Regional Director, Ohio River Valley

Beyond Petrochemicals: People Over Pollution is seeking a Regional Director for the Ohio River Valley and beyond to support a growing movement to address the expansion of petrochemical projects and protect the health of communities. Working closely with the Beyond Petrochemicals team and local stakeholders, the Regional Director will help guide an impactful program that amplifies the stories of communities impacted by toxic pollution from petrochemicals, reduces demand for plastics, and drives narratives that lead to wins for local activists and advocates.

The Regional Director will develop a comprehensive field program to stop the build-out of the petrochemical industry, reduce demand for plastics, and support the movement of grassroots advocates fighting petrochemicals. Also included in this work is a focus on proposed chemical recycling facilities outside of the Ohio River Valley region. Reporting to the Campaign Director, the Regional Director will play a key role in helping achieve the campaign’s ambitious goals.

The ideal candidate is based in the Midwest or on the East Coast, with an understanding of Ohio River Valley communities that have been impacted by petrochemical pollution. The Regional Director will bring deep experience in community organizing and advocacy campaigns and excel in bringing people together around a common cause. This leader will thrive in a fast-paced, campaign-like environment and employ their experience in grassroots organizing and campaign tactics to elevate the goals of Beyond Petrochemicals.

ABOUT BEYOND PETROCHEMICALS

Beyond Petrochemicals is a fiscally sponsored project of the Resources Legacy Fund (RLF), launched in September 2022 by Bloomberg Philanthropies after seeing unprecedented growth in the petrochemical industry, which contributes to climate change and its detrimental impact on the health of the communities.

Drawing on the success of Bloomberg’s Beyond Coal and Beyond Carbon campaigns, Beyond Petrochemicals is turbocharging existing efforts led by frontline communities to address the expansion of more than 145 proposed petrochemical projects concentrated in three target geographies – Louisiana, Texas, and the Ohio River Valley. Beyond Petrochemicals is also working to establish stricter rules for existing petrochemical plants to safeguard the health of American communities.

The campaign identifies opportunities for grassroots activation, strategic communications, capacity-building, research, and policy advocacy to drive US petrochemical production into permanent decline.

POSITION SUMMARY

• The Regional Director is responsible for the day-to-day management of the campaign’s field and organizing priorities in their region, including:
• Supporting partners and allies in their work to counter the petrochemical industry, expose its harms to public health, and showcase the economic and health benefits of a clean energy transition. Partners may include:
  • Grantees in the Ohio River Valley region, defined as Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, and West Virginia.
  • Grantees and prospective grantees focused on addressing chemical recycling.
• Building a cohesive organizing strategy by supporting partners’ needs across a broad range of tactics and facilitating connections and learnings across the movement.
• Assessing the capacity and needs of partner organizations and working with them to implement regional campaign plans.
• Tracking and measuring progress toward the campaign’s annual objectives and outcomes.
• Attending public hearings, press conferences, community meetings, and meetings with government agencies, representatives, and non-profit organizations.
• Researching and reviewing state and local regulations impacting the petrochemical industry and the surrounding impacted communities.

QUALIFICATIONS

Note: These qualifications are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, so if you have 75% of the qualifications listed, we encourage you to apply. Experience can include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work that helped you to build the competencies, knowledge, and skills needed for this position. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

Strong candidates will also offer:

• A minimum of six (6) years of professional experience in campaigns, community organizing, advocacy, or non-profit program work.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, cross-cultural awareness, and the ability to work collaboratively with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Ability to work independently while coordinating efforts with local, regional, state leaders and staff.
• Strong sense of ownership and resilience with respect to planning, finding alternative paths when needed, and moving forward after setbacks.
• Demonstrated ability to move people to action and build a mutual sense of trust.
• Experience coordinating multi-faceted projects, preferably in the environmental, public health, or climate change space.
• Ability to work with a variety of stakeholders including community members, grassroots leaders, and non-profit policy staff to elected leaders and government agencies.
• Experience synthesizing information from multiple sources into clear and cohesive written and visual products.
• Ability to respond rapidly and appropriately to changing priorities, objectives, and situations, self-starter with a sense of initiative and good judgment.
• Understanding of federal and state politics, environmental laws and policy.
• Ability to travel regularly within the region and as needed nationally, along with occasional evening and weekend work.
• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

ABOUT RESOURCES LEGACY FUND

Beyond Petrochemicals is a fiscally sponsored project of Resources Legacy Fund (RLF). RLF builds alliances that advance bold solutions to secure a just and resilient world for people and nature. RLF partners with philanthropy, community groups, government, science, and business to promote smart policies and ensure equitable public funding for the environment, climate change resilience, and healthy communities. Across the American West and internationally, RLF manages complex, multi-year grantmaking programs and fiscally sponsors projects that accelerate change on environmental and equity issues.

LOCATION

This person must be based on the East Coast, with a preference for Pennsylvania, Ohio, or West Virginia. Travel to regularly (monthly) meet with partners in the Ohio River Valley (Western PA, Eastern Ohio, and West Virginia) is expected. Access to transportation is required.

RLF offers a comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401k plan with a 5% match, and generous paid time off. When feasible and with consideration given to the organization’s needs, the team follows an alternate Fridays off work schedule (employees work 40 hours one week, 32 hours the next week). RLF also offers a technology allowance, student loan repayment assistance, the Calm app, mental health benefits and approximately 16 paid holidays per year.