Program Director, Net Zero Finance
Ceres’ Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets
Organization
Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit organization leading the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. Through powerful networks and advocacy, Ceres tackles the world’s biggest sustainability challenges, including climate change, water scarcity and pollution, and human rights abuses. For more information about Ceres, please visit our website.
The Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets is transforming the practices and policies that govern capital markets to reduce the worst financial impacts of the climate crisis. We educate and engage regulators, financial institutions, investors, and other capital market influencers to act on systemic climate-related financial risk. There is further information on the Accelerator www.ceres.org/our-work/accelerator.
Description and Responsibilities
The Program Director, Net Zero Finance will lead the Ceres’ Accelerator work on net zero finance including work with financial regulators, banks, insurance companies and other stakeholders. This role will lead a team and work closely with other teams at Ceres to implement net zero finance campaigns, including Investor, Company, and Policy teams.
Ceres’ Net-Zero Finance work seeks to move key North American financial actors — investors, banks, insurers, and regulators — to commit to, pursue, achieve, and promote a just, global transition to net-zero emissions in the 2040s or sooner, or by 2050 at the latest, in line with global efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C. The work focuses on where the money is; about half of all assets under management are by North American firms, and half of all market cap of all publicly traded companies in the world is based in the United States. So, moving the U.S. finance sector has massive global implications. The Ceres Accelerator’s mission is to transform the practices and policies that govern capital markets to reduce the worst financial impacts of the climate crisis.
This full-time position is designed for a highly motivated, self-starter with significant experience with financial regulators, investors, banks and/or insurers. The position will report to the Managing Director, Ceres Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets. We would prefer the successful candidate to be based in Boston but would be open to other locations.
Specific duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Lead the development, with other team members, of strategy and implementation plan for cross-organization driving Net Zero goals by investors, banks, and insurers.
- Manage Net Zero Finance research and development of reports, blogs, and regulatory comment letters, partnering with other teams and consultants. Lead the development of reports and research making the business case that climate change poses a risk to the US economy.
- Work with others to develop and implement a blueprint for engaging with regulators on Net Zero Finance.
- Coordinate closely with appropriate staff, including relationship managers, to drive external meetings with investors, policy makers, and regulators to move investors, banks, and insurance companies to set net zero targets and implement action plans to achieve real emissions reductions
- Stay abreast of policy issues on the federal (and some state) level related to climate change and energy with a special focus on investor activities, banking, insurance, and financial regulatory issues.
- Partner with internal Communications staff on plans for the use of earned media, paid media, advocacy days, national & regional meetings, direct engagement with policymakers, and other strategies to support the campaign.
- Partner with the Director of Campaigns and others to identify relationships with external partners and key allies, such as non-profit organizations, trade associations, think tanks, legislators, lobbyists, and others to be developed, strengthened or maintained, to achieve Net Zero Finance goals.
- Work with the Ceres Investor Network to recruit investors to engage in this effort through making commitments, establishing interim goals, establishing robust disclosure and other plans.
- Coordinate with other teams (including but not limited to Company Network, Development, Climate & Energy) needed to accomplish organizational objectives.
- Partner with the Managing Director, Ceres Accelerator, the Ceres Development Team and others to raise money for the net zero finance work, including participating in funder meetings, outreach to potential new funders and contributing to fundraising proposals.
- Supervise senior Accelerator staff members including hiring and training new staff, conducting regular one-on-one meetings, goal setting, day-to-day management and mentorship, semi-annual reviews, and providing guidance and support with professional development.
- Contribute to the planning for the Ceres annual conference and program events, to further corporate governance programmatic work.
- Represent Ceres at conferences, seminars, press conferences and meetings as spokesperson for project or program work.
- Travel as necessary.
Qualifications
- Ten years or more of direct experience working on political campaigns, climate and environmental policy and/or finance regulation initiatives.
- Demonstrated ability to lead both analysis and corporate engagement and to implement recommendations for actions.
- Prior experience managing individuals and contractors.
- Effective presentation style as well as strong speaking and written communication skills.
- Sound judgment, sensitivity to diverse constituencies, excellent interpersonal skills, strong initiative, and motivation. Ability to collaborate with individuals from a range of backgrounds.
- Experience cultivating effective and productive supervisory relationships with direct reports across gender identity, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic backgrounds.
- Demonstrated strong project management skills of research and multiple, complex projects.
- Planning expertise and delivering projects on deadlines and within time and resource budgets.
- Record of success coordinating and facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues.
- Ability to work as part of a team and to take a collaborative approach.
- Ability to bring a positive outlook to working at Ceres.
- Interest in being part of a diverse workforce and willingness to support Ceres’ interest to be a more inclusive environment.
Ceres has engaged DRG Talent_ to lead this search. _Please apply using this link.
The hiring salary range for this position is $139,000-$150,000.
How to Apply
We encourage all applicants to review our website to familiarize themselves with Ceres before applying: www.ceres.org. If you are interested in applying for this position, please submit a resume, cover letter, and a list of three references, as well as complete the additional information as instructed from DRG Talent.
Ceres is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from people of color, including bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military or veteran status, disability, or any factors prohibited by applicable law.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $139,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year