Break Barriers Collaborative – Program Manager/Director

Position Overview

Climate Solutions seeks a smart, innovative, and entrepreneurial Program Manager/Director with a deep commitment to equitable and just climate and clean energy solutions to lead the creation and delivery of new programs that empower building owners and operators to equitably accelerate the reduction of their climate emissions.  Working simultaneously at the strategic and tactical levels, the Program Manager/Director will define, launch and implement programs that measurably reduce climate emissions from the buildings sector, while simultaneously ensuring that the needs of marginalized communities most impacted by climate change are addressed. The Program Manager/Director will identify the goals and barriers facing all stakeholders in the buildings ecosystem, define programs and build partnerships necessary to address their needs, and manage end-to-end implementation of the programs. This position will be a part of the small and agile BBC team, and play the key role in expanding BBC beyond its current fleet programs which have helped dozens of organizations – including McKinstry, Skanska, University of Washington, Boeing, and dozens of small and medium-sized businesses, nonprofits and government agencies – accelerate their fleet electrification efforts. 

About Climate Solutions and Breaking Barriers Collaborative

As a Northwest-based nonprofit, Climate Solutions' mission is to accelerate clean energy solutions to the climate crisis. Since 1998, Climate Solutions has the vision of a thriving, equitable Northwest, powered by clean energy, inspiring the transition to sustainable prosperity across the country and beyond. Climate Solutions advances local, regional, and state action on climate and clean energy through championing transformational policies and market-based innovations; catalyzing powerful partnerships and a diverse movement for action and accountability; and communicating a bold vision for solutions at the scale required by climate science. Climate Solutions recognizes the impact of the climate crisis, pollution from fossil fuels, and at times the costs of proposed solutions fall disproportionately on communities of color, low income, Tribal Nations, and frontline communities, both in our region and across the world. For more information about Climate Solutions and our commitment to equity, please visit www.climatesolutions.org.

Climate Solutions is focused on accelerating a swift and equitable transition to 100% clean energy, and we are working in three key areas- buildings, transportation, and electricity- to achieve it. The Breaking Barriers Collaborative (BBC) was launched in 2023 in collaboration with 4 other core partners: WA Build Back Black Alliance, Clean & Prosperous Institute, Oregon Business for Climate, and the Wave Northwest. The overall mission of the BBC is to provide support to businesses in the Northwest that want to equitably accelerate their climate progress. Our initial program, the Fleet Decarbonization Accelerator, is a cohort-based program that helps PNW businesses, nonprofits and other institutions transition their fleets to clean energy. More than 40 organizations – including Boeing, Skanska, small and medium-sized businesses, and multiple WA state agencies – representing >15,000 vehicles have completed the program, with 95% of graduates saying they would recommend it to a colleague. We plan to build on this success by expanding into the built environment, which is the second biggest contributor of greenhouse gases in WA and OR. For more information about the Breaking Barriers Collaborative, please visit www.breakingbarrierscollaborative.org.  

The position is a full-time, exempt, position located in Seattle, WA, or Portland, OR, that can include both in-office and remote work.  The position is supervised by the Breaking Barriers Collaborative Program Director.  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:  

• Define and lead new programs. The primary goal of the Program Manager/Director is to define, develop, and deliver high-quality programs that help the PNW buildings sector accelerate the equitable reduction of carbon emissions from their buildings. The Program Manager/Director will own the program end-to-end, working closely with internal and external partners to deliver an exceptional experience to customers and partners.  
• Define and conduct customer and industry research. The Program Manager/Director will lead primary and secondary research with a broad set of stakeholders to understand the needs and barriers of building industry stakeholders, including communities most impacted by climate change and the disruptions potentially caused by decarbonization efforts. The Program Manager/Director will analyze the research to glean insights that inform program features.
• Create and manage schedules. The Program Manager/Director will use tools, including Asana, to create and manage complex program schedules that include both internal Climate Solutions staff and external partners and contractors.
• Manage internal and external programmatic communications. The Program Manager/Director will create and manage written communications to current and potential program participants, partners, steering committee members, and sponsors. Communications will include emails, blog posts, social media posts, PowerPoint presentations, and more.
• Build and manage relationships with customers and partners. The Program Manager/Director will engage directly with current, and identify new, customers and partners. They will be deeply involved in identifying and building meaningful relationships with a broad set of partners necessary to create and deliver programs, and recruiting participants to our programs via 1:1 and group meetings. Recruiting BIPOC-owned businesses and partners is a top priority. The Program Manager/Director will continuously engage with customers/partners during program implementation to ensure customer/partner needs and concerns are being met.
• Participate in BBC strategy development. The Program Manager/Director will actively participate in developing BBC strategy aligned with Climate Solutions mission and values, working closely with the BBC team, Executive Director, internal CS teams, and the BBC steering committee.
• Participate in Climate Solutions staff meetings, trainings, racial equity conversations, and team meetings. Lead or coordinate meetings when appropriate.
• Incorporate Climate Solutions’ Equity, Diversity and Inclusion commitments, Commitment to Leading our Work with a Racial Equity Lens, and Climate Solutions’ values into all aspects of the job.
• Meet staff reporting deadlines for program, development, and administrative tasks.
• Additional duties may be assigned within the course of the work.

DEMONSTRATED COMPETENCIES

Skills and Knowledge:

• Expertise in creating and delivering successful programs from ideation through implementation, ideally including education/training programs for businesses and other organizations
• Collaborative and inclusive in your approach to your work and in your relationships with your colleagues and community members
• Knowledge of the building industry, including an understanding of the various building sectors
• An understanding of how historically impacted communities have been impacted by inequitable building policies and climate change, and how their needs can be addressed through building retrofits
• Knowledge of the opportunities, challenges, and processes involved in reducing carbon emissions, with a focus on retrofitting existing buildings
• Exceptional customer orientation, including demonstrated experience working directly with businesses and customers to understand their needs and exceed their expectations
• Experience conducting research, synthesizing the results, and developing actionable insights from a broad range of stakeholders
• Comfort and expertise engaging 1:1 and in large groups with customers and partners, including the ability to persuade potential customers and partners to participate in BBC programs
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to create and manage complex projects across internal and external teams using project management software
• Demonstrated ability to create and deliver communications, both written and verbal -- including program definition documents, emails, and presentations -- to internal and external audiences
• Flexibility and desire to work with a team and independently
• Must be a self-starter and able to independently move projects forward, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines, including the ability to independently manage multiple short‐term and long‐term projects simultaneously
• Facility with a wide variety of software and online tools including Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and other networked programs including customer relationship management software, project management software, e-mail marketing software, and social media. Demonstrated ability to learn and adopt new tools to achieve program goals.

Experience:   

• For a Program Manager title: 3+ years of experience defining and delivering new programs as a program/product manager over multiple product/program cycles, or
• For a Program Director title: 5+ years of experience defining and delivering new programs as a program/product manager in the clean buildings sector over multiple product/program cycles.
• Preference for training/education/consulting programs targeted to businesses and other organizations.
• Experience working with the buildings sector, including in some capacity directly related to building retrofits that reduce carbon emissions
• Experience working directly with customers and partners, including those from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds
• Demonstrated ability to work simultaneously on strategy and tactical execution
• Displays empathy and critical listening to impacted community members to help identify gaps and solutions
• Demonstrated experience simultaneously managing multiple projects in ambiguous environments with dynamic timelines
• Demonstrated commitment to taking action on climate change or, more generally, on sustainability
• A demonstrated commitment to racial justice and the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity within our systems. A demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture.

REMUNERATION

This is a salaried position with an annual salary range of $84,000 to $105,000.  Offers of both salary and title (Manager or Director) are based on a relevant experience calculator.

Climate Solutions cares about you as a whole person, so we provide the following benefits to support your ability to be successful in the position and your health and well-being:

• Insurance premiums fully paid for the employee:
• Medical
• Vision
• Dental, including orthodontia
• Disability and Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account for medical, childcare, and commuter expenses
• 30 days of Paid Time Off accrued annually
• 14 annual flexible holidays, including birthday leave
• 401K starting after 3 months of employment with a 5% contribution by CS
• Flexible work policy
• A work environment that recognizes your family and community responsibilities
• A commitment to professional development, including both funds and time
• Paid time dedicated to work on equity and inclusion with a racial equity lens
• Annual performance reviews and ongoing feedback to support your development
• A strong commitment to successful onboarding and retention

TO APPLY  

• Please click "Apply" below to email a résumé in PDF format to employment@climatesolutions.org. Cover letters are optional, and one will not be considered as part of your application.
• Please put BBC Program manager OR program director and YOUR NAME as the subject line of the email and label the resume with your first and last name.
• In the body of the email, please let us know how you found out about the position.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled

If you are concerned that you don’t meet the minimum qualifications but have other skills or experience that we have not considered and would be valuable in this position, please apply.

If you need reasonable accommodation in applying or interviewing for this position, please let us know.

Climate Solutions recognizes that institutional racism, including systems and behaviors that maintain white power and privilege, exists within our organization, the broader climate and environmental movement, and throughout society. We also recognize that the impacts of the climate crisis, pollution from fossil fuels, and the costs of proposed solutions fall disproportionately on communities of color, low income, Tribal Nations, and frontline communities, both in our region and across the world. This is a barrier to a more equitable future and our ability to achieve our mission.

Climate Solutions has chosen to lead our work with a racial equity lens as a strategy to address all forms of oppression.  Climate Solutions is committed to equal opportunity in employment and promotion for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, caste, citizenship, military or veteran status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, pregnancy and childbirth, family responsibilities, or any other basis protected by applicable laws, regulations, or guidelines relating to discrimination in employment.