Senior Director, Economic Development
Company: Natural Resources Defense Council
Location: Chicago
Posted on: April 23, 2024
Job Description:
Senior Director, Economic Development
Job Locations
US-NY-New York - US-DC-Washington - US-IL-Chicago
Job ID
2024-5517
# of Openings
1
Group
Green Finance & Economic Development
Overview
NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use
law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online
activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to
ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and
healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and helped write some
of America's bedrock environmental laws and many of the
implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers,
scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts,
and others work across the United States and the globe from our
offices in Beijing; Bozeman, Montana; Chicago; New Delhi; New York;
San Francisco; Santa Monica; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing. NRDC's
new Green Finance and Economic Development Team is seeking to hire
a Senior Director to work in one of the following main U.S.
offices: Chicago, New York, or Washington D.C., with a preference
for New York or Washington, D.C. The Opportunity: NRDC creates
impact around the world and for a better future, and we're looking
for an equally ambitious and skilled Senior Director of Economic
Development to help us maximize that impact. NRDC's Green Finance
and Economic Development Department is dedicated to (a) reducing
the risks that climate change poses to financial systems, (b)
equitably finance the transition to a zero-carbon economy, and (c)
ensuring the economic benefits of the clean energy transition
benefits all, starting with the most vulnerable communities. The
newly formed Department is comprised of the climate risk team, the
blended finance team, and the economic development and financial
inclusion team. We work nationally and globally. The Senior
Director will be responsible for leading the NRDC team in the
Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities initiative (BASC). This
innovative 3-year, 25-city project has as part of its mission using
the federal investments under the Inflation Reduction Act and the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to invest in Black communities that
have been experiencing dis- and under- investment and largely
excluded from green growth opportunities, to target wealth
inequities faced by these communities. The Senior Director will sit
on the Management and Strategy Committee and be the lead
collaborator with BASC partners and participating cities in
identifying and implementing economic development strategies that
address the causes and risk of climate change while reducing the
racial wealth gap. Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the
Senior Director will develop the strategy for the Economic
Development and Financial Inclusion team and lead and
operationalize the people, structures, partnerships, and programs
to execute the Department's advocacy strategy. This role requires a
significant amount of collaboration and thought partnership with
other internal teams, as we work within a matrixed structure of
operation. Among others, close coordination with place-based teams
who lead shaping and execution of NRDC's advocacy in specific
geographies is critical. The Senior Director will represent NRDC
and the Green Finance and Economic Development Department at
internal and external events and forums to elevate our reputation
and profile as experts in economic development and financial
inclusion. With the support of the Managing Director and the
Strategy, Planning and Operations Lead, to advance the economic
development and financial inclusion strategy, the Senior Director
will effectively manage the group's budget and resources, work with
Development to cultivate partnerships and support fundraising
efforts, and develop an effective communications strategy in
partnership with Communications. The Senior Director will be
expected, and will be supported, to build this program even further
to help meet the urgency of the moment. If you thrive in a
care-oriented, diverse environment where people connect to create
impact, you will enjoy the work we are doing at NRDC.
Responsibilities
- Act as NRDC's representative on the
BASC Management Committee.
- Manage the Senior Advisor, Local Solutions and have "dotted
line" managerial responsibilities to other NRDC BASC team
members.
- Coordinate BASC team assessment of federal programs and city
policies regarding energy, land-use planning, workforce development
and labor policies, business resources and programming, development
standards, contracting procedures and other planning issues that
would affect the ability of cities to implement equitable climate
solutions.
- Lead the Economic Development and Financial inclusion team,
including strategic planning, people management, and
administration.
- Collaborate with the Managing Director to set strategic goals
in alignment with organizational priorities, develop key
performance indicators and work plans to achieve outcomes, and set
high performance expectations.
- Responsible for management of the sector's budget, including
forecasting and resource allocation to maximize opportunities and
outcomes.
- Serve as strategic advisor to the Managing Director and an
expert within the Green Finance and Economic Development Department
and across NRDC, providing as needed expert level guidance on
projects, initiatives, and individual-level projects.
- Collaborate across teams within the Department to ensure that
all initiatives are integrated and in support of NRDC's strategic
priorities.
- Work with the Development Department to develop and implement a
vision and strategy to maximize funding opportunities; help develop
foundation proposals, meet with donors, and cultivates
philanthropic relationships.
- Work with the Communications Department to develop effective
external communication strategies and formulate opportunities to
increase NRDC's visibility and name recognition as a leader in
economic development and financial inclusion; serves as an external
expert and spokesperson for NRDC's Green Finance and Economic
Development Department.
- Cultivate and manage strategic relationships and partnerships
with external stakeholders such as NGOs, community groups,
governments, businesses, and labor to maximize impact and achieve
major outcomes.
Qualifications
The Senior Director will be an empowering and collaborative
individual who enables high performance and innovation and
champions equity, diversity, and inclusion. The successful
candidate will be flexible, thrive in collaboration, embrace
solving complex and nuanced problems, and be recognized within the
climate, environmental, economic development and/or financial
inclusion movements as a strategic leader who communicates
effectively to tell compelling stories to diverse audiences. Most
importantly, you will demonstrate a genuine alignment with the
values of NRDC and seek to apply your passion and skills to tackle
the most important challenges humanity has ever faced. The Natural
Resources Defense Council is a safe, inclusive workplace for people
of all backgrounds and walks of life. We strongly encourage
individuals from marginalized or underrepresented groups,
especially in the field of environmental conservation, to apply. We
understand that some candidates may be discouraged by an extensive
list of job requirements that they may not fully meet - however, we
encourage you to apply regardless. We do not seek a "perfect"
candidate, but rather individuals who embody our core values and
display the competencies to succeed in the role. If you are
passionate about the role, thrive in a culture like ours, and are
determined to push boundaries to achieve success, we invite you to
apply.
- Minimum 10 years' directly related experience in the field of
economic development and/or financial inclusion, including at least
3 years successfully managing teams toward a common vision and
purpose.
- Bachelor's degree in sustainability, environmental science,
policy, urban planning, public administration, or a related field
or equivalent work experience; advanced degree or equivalent work
experience preferred.
- Demonstrable alignment and deep commitment to NRDC's mission
and purpose with an ability to communicate this passion to others
with a positive and high-energy attitude, integrity, and a
commitment to working collaboratively with peers and
colleagues.
- Forward-looking and strategic thinker with a multidisciplinary
approach to problem solving.
- Proven ability to manage teams, develop and execute large-scale
projects and strategic goals, and manage relationships in a complex
and matrixed organizational structure.
- Experience successfully managing budgets, including
prioritizing and reallocating funds to make the best use of limited
resources for strategic purposes.
- Substantial experience and demonstrated success working with
BIPOC-led groups to advance a common goal.
- Experience in and deep commitment to incorporating and growing
the use of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in
strategic goals, work plans, team culture, and operations.
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to connect
with a variety of audiences in writing, orally, and through digital
means.
- Experience with public speaking on technical and non-technical
topics.
- Proven success in building strong partnerships with national
leaders and organizations.
- Successful development fundraising experience.
- A willingness to travel to advance organizational goals.
- Demonstrated competence in research and strong quantitative and
analytical skills.
- Strong writing and presentation skills and published materials
in academic and/or "gray" publications.
- Familiarity with climate change and green sectors.
- Familiarity with financial institutions.
- Understanding of the causes and strategies to address the
racial wealth gap.
- Understanding of the challenges of urban sustainability,
climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience.
- Knowledge of governmental agencies and processes related to
community development, land-use, long-range planning, urban design,
workforce, SMEs and/or housing and green infrastructure
development.
- Commitment to NRDC's mission and values. NRDC is committed to
advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in
our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming
diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the
planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage
applications from candidates whose identities have been
historically under-represented in the environmental movement. We
are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring
or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender
identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation,
national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or
any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will
consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and
conviction records. We offer competitive salaries, excellent
benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on
a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience.
Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a
final offer. For this position, the salary range is $183,000 to
$201,000. NRDC operates in a hybrid workplace. We offer our team
members flexibility and ask them to come into the office to
collaborate meaningfully with their colleagues. We call this
purposeful presence. As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to
do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For
the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be
vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious
accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local
law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after
receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance
with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to
vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical or
religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee
Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in
keeping with local, state, and federal laws. To apply, visit
www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your resume and cover letter.
Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional
materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of
applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like
to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person resume
drop-offs. If you experience technical problems while applying or
if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying
online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.
For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.
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Keywords: Natural Resources Defense Council, Berwyn , Senior Director, Economic Development, Executive , Chicago, Illinois
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