one Board of Directors at another nonprofit. You aren’t afraid to ask for six-figure gifts. You have a track record of successful fundraising, campaigns, individual donor stewardship, full-cycle grants management, financial management, and can leverage your prior funding relationships to help support Our Climate’s staff and programs.

Exemplary record of leadership. You have held senior leadership positions at other nonprofits for at least three years. Your colleagues look to you for solutions. You have experience leading effective, measurable state or local-level policy campaigns that elevate youth voices and achieve real climate wins.

Excellent communications skills. You are a thought leader and are able to communicate clearly while maintaining existing partnerships and building new ones. You have experience as a spokesperson representing organizations externally and inspire confidence among funders, partners, and youth leaders.

Experience navigating winning climate campaigns. You have political and strategic acumen, with a strong grasp of the climate policy landscape and the ability to navigate complex coalitions, campaigns, and stakeholder dynamics. You have the foresight to anticipate shifts and position Our Climate strategically as a leader in the community.

Deep relationships in the climate justice ecosystem. You bring not only familiarity, but also deep ties to the climate, environmental justice, and/or youth climate movements. You have experience working with coalitions, funders, and movement leaders.

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. You are committed to mentorship and staff development, particularly in supporting young leaders and emerging advocates.

Compensation: The annual salary range for this role is $89,000-$125,000. The exact offer will depend on experience and will be commensurate with the cost of living based on the candidate’s location.

Benefits: $900 monthly healthcare stipend, employee-paid 401K, flexible PTO and sick time, Our Climate closes for one week during the summer and between December 24th-Jan 1st. There will be a one-time $500 office setup stipend in addition to home-office related expenses being covered.

Travel: Candidates should expect to travel up to 25% of time to meet with staff, partners, and funders and attend national convenings.

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.

$900 monthly healthcare stipend, employee-paid 401K, flexible PTO and sick time, Our Climate closes for one week during the summer and between December 24th-Jan 1st. There will be a one-time $500 office setup stipend in addition to home-office related expenses being covered.

English - Expert, Spanish and/or French - Conversational