North American Executive Director

Summary 

The Climate Group seeks an entrepreneurial climate leader to serve as its next North American Executive Director. This role is appointed by the North American Board of Directors and reports to CEO Helen Clarkson.

The Climate Group is at a powerful inflection point. As a non-partisan organization working with corporations, states and provinces, we are building upon an incredible period of growth and impact over the past three years that resulted in:

• 400+ members participating in our business action campaigns, several with the scale of impact of large countries;

• Expanded reach and impact of the Under2 Coalition, now reaching over 50% of global GDP;

• Climate Week NYC growing to be one of the leading climate gatherings in the world;

• Deepened partnerships with global climate philanthropies and allied organizations; and

• Strengthened funding model and financial position to resource the organization’s innovation and impact.

As we look to our next three years, we are driven by a relentless pursuit of impact to achieve deep, rapid emissions cuts from business and government across the energy, built environment, industry, transport and food systems. We put this drive into the heart of what we do, using impact as the filter through which we determine and execute our strategies. We lead with scale, speed and collaboration — challenging businesses and subnational governments to make and act upon ambitious climate commitments; building and running networks to unlock the power of collective action; and using strategic communications and campaigns to inspire faster action.

As a visible external leader and strong internal manager, the North American Executive Director will drive regional execution of the global strategy; develop innovative regional initiatives; and represent the Climate Group’s vision and values.

 

About the Climate Group 

The Climate Group drives climate action. Fast. Our goal is a world of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with greater prosperity for all. We do this by building large and influential networks and holding organizations accountable, turning their commitments into action.

We focus on systems with the highest emissions and where our networks have the greatest opportunity to drive change. We share what we achieve together to show more organizations what they could do.

We are an international non-profit organization, founded in 2004, with offices in London, New Delhi and New York. We are proud to be part of the We Mean Business coalition. 

 

Key responsibilities 

Strategy Development & Implementation

• In partnership with the CEO, North American Board of Directors and staff, build metric-driven operating plans that cascade from the global strategy and drive the North American work.

• Innovate and test near-term opportunities in North America to develop regionally-specific programs that align with global efforts and seize opportunities for scaled impact.

• Ensure that racial justice, equity and an economic transition strategy are reflected in the design, implementation and impact of North American initiatives.

• Track progress on and report regularly to the Board and funders on programmatic results in order to amplify success and course-correct when necessary.

• Identify partners in North America who can support execution of the North American strategy, including funders, businesses, government agencies and NGOs.

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Fundraising & Thought Leadership

• Serve as a chief development officer for North America, building authentic and enduring relationships with funders and individual major donors and engaging the Board in these efforts.

• Ensure strong coordination with the global philanthropy team so that the North American operation is self-sustaining and contributes meaningfully to The Climate Group’s global fundraising goals and financial strength.

• Serve as a primary liaison in regional coalitions, prioritizing those that advance the Climate Group’s agenda and demonstrate an authentic commitment to high-quality collaboration.

• Serve as a thought leader among the broader climate community and with the media, including regular writing and public speaking.

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Internal Leadership & Management

• Partner with the CEO and North American Board of Directors to identify, recruit and engage Board members in strategic and meaningful ways.

• Serve as a member of the global leadership team with responsibility for the success of The Climate Group’s overall strategy, financial strength and inclusive organizational culture.

• Inspire and motivate the North American team to achieve demanding targets, promoting a culture of collaboration, high performance, continual learning and commitment to excellence.

• Determine and manage the North American budget, ensuring cost effectiveness and accurate reporting to funders.

• Build and manage the North American staff and consultant corps, including establishing annual objectives, provide regular feedback and appropriate recognition, conduct annual performance reviews and support ongoing professional development.

• Serve as a sounding board and resource for other regional executive directors, sharing effective strategies and identifying opportunities for collaboration.

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About you 

The successful North American Executive Director is an entrepreneurial leader who is driven by a belief in and commitment to the Climate Group’s ambitious vision and mission. Through their track record as a climate solutions advocate, systems thinker and network builder, the successful candidate will develop and drive programs, partnerships and resource development to achieve greater reach and impact.

The North American Executive Director builds authentic and lasting relationships with business, government and coalition members, listening to their interests and goals and engaging with them as partners in the Climate Group’s work. They are creative and solution-seeking in program design, politically savvy and possess the practical know-how to build off successful programs for momentum and scale.

The North American Executive Director joins a deeply committed team of climate advocates who operate with a sense of urgency. The Climate Group has the opportunity to take its work in North America to the next level and seeks a leader with ambition, determination and the ability to inspire and instil trust among multinational colleagues, funders and partners.

This role requires a strong orientation toward partnership, outstanding collaboration skills and the ability to manage through influence on a global team. Despite the enormity of the challenges that lie ahead, the Climate Group’s leadership seeks a North American Executive Director who leads with positivity and a belief in what is possible. The successful candidate demonstrates a deep commitment to climate justice and models excellence and integrity in all they do. The selected candidate will also possess the following Essential and Desirable qualifications:

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Essential

• Clear commitment to the mission, vision, values and goals of the Climate Group.

• At least 7 years of increasing leadership/management responsibility, with a proven track record of accomplishment in the climate space.

• Experience in developing, building and leading cross-sector coalitions, campaigns and teams with the credibility to command respect in the public and private sectors.

• Strong leadership skills with clarity of vision and a commitment to the highest levels of integrity, quality and collaboration.

• Understanding of federal policy contexts and opportunities, particularly in the US and at sub-national levels throughout North America.

• Solid track record of fundraising success and an enthusiastic, pro-active and entrepreneurial approach to revenue generation.

• Outstanding relationship-building skills with a wide range of diverse external constituencies, from elected officials and staff, public agencies and government regulators to manufacturers, community-based organizations and philanthropic institutions.

• Impeccable oral and written communications skills that demonstrate an ability to:

• Convey a compelling story about the Climate Group’s mission and impact;

• Translate data and analysis into persuasive narratives;

• Communicate the Climate Group’s strategies and impact with accessible expertise (i.e., without jargon).

• Ability to manage a small and growing team with multiple demands on their time.

• Sets and achieves high-performance expectations that are motivating and results-oriented.

• Seeks out and delivers timely and direct feedback that contributes to the ongoing development of oneself, team members and a positive organizational culture.

• Promptly resolves problems through timely consultation in an environment of mutual respect.

• Highly collaborative work style with the ability to operate as a peer and thought partner to the CEO, other leadership team members and the Board.

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Desirable​

• A passion for and lived experience relevant to climate change action and climate justice.

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree, particularly in policy, business, law or climate science.

• Experience with public-private partnerships and the ability to leverage relationships, networks and resources for lasting change.

• Experience and content knowledge in at least one of the Climate Group’s core focus areas (Energy, Transport, Built Environment, Industry or Food) and/or core domains (government, public policy, business).

 

Our commitment to Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 

In alignment with our core values and operating principles, the Climate Group values diversity in all its forms and is committed to inclusive and transparent recruitment, hiring, promotion and professional development. People of diverse backgrounds with lived experience relevant to climate justice are strongly encouraged to apply.

We recruit, hire, and promote without regard to race, colour, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, age, religion, creed, disability (actual or perceived), medical condition including genetic characteristics, marital status, domestic partnership status, citizenship, military service, height, weight, HIV/AIDS status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance.

 

Work Environment, Schedule and Travel

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This is a full-time salaried position with comprehensive benefits. Typical work hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET. Currently, all of The Climate Group staff work remotely. Once it is safe to do so, approximately 10-20% travel is required to support strong relationship-building and strategy implementation; more travel may be necessary for a West Coast-based executive director.

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Terms and Conditions 

The salary range for this position is $175,000 - $200,000, commensurate with experience.

The Climate Group also offers a very generous and competitive benefits package, including health coverage, retirement benefits, paid vacation, sick time, and holidays and access to professional development resources.

This position is located in NYC or remote.

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How to apply 

Use the ‘Apply’ button to apply for this vacancy. Should you require further information, please contact Search Consultant, Cathy Schreiber at CSchreiber@climategroup.org. 

Applications for this position should come in the form of a CV and cover letter. This position is open until filled, with an initial application deadline of 5PM PDT on Friday, October 29, 2021. Candidate review and phone screens begin immediately and will be conducted throughout the search period.   

The requisite eligibility criteria, or work visa to work in NY are a requirement for this position and no relocation and/or sponsorship costs will be borne by the Climate Group.