Northeast Division Climate and Energy Director

Who We Are:

The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our Mission and guided by our Values, which includes a Commitment to Diversity and Respect for People,
Communities, and Cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding
mission, there’s lots of reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube or on Glassdoor.

Our goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging, and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our Mission by hiring and engaging a diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we work. In addition to the requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and a culture of inclusion! Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote myriad TNC staff members, “you’ll join for our mission, and you’ll stay for our people.”

What We Can Achieve Together:

The Climate and Energy Director will serve as the lead climate and energy staff person for the Northeast Division, directing our overarching energy and climate policy and program delivery and expanding TNC's role in driving a clean, green, and equitable transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. The Northeast Division includes 11 states & the District of Columbia, from West Virginia northward to Maine, not including NY but with close coordination with this team. The Division works closely with the Appalachian team, which leads conservation strategy, including climate mitigation, throughout the Appalachian region, from Alabama into Canada. This position will work with colleagues across TNC, including leading collaboration with and between State Business Unit’s within the division, the Appalachian team, peers in other North America divisions, and the North America Climate Mitigation Program, to develop cross border and regional approaches to accelerate a clean energy transition, including advancing policy and practice to ensure rapid transmission expansion and clean energy project approvals necessary to achieve ambitious renewable energy goals. The director will do this work with the dual goal of meeting TNC's ambitious 2030 Goals for greenhouse gas mitigation and biodiversity conservation.

The Climate and Energy Director will identify and lead collaboration on the Northeast Division’s most important contributions toward TNC’s North America Region climate mitigation strategies and TNC’s climate mitigation goals by developing and leading execution of a multi-year workplan to support and accelerate clean energy deployment and ambitious emissions reductions across the Northeast Division. They will provide communications and serve as a liaison on the Northeast Division’s activities and resource needs to internal audiences such as national and regional leadership, boards of trustees, and donors. They will be expert in internal and external engagement and will work to build a cohesive and effective team of climate, clean energy and policy experts dispersed across Northeast States into a collective, effective force for the delivery of our state, divisional, and regional goals. They will take into consideration the landscape and regional socio-economic-equity complexities of a geographic region with multiple actors, to influence clean energy development, including Independent System Operators, state governments, and utilities. They will provide subject matter expertise related to energy and climate policy, clean energy deployment, energy markets & finance, and energy transmission to Northeast Division leadership and state-based climate and energy policy and program staff. They will provide oversight and input, and work collaboratively with TNC business units, on the development and drafting of public comments, factsheets, and communications with external partners, and will often serve as the public face of climate and energy work in the Northeast Division to engage, inform, and shape public perception, policy, and regulatory approaches. As Program Director they will strive to work with internal and external stakeholders and experts to ensure equitable outcomes for engaging tribal communities, local communities, and energy communities in transition while promoting overall energy transition to clean, low carbon, and renewable sources. As needed, this position will engage and manage consultants with expertise needed to carry out responsibilities and may be asked to engage with their counterparts across the Conservancy on national or global level cooperative work.

We’re Looking for You:

Are you looking to build the future that will help nature and people thrive and sets innovative and effective climate and energy action? Guided by science, informed by decades of ambitious, respectful, and solutions-oriented engagement with policy makers, agencies, the public, communities and individuals across the private and business sectors we are looking for a strong leader who is versed in climate and energy policy, markets and delivery; who is passionate, visionary, committed to innovation and problem solving; can motivate and lead a diverse and dispersed team, and who can bridge diverse and difficult engagements across multiple stakeholders to find real solutions to reducing emissions and ensuring equitable clean energy solutions within the Northeast Division and across boundaries withing renewables development footprints and electricity grids.

What You’ll Bring:

• BA/BS in a field related to climate and energy and/or 10 years experience in development of state, federal or local energy and/or climate policies or regulations; renewable energy, development, and management; energy markets & finance; electricity transmission and electrical grid management; or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience working, collaborating, presenting to, and communicating with a wide range of audiences, including elected officials, government and regulatory agency staff, tribal members, executive-level individuals within the energy sector, professional and trade associations, clean energy advocates, and other community and/or environmental organizations and coalitions, and the media.
• Experience managing complex or multiple projects, including managing budgets & finances and coordinating the work of other professionals and partners.
• Managing large and/or dispersed team in a matrixed organization to develop visionary and innovative strategy and work plans to take cross border and collective strategy implementation and actions.
• Experience with collaborative strategy development and implementation as well as developing and maintaining partnerships and coalitions.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven experience/expertise engaging in energy markets and transmission policy, especially connected to ISO-NE and/or PJM grids and interconnected resources.
• Experience/expertise in energy generation or transmission development, preferably including siting &/or financing of projects
• Proven experience/expertise working and collaborating with representatives of economically diverse populations, community groups, tribal governments, environmental justice organizations, and similar populations including presenting information and demonstrating an ability to engage, involve, and work toward equitable solutions with diverse stakeholders in complex, potentially controversial, situations and decision-processes.
• MA/MS in energy/climate policy, energy markets, environmental policy, or related
• Strong team leader and player with listening skills, collaboration and diplomacy, and ability to influence without
• Excellent systems management

What We Bring:

Since 1951, The Nature Conservancy has been doing work you can believe in protecting the lands and waters that all life depends on. Through grassroots action, TNC has grown to become one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff, we impact conservation throughout the world!

The Nature Conservancy offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including: health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan including employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work wellbeing benefits. Learn more about our benefits at in the Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a work-environment that is supportive of the health, wellbeing, and flexibility needs of the people we employ!