The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is the nation's most effective environmental action 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 a safe and healthy environment for all living things. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our staff helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, and many of the implementing regulations; our water enforcement cases played a major role shaping current water policy throughout the country. Today, our staff of more than 500 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy and communications experts, and others, work out of offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Bozeman, Montana, and Beijing.
Position Summary
NRDC is seeking a Michigan Clean Energy Advocate to join the Midwest Region team of the Climate & Clean Energy Program. This policy-focused role requires a commitment to advancing a just, equitable, and sustainable clean energy future for Michigan. The ideal candidate will have a passion for equity-centered climate and clean energy advocacy, experience working collaboratively and in a team-based setting with a range of diverse partners, interest in developing and advocating for clean energy policies in the utility regulatory space and with elected officials and other decisionmakers, the ability to represent NRDC in the media and other public forums with credibility and enthusiasm, and a willingness to travel throughout the state and elsewhere.
The ideal candidate will be a resident of Michigan (with a preference for the Lansing area), or be willing to relocate to Michigan. For highly qualified candidates with a willingness to travel, the position has the potential to be located in NRDC’s Chicago office.
Responsibilities
Serve in a leadership role to develop, build support for, and advance a broad portfolio of equitable climate and clean energy policies, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and transportation and building electrification;
Build partnerships and collaborate with communities most impacted by environmental injustices (including Black, indigenous, and people of color, and low-income and rural communities);
Develop and nurture durable partnerships with state clean energy coalitions and a wide network of allies, including the environmental community, frontline and environmental justice groups, consumer and low-income advocates, labor, the faith community, clean energy businesses, state and local decision makers and elected officials;
Lead research, analysis, and design of state and local climate and clean energy policies, including utility regulatory policy;
Provide written and oral advocacy at the Michigan Public Service Commission, Michigan General Assembly, the Executive branch, Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE);
Serve as a key spokesperson in the press for NRDC’s climate and clean energy mission;
Collaborate with a multi-faceted internal team of campaign, communications, public engagement, and policy experts at NRDC to advance a diverse portfolio of policy initiatives;
Work with the Climate & Clean Energy Program’s Midwest Region Director and other members of the team, as appropriate, to set strategic goals and priorities, budgets and timelines, and effectively manage a state budget and deploy consultants and partners to meet project timelines and objectives;
Be a central part of a strong and collegial team that is focused on collaboration, approaches advocacy with innovation and optimism, and is committed to leveraging the full range of expertise within NRDC and among its partners to drive change.
Qualifications
At least 3-8 years of work experience related to environment, climate, energy policy, or a related field;
Either a graduate level degree in a related discipline(s), or demonstrated experience engaging in policy advocacy;
Experience navigating diverse stakeholders and coalitions, building consensus on policy issues and driving toward positive outcomes within a team, in a coalition, and with other external partners, in particular partners that reach beyond the traditional environmental community;
Strong oral and written advocacy skills;
Demonstrated ability to work both independently as well as collaboratively in a team setting;
Commitment to NRDC’s values and mission and passion for advocating for the public interest;
Flexibility to travel, within Michigan and the Midwest region, to NRDC’s regional offices, and to other U.S. locations as needed (approximately 30% of the time).
NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming a diversity of 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 commensurate with skills and experience.
If you are having technical difficulty while applying, or if you are a person with a disability and you need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care by dialing 1-800-889-4422.
For further information about NRDC, please visit www.nrdc.org.
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