Policy and Programs Manager, Chief Program Office

Position description

NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet’s wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America’s bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington, D.C.

Position Summary

The Policy and Programs Manager supports and works closely with the Chief Program Officer (CPO) to manage and advance the strategy and execution of NRDC’s programmatic work, in coordination with the leaders of NRDC’s Programs: Climate & Clean Energy, International (including NRDC’s offices in China and India), Nature, Environmental Health, and Green Finance and Economic Development. This also means strategizing the day -to-day operations and supporting project management for the teams responsible for delivering the organization’s overall mission. The position is part of the Programs team and assists the CPO in driving the Programs’ operational strategy. This position assists with reporting and tracking of a budget of $100 million and helps to lead administrative efforts, including acting as a liaison with NRDC’s Finance, Workplace Strategy, IT and HR Department, for a staff of over 300. The Policy and Programs Manager will serve as a proxy for the CPO in various internal settings, leading team meetings and representing Programs with Finance, HR, and other internal counterparts. The Policy and Programs Manager will collaborate with the CPO on strategic leadership within NRDC’s Programs, undertaking discrete strategic projects and serving as a delegatee for the CPO on specific matters relating to the strategy and execution of NRDC’s programmatic advocacy.

The Policy and Programs Manager will bring a high level of organization and initiative to supporting the CPO as well as their interactions with program staff and the greater NRDC staff, including but not limited to the NRDC Executive, HR, Finance, Workplace Strategy, and Management Forum.

This is a limited term 2 year position, with the potential for extension.

The position you are applying for is part of the bargaining unit represented by The Washington Baltimore News Guild (WBNG / The Newsguild-CWA Local 32035 ).

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions:

• Support the team’s strategic planning and results management efforts (~40%):
• Collaborate and build relationships across institutional verticals to inform strategic priorities in alignment with NRDC’s strategic plan, mission and goals.
• Engage in institutional strategy development and implementation, executing on consistent and cohesive planning and organizational performance management processes.
• Facilitate the process of sector and geographic strategy development and execution within the team, including supporting the performance monitoring of activities to assess impact against goals.
• Support adaptation and continuous learning through feedback and update cycles for strategies and workplans.
• Provide regular reporting and line of sight to senior leadership and the Executive Team on progress against priorities, changes to the activity portfolio, and emerging risks and opportunities.
• Drive project management for Programs in alignment with institutional priorities.
• Develop proposals for institutional initiatives, including SWOT analysis, project management, RAPID decision making and prioritization, and ensuring projects meet milestones and deliver on the President & CEO and Executive Director/s vision.
• Align team functions in accordance with key organizational goals that support the current and future scale of NRDC, including optimizing workflows for efficiency; designing processes and systems that scale effectively; mitigating organizational risk; and adapting to the changing needs of the organization.
• Partner with NRDC leadership to develop, define and monitor key metrics and evaluation methods.
• Undertake discrete, substantive projects, under the direction of the Chief Program Officer, to advance the strategy and execution of NRDC’s programmatic advocacy.
• Create and manage methods of internal communication for Programs to improve overall functioning of Programs team.

• Oversee the team’s operational processes, informing and executing reforms to processes and supporting the management and development of the program teams (~40%):
• Financial Management:
• Support most budgeting matters for Programs, including annual budgeting and quarterly reviews, off-cycle budget-related requests, high level allocation recommendations for major grants, and similar budget- and finance-related tasks.
• Conduct budget-related analysis, make recommendations, and implement changes to better prioritize and strategize resource use.
• Promote fiscal responsibility and compliance with policies and procedures as set forth by the Accounting & Finance team.

• People and Culture:
• Manage people strategy in collaboration with the SVP, including headcount budget, compensation, performance review and promotion processes in accordance with the framework set forth by Human Resources.
• Promote employee engagement, team and people development (including investing meaningfully in the development of junior staff), ODEI and culture-building opportunities.

• Workplace Strategy and IT liaison
• Oversee the communication, implementation, and compliance with new and existing workplace policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Partner with Workplace Strategy on employee engagement, sustainability, and culture-building opportunities.
• Coordinate with team on IT compliance and security requirements.

• Risk Management & Legal Operations:
• Serve as the point of contact to help coordinate contracting, federal/state/local lobbying, lawyer ethics, risk assessments, and other compliance processes .
• Support the coordination of the Regional Impact Councils to facilitate information exchange across all states where NRDC is engaged, working in coordination with the Strategist, Place Based Advocacy (~20%):
• Inform the development of state and regional strategies, ensuring they ladder up or align with our federal strategy.
• Liaise with state advocates to strengthen relationships, maintain a pulse on political and policy developments and keep the CPO informed of developments.
• Provide regular reporting and line of sight to the CPO and make recommendations to the CPO on team dynamics and advocacy opportunities.
• Develop meeting agendas, capture key take-aways, and follow-up on action items.
• Support and implement reforms to the Regional Impact Councils.
  

The above list of duties is not comprehensive but generally demonstrates the types of matters under this position’s responsibility. Other duties may be assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience, required .
• 4+ years of related experience.
• Minimum two years professional experience coordinating support staff or others
  
  

Skills, Abilities, Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong planning and project management skills.
• Budget management skills.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to and competency in racial equity, diversity, and inclusion principles, including contributing to an inclusive working environment and advancing DEI.
• Ability to build relationships, effectively collaborate and engender trust from peers and colleagues.
• Ability to handle complex and sensitive discussions and processes with diplomacy.
• Aptitude for developing talent and supporting a positive and diverse team culture.
• Team player who can handle multiple conflicting priorities and ambiguity.
• A motivated self-starter.
• Ability to travel to NRDC U.S. based offices, up to 20% annually. Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles
  
  

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet’s most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits , and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer . For this position, the salary range is $113,000 to $121,000 .

NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employees are required to come to the office 8 days per month.

Application instructions

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