Director of Climate Policy

Description

The Community Climate Collaborative (C3) is a non-profit organization serving Albemarle County, Charlottesville, and Richmond, VA. C3’s purpose is to make carbon-neutral communities a reality. C3 works with local communities across Virginia to mitigate climate change in ways that improve people’s lives. Using technical, policy, and communications expertise, we facilitate solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transform local systems, and strengthen the climate movement. To learn more, visit theclimatecollaborative.org.

Overview
C3 seeks a visionary and highly motivated, full-time Director of Climate Policy. The Director of Climate Policy leads one of the key components of our organization, and the successful candidate will join a highly impactful team at a critical juncture. C3 has served the City of Charlottesville and the County of Albemarle for seven years and recently grew to serve the City of Richmond. The Director of Climate Policy will lead our policy team’s transition from a single-city focus to a multi-city strategy and has the opportunity to help shape the long-term vision for the organization.

The Director of Climate Policy, with the support of C3’s two Climate Justice Policy Managers, is responsible for leading the research, development, and implementation of advocacy campaigns for local policy change that directly advances climate action. The Director of Climate Policy will collaborate with other campaign leads and community stakeholders to design, plan, and implement local climate justice solutions that help reduce local greenhouse gas emissions while improving the quality of life for local residents and alleviating disproportionate and unaffordable energy and transportation burdens.

The ideal candidate can build relationships and perform well in various environments, including board rooms of large employers, homes of local residents, County and City staff departments, and convenings of low-income stakeholders and social justice partners.

The Community Climate Collaborative welcomes diversity. Women, people of color, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ individuals are encouraged to apply.

Reports To
This position reports to the Executive Director. Additionally, this role will work collaboratively with all team members to plan and execute campaigns, facilitate community engagement, and influence the conversation surrounding community-focused solutions to climate change.

Key Skills
Organizational Leadership: Work with C3 leadership to develop and implement processes and policies that promote the overall health and mission of the organization. Attend local, state, or national conferences to learn and share best practices.
Strategic Impact: Think proactively and develop research and policy recommendations that can influence and shape the larger climate conversation.
Sharp Analysis: Understand policy trends and shift through research data to discover opportunities for localities to enact novel policy measures to move to a carbon-neutral future.
Mindful Engagement: Thoughtfully seek to understand the perspectives of community members with a diversity of experiences and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Supervision and Collaboration: Provide oversight while embracing a service mindset.

Conditions
● Application Deadline: September 22, 2024
● Starting date: As soon as possible. Willing to accommodate a virtual start.
● Location: Charlottesville or Richmond, Virginia, USA
● C3 operates in a hybrid format with opportunities to work from home and the office weekly

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to info@theclimatecollaborative.org with “Director of Climate Policy – Application” as the subject line.

Inclusivity Statement
At C3, we are committed to fostering equity, ensuring fairness in our hiring process, and providing equal opportunity for all candidates. We recognize the systemic barriers that disadvantage members of our community. That is why we value the skills and expertise gained through work experience and recognize that it can be equivalent to or even surpass formal education. We encourage candidates with relevant work experience to apply, even if they
do not meet the specific educational requirements outlined in the qualifications section. We believe in assessing candidates based on their demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities that align with the position.

As an organization, we are committed to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. As such, C3 is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. To the best of our abilities, accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job Duties

● In coordination with other C3 staff members, lead stakeholder discussions in the business, residential, and commercial property sectors to identify local barriers to climate action.
● Develop sector-specific local policy options leveraging best-practice community policy and novel policy creation. The policy options must integrate local stakeholder feedback and reflect the specific aspects of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and Richmond.
● Identify data sources to support, evaluate, and prioritize policy options.
● Conceive, research, write, and edit original reports and issue briefs on climate impacts and policy in Charlottesville, Albemarle County, and Richmond.
● Organize community advocacy campaigns with a focus on social justice partner collaboration.
● Work and maintain relationships with key non-profit, for-profit, and municipal partners to shepherd policies through implementation.
● Liaison with State-level partners to identify local climate needs that require action at the state level and state policy that requires enactment at the local level.
● Represent C3 in coalitions at the local and state level.
● Serve as a policy expert for presentations to stakeholders, municipal staff, municipal elected officials, partners, and donors.
● Oversee Climate Policy Analyst and Climate Justice Policy Manager positions.
● Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills Required

● BA/BS degree and 5+ years experience in conservation, climate, energy, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
● Experience in partnership development with non-profit partners, for-profit partners, and/or municipalities.
● Experience in climate mitigation and/or energy policy making, regulation, markets, business, and/or related fields.
● Demonstrated experience influencing, developing, and implementing conservation and/or climate policy.
● Community organizing experience a plus.
● Strong policy analysis, communication, and writing skills.
● A team-oriented, collaborative approach with C3 staff as well as sector stakeholders, municipal staff, and municipal elected officials.
● Three years of supervisory experience.

Work Schedule

● C3 operates in a hybrid format with opportunities to work from home and the office weekly

Additional Info

Compensation & Benefits
● Salary range is $85,000 – $110,000, depending on experience, with an annual Cost Of Living Adjustment
● Health & Dental Insurance: 100% Coverage for Employees, 50% Coverage for Family
● Annual Leave: 20 days of vacation, 12 health days, and 11 paid holidays
● Self-Improvement Allowance
● Generous Retirement Plan, including at 3% automatic contribution and 2% match
● Life & Disability Insurance Benefits
● We do not have the capacity to sponsor work visas at this time.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to info@theclimatecollaborative.org with “Director of Climate Policy – Application” as the subject line.