LOCATION: Brussels, Belgium or elsewhere within the European Union, with the ability to travel as needed.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Initiative Director, Europe Clean Heat, will lead strategic grantmaking campaigns to achieve policy wins to drive clean heat adoption in Europe. This role will work with Climate Imperative’s Senior Initiative Director, Europe, and leadership team to align the strategy of the Europe Clean Heat initiative with the organization’s values and theory of change. The individual will also work with a diverse group of partners, from grassroots advocates to high level policymakers and aligned philanthropies, to accelerate the adoption of clean heat policies quickly and equitably.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategy
- Building upon existing initiative strategies, identify the near-term opportunities to support policymakers and advocates to accelerate clean heat policy progress at the EU level and in key Member States
- Ensure the efforts our partners are promoting mean all residents can afford and enjoy the benefits of this transition
- From a global vantage point, see opportunities to knit regional efforts into a cohesive strategy, amplifying and replicating wins in other jurisdictions
Campaign Coordination & Coalition-Building
- In collaboration with advocates, policymakers and funders, determine how to secure and maintain Europe policy wins that advance the decarbonization of buildings and light industry
- Ensure that justice and equity and an economic transition strategy for affected communities are central to the design, implementation, and impact of the initiative
- Build and execute an innovative, concise, and metric-driven campaign strategy to win, in consultation with partners
- Ensure we and our partners have a clear understanding of how to succeed in each decision-making venue
Grantmaking & Convening
- Identify and build authentic and durable relationships with the grantees who can execute the initiative strategy
- Manage, evaluate, and as necessary, revise a portfolio of grants that can lead this initiative to success
- Regularly convene grantee and funding partners to ensure strong coordination, track progress, repair problems, expand, contract or phase down elements of the initiative, as necessary
- Report, without bias, on progress and stalls to the Board of Directors
- Serve as a thought leader to the broader philanthropic and NGO community on clean heat strategy and grantmaking
- Lead on the grantee relationship through regular check-ins
- Serve as a leader and resource for other Climate Imperative staff
EXPERIENCE
- 10+ years of experience leading initiatives to achieve policy change at a broad scale and in EU geographies
- Expertise in decarbonization policy across sectors and European policy venues (i.e., at the EU level and at the national level for key member states), ideally with demonstrated interest and experience in clean heat policy
- Experience in grantmaking through first-hand experience in government, nonprofits, and/or philanthropy
- Ability to prioritize and be flexible in a fast-paced, constantly evolving, and collaborative environment
- Effective written and verbal communication skills
- Managerial skills to lead and coordinate a highly skilled and diverse team of partners, operate as a thought partner to foundation leadership and collaborate with peers to meet grantmaking goals, timelines, and other benchmarks
- Develop strategies that consider and synthesize multiple perspectives into a coherent big-picture strategy and workable plan
- Ability to track multi-dimensional efforts and see opportunities for leverage and scaled impact
- A deep commitment to equity and inclusion reflected in prior campaigns
- Willingness and ability to travel (up to 20%)
- Deep interest, passion, and commitment to reducing climate change
SALARY
We provide a salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. The target salary range is €150,000 to €160,000 with local adjustments made for folks in higher or lower markets, based on cost of labor in candidate's international geographical location. Equity is incredibly important to the organization, and a pay audit for equity is completed annually.
WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
This role is done primarily in an office environment.
An employee must be able to satisfy the following physical requirements with or without a reasonable accommodation.
- Remain in a stationary position (at a desk) for at least 75% of the day
- Use hand and fingers to type
- Frequently communicate via phone or video and email and must be able to communicate using those methods
Climate Imperative requires all employees to come together in person two to three times per year.
BENEFITS
For candidates based outside the U.S., employment, payroll, and benefits are administered through our Employer of Record (EOR) partner in the relevant country, who serves as the legal employer for local compliance purposes. Regardless of location, all team members are fully integrated into Climate Imperative, with day-to-day work, responsibilities, and management carried out within Climate Imperative.
Benefits vary by country based on local requirements and EOR-administered plans. We strive to offer a strong and equitable benefits package across geographies. Examples of benefits offered include:
- Up to 100% of premium paid for medical, dental, and vision
- Carrot fertility and family planning benefits
- Annual professional development budget
- Internet, cell phone data, and health & wellness reimbursement
- An innovative, collaborative, and welcoming work culture
OUR COMMITMENT
Climate Imperative is committed to diversity, equity, & inclusion and to a transparent recruitment process that fosters belonging. Our goal is to hire and advance people regardless of race, gender, ability, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, military service, medical condition, and any other protected characteristic under local, state, or federal law. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.
We are committed to an accessible employee experience. If at any time you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact [email protected].
ABOUT US
Climate change is governed by physical facts—about carbon sources, accumulation, impacts, and timing, and more importantly, about solutions that work. These facts must inform strategy: they show that avoiding dangerous climate change is only possible through strong policy to cut carbon, promptly, in the biggest countries. To address these issues, Climate Imperative was founded to provide resources to the field of climate policy in this decisive decade.
Climate Imperative is a 501(c)(3) public charity focused on solving the climate crisis at speed and scale by providing funding, technical support, and expertise to win the world's most significant emissions reduction policy decisions this decade.
Climate Imperative operates from two office locations in San Francisco, CA and Washington, DC. Employees based in those areas work from the office one to three days per week. We support a hybrid work environment and bring the full team together in person one to two times per year for organization-wide collaboration.
What We Do
Climate Imperative Foundation's mission is to cut global greenhouse gas emissions at speed and scale — securing a better future for all. Climate Imperative is a 501(c)(3) public charity foundation that partners with experienced on-the-ground organizations to provide capital, technical support, and expertise to inform the most important climate policy decisions in major-emitting countries around the world, in this pivotal decade for the climate. We invest in science-based solutions, focusing on the policy decisions that will have the largest impacts on global greenhouse gas emissions alongside important health, environmental, and equitable economic benefits. Our grants support analysis, education, and action that is fact-based, guided by scientific analysis, and grounded in real-world conditions.
