Associate Director of Legislative and Administrative Advocacy, International Climate, and Fossil-...
Job Title: Associate Director of Legislative and Administrative Advocacy, International Climate, and Fossil-Free Finance
Department: Program
Location: Washington, DC. This position requires an ability to travel.
Reports To: Senior Director - Climate Policy and Federal Partnerships
Supervises: None
Context: At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of togetherness. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel inequity, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our democracy. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it.
Sierra Club is staffed across the country and a network of local chapters that support our grassroots engagement. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with two labor unions representing more than half of our employees.
Scope: The Associate Director of Legislative & Administrative Advocacy, International Climate and Fossil-Free Finance has program responsibility and participates in the development of strategies and priorities for specific legislative programs or campaigns for the International Climate and the Fossil-Free Finance Campaigns. Produces educational materials and reports, does research, testifies, lobbies and serves as a technical resource. Represents the Sierra Club to government officials, the media and other organizations. Take appropriate action to ensure that program goals and objectives are met. This position will focus on federal legislation, federal policies and administrative actions that address international climate finance, international climate negotiations, and climate-related financial regulation in the U.S. This position will work to reduce and stop U.S. financial institutions' support for fossil fuels, both at home and abroad; and ensure the US leads a global phaseout of coal and an equitable transition to clean energy.
Job activities include but are not limited to:
- Develops and conducts all aspects of a federal legislative and administrative advocacy program for the International Climate and the Fossil-Free Finance Campaigns. Works with national campaign, capacity and program staff and volunteer leadership to develop and carry out the programs/campaign plans.
- Work in collaboration with the Federal Policy Team, Environmental Law Program, and Grassroots Organizing, Communications and Digital Strategies to advance the federal and international policies for the International Climate and the Fossil-Free Finance Campaigns. Represents the Sierra Club to the general public, media, allied groups and other outside officials.
- Lobbies members of Congress, other state/federal/international officials on behalf of the Sierra Club on key issues. Develops relationships with elected and appointed public officials and their staff. Develops and conducts lobby campaigns associated with the assigned national program targeting these decision makers.
- Develops relationships with administration staff, including the State Department, Treasury Department, Securities and Exchange Commision, Federal Reserve, International Development Finance Corporation and more. Develops and conducts administrative lobby campaigns associated with the goals of the International Climate and the Fossil-Free Finance Campaigns.
- Serves as issue expert for both reactive response and proactive pitching to media outlets in coordination with communications staff. Promotes volunteer media exposure. Supports and provides professional expertise to staff and volunteers. Works to develop and ensure that volunteers assume meaningful leadership roles in the program/ campaign. Provides conservation and legislative/administrative advocacy training to volunteers.
- Develops educational and campaign issues information. This may include the writing, editing and distribution of fact sheets, newsletters, alerts and take actions, and political and educational materials. It may also include the writing, editing and reviewing of articles, blogs and social media content for conservation-related publications.
The successful candidate must have the following skills and experience:
- Experience in the environmental field that includes legislative experience or lobbying, research and campaign organizing, press relations and public speaking.
- Experience and knowledge of the national legislative process. Strong knowledge of financial advocacy within the context of the climate and environmental movement.
- Good written and oral communication skills. Prior experience and ability in writing training information and materials.
- Demonstrated ability and effectiveness working with volunteers.
- Leading on Equity. You model effective equity analysis and practice and have a track record of operationalizing equity, and have embedded justice and equity throughout team/department policies, structures, culture, and programs.
The strongest candidates will also demonstrate the following experience, skills and competencies:
- Strong familiarity with the Congressional appropriations and federal budgeting processes.
- Commitment to and knowledge of the environmental movement and federal politics, or a closely related field
- Strong leadership skills and a willingness to take on responsibility for a campaign or issue
- Public speaking skills
- Work or volunteer experience on environmental issues
- Understanding of Jemez Principles
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is $75,000-$80,000.
This position is represented by a collective bargaining unit and is subject to the terms and conditions of the contract between Sierra Club and Progressive Workers Union.
The Sierra Club offers a competitive salary package commensurate with skills and experience plus excellent benefits that include medical, dental, and vision coverage, and a retirement savings 401(k) plan.
This is a category 3 exempt, represented position.
Sierra Club is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Sierra Club employees are not eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
Sierra Club values the expertise and talents of foreign nationals. Sierra Club sponsors both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas when certain criteria are met, based on immigration laws and organizational needs. Such sponsorship is at the discretion of the Department Head and Sierra Club Human Resources in consultation with the employee’s manager. The Sierra Club cannot guarantee the approval of a visa petition. The Sierra Club is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.
To Apply
This position does not have an undergraduate education requirement. If you choose to include your education history, please remove your schools from your resume. You may leave your degree (e.g., “B.A. Philosophy”), but please remove any undergraduate and graduate school names.
This anonymous process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments and mitigating bias in the decision making process.
Lastly, we are intentionally not asking for a cover letter, so please do not send one in with your application.
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