Climate Strategy Director

~ League of Conservation Voters (LCV) believes our earth is worth fighting for because everyone has a right to clean air, water, and a safe, healthy community. To ensure those rights are protected, we help people use their power to shape policy, hold politicians and polluters accountable, and influence elections. ~

Our over 2 million members, our volunteers and staff, and our more than 30 state affiliates (together, the Conservation Voter Movement) work for a more just and equitable democracy, where people—not polluters—determine our future. This movement is an influential network in Washington, DC, in state capitals, and in communities around the country.

Position Overview

LCV’s dynamic, multi-faceted climate program — which spans our entire organization as a top priority — needs a focused leader in the Climate Strategy Director who can effectively marshal all of our efforts toward LCV’s collective climate goals.

And, our goals are big and meaningful — with our 30+ Conservation Voter Movement (CVM) state affiliates — we aim to defeat the fossil fuel industry and win policies that deliver clean energy for all and fundamentally transform our economy to be more just and equitable. This means addressing historic and present environmental injustice and lifting up working people by creating high-quality careers, spreading economic benefits widely, and building strong and resilient communities.

We strive for our campaigns to be grounded in authentic partnerships with organizations led by those most impacted by climate change — including communities of color and youth, to build grassroots and political power, and to advance climate justice. At its core, this highly collaborative leadership position, working in coordination with the Chief of Staff and other senior leaders, would be responsible for guiding an inclusive strategy that elevates the following initiatives into a comprehensive, effective climate program:

Clean Energy for All Campaign:

• Through our Clean Energy for All campaign, LCV and our CVM state affiliates have won some of the most far reaching state climate policy victories, and in part thanks to our work, 1 in 4 people now live in a place that is committed to 100% clean energy.
• Grassroots Community Organizing. LCV’s community organizing is anchored in achieving climate justice, and continues to build grassroots and political power and authentic partnerships with organizations and movements led by young people, people of color and communities that are affected first and worst by climate impacts.
• Electoral Programs. Our state and federal electoral programs have elevated climate change and helped get pro-climate candidates into public office.
• Creative Communications. We have expanded the climate movement through creative communications, including storytelling and multi-platform online and offline communications channels.
• Federal Advocacy. LCV’s federal advocacy team leads the translation of our organization’s political power to advance federal policies that address the climate crisis in racially and socially just ways.

To bring these strong forces together into a cohesive strategy, we are looking for an experienced campaign strategist, specifically, someone who has run issue campaigns that are deeply rooted in advancing racial justice and equity and that spans both state and federal policy. Given the urgency of the climate crisis, we need someone who can leverage the moment we’re in and build power for the long haul.

Position Conditions:

• Ability and willingness to travel up to 25% of the time.
• The location of this position is flexible.
• Please note that all LCV staff are currently working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Responsibilities

• Develop the strategy and oversee the execution of LCV and our 30+ CVM state affiliates climate campaign.
• Engage and work with LCV staff, funders, coalition partners, and 30+ CVM state affiliates throughout the country to create a campaign strategy that aligns federal, state and local campaign programs to advance our shared climate change priorities.
• Work collaboratively and inclusively across all LCV departments to ensure we effectively leverage all of our expertise and resources in order to meet our organization’s bold climate goals, including by:
• Marshalling LCV climate resources — including staff, grassroots leadership, messaging, coalition engagement, opinion research, and paid and earned media.
• Ensuring that the stories, voices, and vision of our grassroots base — particularly communities of color and young people — are central to the campaign’s process and outcomes and are seen as agents of change at the local and federal levels.
• Preparing reports and materials for donor and board meetings and helping raise resources for the climate campaign.
• Foster transformational partnerships with national progressive organizations as well as climate justice, economic and racial justice organizations and coalitions in coordination with other key LCV staff.
• Ensure that the campaign theory of change, goals, strategies, and tactics are advancing racial justice and equity and furthering an inclusive organizational culture.

Qualifications

Required Work Experience:

• At least 8-10 years of issue campaign experience, particularly with organizing teams and grassroots base, issue advocacy program, lobbying, earned and paid media.
• Experience drafting and implementing campaign plans that reflect a commitment to racial justice and equity, elevate the voices and leadership of people of color and young people and develop authentic relationships with organizational partners.
• Experience working with state/local level campaigns or organizations, multiple coalition partners, and national organizations that have state affiliates or chapters.
• Familiarity with budget management.

Strongly Preferred:

• Familiarity with climate policy and experience in the climate movement.

Preferred:

• Successful direct supervisory experience.

Skills:

• Proven ability to manage strategic and effective issue campaigns.
• Superior political judgment, including understanding the disparate political makeup of a wide range of states.
• Proven track record of successfully working across lines of race, ethnicity, language, class, gender and other identities and experiences.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Highly collaborative and excellent listener.
• Passionate about addressing the climate crisis and elevating the leadership of communities impacted by climate change and environmental injustice.
• Works well in a fast-paced environment and able to manage competing priorities.
• Experience building and managing strong teams.
• Effective fiscal management.

Cultural Competence:

• Demonstrated awareness of one’s own cultural identity, views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on varying cultural and community norms.
• A commitment to the complex understanding of racial justice and the urgency of confronting institutional racism and inequity within our political system.
• Commitment to equity and inclusion as organizational practice and culture.
• Understanding of the ways in which principles of racial justice and equity are vital to addressing climate change effectively.

To Apply

• Please click "Apply" below to email cover letter and resume with “Climate Strategy Director” in the subject line no later than August 4, 2020.
• No phone calls please.
• Please mention how you learned of this opening.