Program Director, Northeast Communications

ABOUT U.S. ENERGY FOUNDATION

U.S. Energy Foundation's (EF) mission is to secure a clean and equitable energy future to tackle the climate crisis. We envision a healthy, safe, equitable economy powered by clean energy. We believe a thriving clean energy economy can create sustainable opportunities, spur innovation, and protect our climate-for today and future generations.

EF supports education and analysis to promote non-partisan policy solutions that advance renewable energy and energy efficiency while opening doors to greater innovation and productivity-growing the economy with dramatically less pollution. For more than 30 years, EF has supported grantees to help educate policymakers and the general public about the benefits of a clean energy economy. Our grantees include business, health, environmental, labor, equity, community, faith, and consumer groups, as well as policy experts, think tanks, universities, and more.

At EF, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are top organizational commitments. We are working daily to uproot racism and other forms of oppression and create equitable systems that support people to flourish. We aim to bring humility, transparency, respect, and an appreciation for others' lived experiences to our interactions with colleagues, grantees, and partners.

EF's Fundraising Philosophy

As EF's primary clients/partners are our funders and grantees, EF commits to acting as a strategic and thought leader for our current and prospective funding partners and the field by:

1. Collaborating-and co-creating, where feasible and desired-on strategy development including the hosting and/or managing of funder collaboratives
2. Highlighting the opportunity for climate philanthropy to maximize benefits to disadvantaged communities and those most impacted by climate change
3. Offering excellent, responsive service by providing proactive, compelling and timely updates and information

EF is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, and our more than 100 staff members are based in locations throughout the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Western regions, where they can best serve our programs, partners, operations, and other functions.

POSITION SUMMARY

Strategic communications is necessary to drive public support for ambitious climate policy action and mobilize key constituencies that will hold policymakers accountable over time. The Program Director, Northeast Communications (Program Director), is an individual contributor who plays a key role in supporting EF's regional strategies and grantees to advance that vision along with the Strategic Communications Program strategies. It has no supervisory responsibilities.

The Program Director will oversee a communications-focused grantee portfolio that spans both the EF Northeast Program and the Strategic Communications Program, contributing a communications perspective to EF's state and regional strategies; share guidance to advance key narratives across states and regions; serve as connection point between state and national communications partners; and identify ways to build strong relationships and communications capacity among EF grantees through the power of convening, training, and resource-sharing. Internally, this person is a connector and is expected to be responsive to requests from across EF and excel at internal communications. This person will work with colleagues at EF to develop and guide strategy in the region, while interfacing with grantees, funders, and partners in these states to ensure they are supported for maximum impact.

The ideal candidate is a collaborator by nature, as this job requires developing and maintaining durable relationships with an assortment of partners within and outside our teams. Beyond interpersonal skills, the ideal candidate will have deep experience in political communications while also possessing strong writing, digital strategy, media relations, and project management skills. Understanding of data-driven communications tactics is a must, as is the ability to prioritize competing requests while adjusting to the rapidly changing media environments. Balancing all this will require both a commitment to excellent time management and a knack for flexibility. The Program Director must have a solid understanding of and commitment to the principles and foundation of DEI.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with EF's Northeast Regional team, state-based consultants, and with grantees on grantmaking strategy and activities to build power and capacity throughout the region.
• Manage and coordinate multiple budgets from a cross-section of internal and external sources.
• Oversee a portfolio of grantees and all activities within the grantee lifecycle, including, but not limited to:
  
  
  
  • Manage and administer communications-related grants, requests for proposals, special projects, and contracts.
  • Foster and maintain a culture of transparency in communications regarding grant philosophy, budgets, strategy, and accountability.
  • Provide strategic guidance and resources to position grantees and consultants to develop and execute strategic communications strategies focused on driving long-term narrative change with storylines that grow support for clean energy policy action in service of the public good.
  • Develop and execute capacity-building programming to help EF grantees and consultants-particularly those representing frontline and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities-to build their communications skills, expertise, and understanding of best practices.
  • Facilitate periodic check-ins and meetings to ensure communications activities and campaigns of both internal and external partners are completed on time and within budget.
  • Foster active network learning, disseminating data, trends, findings, and developments of note to grantees, partners, and colleagues. Partner closely with aligned communicators active within the region.
  • Be conversant with energy, climate, political, and media (earned and digital) landscape with an eye toward tracking communications threats and opportunities related to the role's scope of work.
  
  
  
  
• Inform, synthesize, and apply EF National, DEI, and other Programs strategies and priorities to relevant work in the region.
  
  
  
  • Identify programmatic intersections and collaborate with internal teams on communications strategies and tactics as needed, including on opportunities for communications-related grantmaking and capacity-building for grantees.
  
  
  
  
• Provide timely information related to rapid-response requests, funder reports, proposals, and presentations.
• Maintain regular communications and message guidance to EF grantees and partners. Engage with key funding partners upon request.
• Operate in strict accordance with EF's brand guidance and risk management procedures, which in part requires consistently working in partnership and coalition with others to drive strong programmatic outcomes.
• Identify and seek out professional development opportunities, including networking, informational interviews, training, projects, etc.
  
  
  
  • Formulate a personalized learning and development plan with assistance from the supervisor and others.
  
  
  
  
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Practical experience in developing and executing strategic communications campaigns, including traditional and digital media projects, with a preference for experience in political, issue advocacy, and/or energy policy communications.
• Experience developing and facilitating strategy collaboratively across a network of internal and external stakeholders and partnering with others to deliver high-impact outcomes in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience in managing budgets and experience creating proposals and strategy documents.
• Strong communication skills. Able to present complex information in a meaningful way to EFleadership, funding partners, and allies. Able to establish rapport internally and with funding partners, grantees, consultants, and other stakeholders.
• An orientation toward service, inclusion, collaboration and clear communication-understanding that supporting others is fundamental to success in the role.
• A demonstrated ability to manage work across multiple stakeholders in a complex, multi-site, multicultural organization.

SUPERVISION

Reports to the Managing Director, Strategic Communications.

COMPENSATION

This is a full-time position. The target salary for this position is $218,500 for a candidate based in the metro areas of San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Boston, or Sacramento, and $195,000 for candidates in other areas of the U.S. EF provides a comprehensive benefits package, including competitive salary, medical, dental, vision, disability, and retirement benefits and paid time off.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Ability to travel four to six times a year in the contiguous U.S. for three to four business days at a time.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

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.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to spend extended hours at the computer. This position requires moderate levels of domestic travel.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

EF is a remote-first work environment. This position may be based in any of EF's offices or may work remotely from anywhere in the U.S.

The office environments include some shared workspace, some individual offices, and shared kitchen facilities, with moderate noise levels and a collegial atmosphere. On occasion, there are activities or events after work hours.