Associate Director, Sustainable Finance

About the Organization

ClimateWorks Foundation is a global organization committed to our mission: to end the climate crisis by amplifying the power of philanthropy. Since our founding in 2008, we have awarded over $1 billion in grants to more than 500 organizations advancing climate solutions around the world. We helped grow the field of climate philanthropy to where it stands today, establishing infrastructure, global networks, and momentum for continued growth. Through our Global Programs and Services we equip philanthropy with global knowledge, networks, and solutions to drive climate progress.

• Scaling solutions: Our collaborative Global Programs - focused on solution areas including sustainable finance, carbon dioxide removal, cooling, industry, transportation, and more - produce results that are bending the greenhouse gas emissions curve. From the U.S. to Europe, China, Brazil, and beyond, we collaborate with a diverse community of funders, NGOs, and climate leaders to accelerate just and equitable climate solutions.
• Guiding and supporting funders: Our Global Services provide funders with comprehensive resources to assess, build, evolve, and execute high-impact climate-giving strategies. Our Global Intelligence service equips funders and the climate community with climate insights to pinpoint opportunities for impact and philanthropic insights to help identify investment priorities. We facilitate Global Collaborations that enable funders to increase individual and collective impact. Our Global Grantmaking services enable funders to invest in climate solutions around the world.
• Fostering collaboration, exploration, and growth: Our collaborative approach and commitment to learning ensures that we continuously explore innovative ideas and emerging opportunities - all with the aim of scaling philanthropy-supported initiatives to help end the climate crisis.

As experts in climate science, public policy, economic and social analysis, and strategic philanthropy, ClimateWorks' staff understands the multi-faceted challenges and opportunities of climate change. We are researchers, strategists, collaborators, and grantmakers who care passionately about our mission. For more information, please visit www.climateworks.org.

Sustainable Finance Program

The financial sector, and the institutions that govern it, have a critical role to play in the transition to a low carbon economy, as both the source and driver of financial flows. The ClimateWorks Sustainable Finance Program pursues multi-grant transnational strategies with the goal of mobilizing and shifting finance to accelerate climate action. This strategy will aim to leverage significant resources to drive ambition and increase and align momentum across key regulatory, legislative, and investment agendas that can play a role in the direction of both private and public financial flows. The Program executes on these strategies through its own grantmaking and by convening and advising funders to foster collaboration and alignment.

Job Summary

The ClimateWorks Foundation Associate Director, Sustainable Finance is responsible for the development and implementation of the goals and strategies of the Sustainable Finance Program. This position reports to the Senior Director, Sustainable Finance and will serve on a team that includes four staff (currently no direct reports), and as part of a wider team who provide support across ClimateWorks and advisors.

The Associate Director provides high-level project management and support to the ClimateWorks Sustainable Finance program by providing input on and leading strategies, facilitating and managing exchange between internal and external groups, contributing to development and fund-raising efforts for the program, and helping build internal network capacities to deliver on the program's goals.

This will involve leading and supporting activities across the sustainable finance grant portfolio, along with the team's convening and advisory work, with a particular focus on the government's role in shifting and mobilizing finance.

As this is a cross-functional and cross-regional role that interfaces directly with funders, program staff, grantees, and CW staff leadership, the Associate Director must have the communication skills and personal capabilities to operate in a collaborative, consensus-driven environment.

Essential Tasks

Includes the following and other duties as assigned:

• Support strategy development and implementation, and recommend and shape activities of the program.
• Monitor projects and support the oversight of wider team members to ensure the quality, timeliness, and strategic alignment of work to wider foundation priorities and objectives.
• Facilitate sharing of knowledge on Sustainable Finance program strategy and grant making, including through the commissioning, development and sharing of knowledge products.
• Meet with and exchange ideas and information with experts in the field including funders, partners and grantees, proactively maintaining these external networks to ensure the work is shaped by the most up-to-date insights and research.
• Provide advice, specialist guidance, and mentoring support to colleagues (within and beyond the team) to deepen their skills, capabilities and understanding of sustainable finance.
• Provide guidance and support to external partners and consultants on program specifics, and manage programmatic contractors as needed.
• Make presentations to internal and external audiences.
• Evaluate the program's strengths, weaknesses and impact; proactively and/or collaboratively taking corrective measures, including based on guidance from the ClimateWorks Monitoring and Evaluation team.
• Deputize for the Senior Director where necessary.

Required Qualifications

The successful candidate should have at least ten years of relevant professional experience and excellent networks in sustainable finance, with specific experience in investment, public finance, budget management and/or fiscal policy. They should also be a strategic thinker who can consider the wider role of the financial system in climate action and have some knowledge and understanding of non-profit and advocacy eco-systems.

Specific requirements include:

• At least 10 years' relevant professional experience and excellent networks in sustainable finance, with specific experience in investment, public finance, budget management and/or fiscal policy.
• Experience and strong interest in climate action and its intersection with the financial sector.
• Some experience with political or advocacy strategy, for example with campaigns (NGO or electoral), legislatures, government agencies, and/or cross-institutional collaboration.
• Ability to analyze, think critically and understand emerging issues and opportunities.
• Strong program and project management skills, including an ability and desire to effectively manage time, projects, budgets and teams.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly, prioritize, and multi-task.
• Excellent relationship management skills, including a natural ability to be articulate and polished in interactions with high-level groups.
• Excellent speaking, listening, and writing skills.
• Experience and comfort working in a highly collaborative and deadline-driven professional environment.
• A commitment to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment.
• Excellent personal and interpersonal skills and a great team player.
• Willingness to travel.
• Ability to take early or late calls to accommodate partners in different time zones as needed.
• Commitment to ClimateWorks' mission and values.

Compensation

ClimateWorks offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience (geographic differential applied based on location).

Salary Range: $120,000 - $130,000 annually ***ClimateWorks strives to create an equitable culture of transparency and fairness.

Location

ClimateWorks Foundation is based in the San Francisco Financial District. This position is classified as Location Flexible. London, New York, SF Bay Area or other locations relevant to global finance preferred.

Commitment to Racial and Social Justice

At ClimateWorks Foundation, we are driven by our vision of creating a thriving planet for all living beings for generations to come. We aim to foster an inclusive workplace that values diverse lived experiences and emphasizes the voices of marginalized people - especially Black, Indigenous, and People of Color - who are most vulnerable to climate impacts, and whose voices, ideas, and leadership are crucial to winning the climate fight.

To ensure that we are making meaningful progress, we have made a set of diversity, equity, and inclusion commitments across all dimensions of our work to further our mission and realize our vision. For more information, please visit: Fostering Racial and Social Justice in Pursuit of our Mission

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at ClimateWorks Foundation and as such we are committed to creating a diverse and multi-cultural work environment. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, and bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race (including traits historically associated with race), ethnicity, religion, color, sex (including childbirth, breast feeding, and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, uniform service member and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, age, protected medical condition, genetic information, disability, or any other protected status in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

This policy extends to all aspects of our employment practices including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, discipline, termination, promotions, transfers, compensation, benefits, training, leaves of absence, and other terms and conditions of employment.

ClimateWorks Foundation is committed to complying with all laws protecting qualified individuals with disabilities, as well as employees' religious beliefs and practices. This policy extends to all aspects of our employment practices including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, discipline, termination, promotions, transfers, compensation, benefits, training, leaves of absence, and other terms and conditions of employment. ClimateWorks Foundation will provide a reasonable accommodation for any known physical or mental disability of a qualified individual and/or employees' religious beliefs and practices, as required by law.

If you require an accommodation, please notify Human Resources. Once ClimateWorks Foundation is aware of the need for an accommodation, it will engage in an interactive process to identify possible accommodations.

Application Process

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. To be considered for this position, interested candidates must submit a resume and cover letter. This position will remain open until filled.

Employment at the ClimateWorks Foundation is at-will.