Vice President, U.S. Climate Change

Rare dreams big, holds itself accountable and stays positive even in the face of challenges. Rare’s organizational culture is largely defined by its five core values: The Courage to Take Risks, A Commitment to Accountability, A Mindset of Solutionology, Investments in People, and The Spirit of Celebration.  Our mission is the “what” we do and our values are the “how” we do it!

In a recent report, Changing Behaviors to Reduce U.S. Emissions: Seven Pathways to Climate Impact, Rare identified the critical role individual behaviors can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If just ten percent of Americans adopted seven behaviors (plant-rich diet, electric vehicles, green energy/rooftop solar, food waste reduction, carbon offsets, no-till agriculture, and flying less), US greenhouse gases would decrease by 0.8 gigatons annually, representing an avoided cost of $22 billion.

Position Overview 

Rare seeks an entrepreneurial, creative and task-oriented Vice President to work directly with the CEO bringing insight and life to a new US Climate Change Campaign.

This individual will lead the strategic development and implementation of a multi-faceted behavior change campaign designed to leverage individual behavior change to reduce emissions across the food/agriculture, energy and transport sectors.

Key Responsibilities

The Vice President, U.S. Climate Change will exercise both independent judgement and a collaborative approach to carry out the following responsibilities:

• Design and execute program strategy
  • Lead a cross-functional team of behavioral designers and market researchers in partnership with the Center for Behavior and Environment to develop a strategy for changing the behavior of 10% of Americans. This effort is presently called “Make It Personal.”
  • Develop and test a theory of change that links adoption of new behaviors to policy advocacy and voting behavior
• Utilize a “lean startup” approach to pilot and eventually scale various elements of this campaign through:
  • A tech platform to enable behavioral adoption
  • Program roll-out through nationwide partnerships with cities, college campuses, and corporate staff engagement programs
  • A robust social media, mass media and public outreach effort
• Raise funds necessary to transition from pilot to scale over the next two years by making the case to philanthropic foundations, individual contributors and corporate sponsors
• Lead implementation of project, including day-to-day management and ensuring alignment with the long-term vision, including:
  • Design and hire the necessary staff and consultants to design and execute this effort
  • Engage key stakeholders both internal and external to the organization
    Establish a network of city-based Advisory Councils, starting with Austin,TX
    • Design, develop and execute a regular report on the progress of the project for key funders, investors and advisors
    • Collaborate internally to develop and sustain an external drumbeat promoting this work, which includes both communications strategies and the development of content and related marketing assets
  • Lead project marketing and funding in partnership with the Development and Communications team
    • Liaise with relevant donor owners in each development segment to manage a portfolio of donors relevant to this effort and act as the
    • Development team’s content expert for all project-related proposals and grant reports
    • Write drafts, copy-edit, and assist in the preparation of grant proposals and reports to funders, with a focus on content related to this project
    • Identify relevant platforms and podiums to promote this effort 

Qualifications

Experience and Education:

• The ideal candidate will be dynamic, entrepreneurial, and high-energy, with the ability to work productively with a diverse array of leaders, experts and philanthropists.
• S/he should be able to demonstrate prior success in a variety of high-impact initiatives that include experience managing from conception through completion with explicit outcomes.
• S/he should be a hands-on, action-oriented leader.
• Experience creating and managing behavior change campaigns, public advocacy programs, or consumer marketing efforts with significant budget/P&L responsibility is critical. 
• Priority skillsets include: strategy formulation, message design, campaign management, and fundraising.
• Candidates should self-identify as creative and analytical and organized with strong writing skills.

Other qualifications include:

• A minimum of 10 years of related experience in campaign design, marketing, and executive-level management
• Exceptional ability in project management and cross-functional collaboration
• Superior interpersonal and communications skills including the ability to engage effectively with staff and partners at all levels in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial work environment;
• Excellent track record in developing and managing communications with high priority external partners;
• Demonstrated experience in cultivating and stewarding donor relationships;
  Exceptional writing skills (a writing test will be conducted during interview process);
• Sound business judgment and ability to manage shifting priorities and competing deadlines to ensure accuracy and high-quality standards while applying a systems view of outcomes and impact