Associate Director, Policy, U.S. Climate Alliance
Washington, DC
Full Time
Employment Opportunity
Experienced
Position Overview
The U.S. Climate Alliance is a bipartisan coalition of governors securing America’s net-zero future by advancing state-led, high-impact climate action. The Alliance Secretariat helps its members accelerate climate solutions by providing a broad range of technical, analytical, policy, and capacity assistance and resources. For more information on the Alliance, visit www.usclimatealliance.org.
The Associate Policy Director is responsible for working alongside the Policy Director in overseeing the Secretariat’s policy team and shepherding deployment of direct technical and policy assistance to help states and territories develop and implement climate solutions. Specifically, this new position will supervise and support a cohort of policy advisors in advancing climate policies across a subset of the coalition’s policy priority areas; help execute policy team goals; contribute to team members’ growth and development; and directly manage at least one policy priority area. This role will also help develop and steer coalition-wide and multi-state partnerships and initiatives, ensure Working Groups are delivering high-impact results, and facilitate collaboration on comprehensive cross-sector policy solutions that touch on multiple sectors.
The Associate Policy Director reports to the Policy Director and will be expected to work as part of a broader team that includes Alliance states, consultants, and external partners. The position is part of the Energy and Climate team at the United Nations Foundation, which houses the U.S. Climate Alliance Secretariat.
This position is based in Washington, DC (hybrid schedule) with consideration for remote work in the contiguous United States.
Essential Functions
Support strategic planning and execution efforts across the Alliance’s policy team.
Selection Criteria
For full-time, benefit eligible employees, UNF offers an excellent range of benefits, including:
The U.S. Climate Alliance is a bipartisan coalition of governors securing America’s net-zero future by advancing state-led, high-impact climate action. The Alliance Secretariat helps its members accelerate climate solutions by providing a broad range of technical, analytical, policy, and capacity assistance and resources. For more information on the Alliance, visit www.usclimatealliance.org.
The Associate Policy Director is responsible for working alongside the Policy Director in overseeing the Secretariat’s policy team and shepherding deployment of direct technical and policy assistance to help states and territories develop and implement climate solutions. Specifically, this new position will supervise and support a cohort of policy advisors in advancing climate policies across a subset of the coalition’s policy priority areas; help execute policy team goals; contribute to team members’ growth and development; and directly manage at least one policy priority area. This role will also help develop and steer coalition-wide and multi-state partnerships and initiatives, ensure Working Groups are delivering high-impact results, and facilitate collaboration on comprehensive cross-sector policy solutions that touch on multiple sectors.
The Associate Policy Director reports to the Policy Director and will be expected to work as part of a broader team that includes Alliance states, consultants, and external partners. The position is part of the Energy and Climate team at the United Nations Foundation, which houses the U.S. Climate Alliance Secretariat.
This position is based in Washington, DC (hybrid schedule) with consideration for remote work in the contiguous United States.
Essential Functions
Support strategic planning and execution efforts across the Alliance’s policy team.
- Work with the Policy Director to ensure Alliance policy priorities and efforts are strategic, responsive to state needs, of additive value to state efforts, and conducted in close collaboration with partner organizations.
- Foster collaboration, innovation, and cross-pollination across policy staff, including by supporting the development of comprehensive policy solutions that touch on multiple sectors, facilitating the sharing of lessons learned, and ensuring integration of cross-cutting initiatives throughout the Alliance’s work.
- Partner with policy staff to create and execute new multi-state initiatives while ensuring successful implementation of existing partnerships and workstreams.
- With the Policy Director and Executive Director, help manage rapid response to emerging, time-sensitive, or disruptive events with implications for climate policy.
- Help ensure Alliance policy activities are timely, nimble and strategic.
- With the Policy Director, help prepare for and oversee policy team meetings and follow up on action items and deliverables.
- Support policy advisors in independently managing their work, seeking help when needed, and identifying opportunities for increased impact, growth, external partnerships, and portfolio diversification as appropriate.
- Assist team members in responding to major political shifts, current events at national and state levels, and important moments for governors and the broader climate community.
- Provide advice and counsel to policy staff in carrying out their work on behalf of Alliance members, serving as a sounding board and always keeping in mind organization-wide goals, values, and mission.
- Conduct regular check-ins, complete performance assessments, set and support individual performance goals, work with staff to resolve issues, and approve leave.
- Support sector-based fundraising, including drafting and reviewing proposals, growing relationships with donors, and tracking and reporting progress.
- Identify resource gaps and partner with the development team to evaluate prospects and secure additional funds to most effectively meet state needs.
- Conduct oversight of agreements that support and advance policy team members’ portfolios and workplans.
- Manage engagement with relevant working group(s).
- Complete sector-specific annual work plan(s) and conduct policy research, analyze key sector trends, and draft chapters of the Alliance’s annual report that outline progress toward our climate goals.
- Contribute to products that help Alliance states improve quantification of opportunities, measure progress toward policy goals, and quantify the co-benefits of action.
- Conduct research and analysis and draft material for Alliance products across other sectors as needed.
Selection Criteria
- Bachelor’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience. Master’s degree preferred.
- Strong preference may be given to candidates with experience working in, with, or around state-level government.
- Previous supervisory or team management experience is preferred.
- Demonstrated success in leading strategy implementation to drive results, with a record of seeing processes through from idea to execution.
- Understanding of organizational management, talent management, and monitoring and evaluation protocols.
- Experience managing active contracts and grant agreements, developing project budgets, and managing vendors.
- Strong written, verbal, and analytical skills designed to convey complex material to senior leadership.
- Experience in fundraising is preferred.
- Proficiency for anticipating and avoiding problems.
- Aptitude for grasping and adding value to the organizational vision and mission, helping to develop and deliver on high-level goals and priorities.
- Organizational, political, and emotional intelligence and ability to use discretion around sensitive information.
- Ability to work well under pressure.
For full-time, benefit eligible employees, UNF offers an excellent range of benefits, including:
- a choice between two health plans through UnitedHealthcare (PPO or HDHP with HSA)
- dental insurance
- vision insurance
- flexible spending accounts
- 403b retirement savings plan with a generous matching contribution
- group term and supplemental life insurance
- short-term disability
- long-term disability
- commuter subsidy
- back-up care
- employee assistance program
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