Climate and Energy Program Director

For more than 30 years, Rainforest Action Network (RAN) has campaigned to preserve forests, protect the climate and uphold human rights by challenging corporate power and systemic injustice through research, education, partnerships, non-violent direct action, grassroots organizing, strategic campaigns and communications. We are committed to working with Indigenous and frontline communities directly impacted by profit-driven systems of injustice. In partnership with allies from around the world, RAN challenges corporations to stop destructive operations, respect human rights, and adopt policies that reduce their contributions to climate change. RAN is committed to doing what is necessary, not only what is considered politically feasible.

The Climate and Energy Program Director is responsible for the overall vision and day-to-day management of RAN’s climate and energy program to keep fossil fuels in the ground and persuade corporate targets — including the world’s largest banks and insurance companies— to develop and implement comprehensive climate, environmental, and human rights policies to guide their lending and underwriting. RAN’s Climate & Energy team aims to move financial systems to address the climate crisis. This position will drive the Climate and Energy team forward to call out corporate greenwashing and inadequate government response while ensuring our work is aligned with that of our frontline and grassroots partners. RAN is committed to pushing back against corporate power, challenging bad public policy on climate & energy, and continuing to punch above our weight.

This is a highly collaborative position, working closely with communication, digital, organizing and development departments. The ideal candidate will thrive at coordinating inter-departmental teams, managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced campaigning environment, listening to and incorporating feedback from team members and frontline partners, and have a strong understanding of racial justice and equity issues. The Climate and Energy Program Director will serve on the Leadership Team of the organization and will be managed by the Deputy Executive Director.

Position Responsibilities

• Serve as strategic lead for the Climate and Energy team’s campaigns and ensure RAN’s campaign strategies are aligned with its mission, vision and strategic plan
• Lead work planning, priority-setting and coordination for the Climate and Energy team, oversee project plans, and ensure campaign ?activities are well coordinated with other departments at RAN and racial justice is integrated into campaign plans and team projects
• Hold an appreciation of RAN’s inside-outside strategy, and the full spectrum of the team’s work: research, policy, advocacy, solidarity with frontline communities, direct action as a critical theory of change
• Supervise and coach the campaigners, organizers, and researchers on the Climate and Energy Program team of 6, with direct supervision of 3 team members. Undertake annual performance reviews for supervisees
• Develop & administer an annual program budget of roughly $1.5 million
• Fundraise to ensure foundation and donor support covers the majority of Climate and Energy program expenses, in collaboration with the Development team;
• Maintain relationships with close coalition partners and allies through organizing, outreach, and ?collaboration; represent RAN at external events and provide motivation and tools to grassroots constituencies
• Lead and support corporate negotiations
• Act as a public and media spokesperson, and represent the team’s work with key audiences, e.g. media, movement partners, foundations and major donors
• Serve on RAN’s leadership team, which includes acting as an organizational leader in administrative, ?programmatic, and management capacities
• Support RAN’s Executive team with necessary written and verbal communications as ?needed for the board of directors, negotiations with corporate targets, media interviews and donor meetings

Qualifications

• A deep experience with and commitment to team building, mentoring, change management, appreciation of team’s expertise, and staff development
• Substantial experience in running advocacy campaigns, preferably corporate campaigns
• Successful track record of cultivating funders and developing successful foundation grants
• Commitment and experience working toward racial justice; ?demonstrated history of collaboration, curiosity, humility, and accountability to team and frontline and Indigenous partners
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment for grassroots organizing, movement building and nonviolent direct ?action
• Excellent oral and written communications skills in working with media, movement partners, foundations and donors
• Campaign experience in climate change, human rights, ?Indigenous rights, energy policy, fossil fuel sectors, finance campaigning or corporate social responsibility
• Experience guiding research projects
• Existing relationships with frontline communities, energy and climate related organizations
• Familiarity with offline and digital campaigning tactics, and a demonstrated ability to ?get results from entrenched campaign targets
• Ability to travel frequently (when post-pandemic travel resumes)
• Ability to work in the US

Racial Justice

RAN strives to integrate values of equity and fairness into our work, which includes bringing an intentional racial justice analysis to our programmatic work and organizational structure. We are seeking candidates who have a commitment to engage in this ongoing process and work with us to create a just and inclusive work environment and world. RAN provides all people with equal employment and volunteer opportunities while also staying committed to providing accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. We encourage applicants of color to apply for this position.

Compensation

This is a full-time position. RAN salaries are adjusted by geographic cost of labor, so the final salary would be determined by location, in addition to a candidate’s overall experience and qualifications. (Ex: hiring an employee in Chicago, IL would result in a lower target salary range than in San Francisco CA due to the geographic cost of labor). The target annual salary range is $103,000 – 110,000 for an employee based in San Francisco. Salary ranges for other cities shown below:

Chicago, IL: $89,900 – $95,800
New York: $95,900 – $102,8000
Los Angeles $96,800 – $103,600

Benefits include full health coverage for the employee and their partner/family, an employer funded HSA, vision & dental insurance, 4 weeks PTO (increases to 5 weeks after 2 years), and a Simple IRA retirement plan with a 3% fully vested employer match. Additionally, after 5 years, staff are eligible for a 3 month fully-paid sabbatical.

HOW TO APPLY
Please apply directly with the link below with your resume and cover letter:
https://rainforest-action-network.breezy.hr/p/8cbaf0cb09e3-climate-and-energy-program-director

Supervisor: Deputy Director
Status: FT, with benefits
Location: San Francisco/Remote