Summary
The Policy Director at Climate and Community Institute is responsible for leading the development and
execution of a centralized strategy across the organization to advance state and federal policies that
link climate and economic justice. They will serve on CCI’s leadership team and work collaboratively
across the organization with staff and our network of Fellows to ensure CCI’s research influences
ongoing policy debates by identifying and supporting winning policy campaigns, collaborating to ensure
CCI's research shapes policy debates and advances strategic aims, and serving as a key spokesperson
for CCI’s work.
Internally, the Policy Director will serve as an opportunity spotter, strategist, and
implementer as we continue to grow our network and impact; externally, they will hold key policymaker
relationships and influence the broader narrative around climate and the economy.
The ideal candidate will be a seasoned policy leader with expertise in climate and economic policy, strong communication
skills, and the ability to navigate complex political and legislative environments with a collaborative
approach.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Serve as CCI’s lead political strategist – Lead the refinement and oversee implementation of CCI’s political strategy to achieve CCI’s organizational goals, bridging state and local work with federal aims;
- Identify and support high-impact policy initiatives that influence the national policy landscape;
- Assess, engage, and intervene in high-level debates in green political economy as they relate to federal politics and policy discussions;
- Serve as a key spokesperson for CCI in the media and in high-profile panels, briefings, and other public facing events;
- Serve as a key opportunity spotter for CCI’s research, policy and narrative goals by monitoring the federal legislative landscape;
- Oversee c3 lobbying and the development of CCI’s c4 strategy
Cultivate key partnerships across the federal policy landscape and targeted states and localities
- Hold relationships with key actors at the national level – including policy makers and their staff; think tanks; and movement leaders – to ensure CCI policy and research work is in alignment with partners;
- Identify and hold relationships with a handful of subnational progressive policymakers, staff, and cross-issue area movement partners who have large political influence / bully pulpits to advance a working class climate agenda.
Lead CCI’s policy department and facilitate cross-team coordination
- Build and supervise Policy Department staff, fellows, and contractors; ensure that their work aligns with capacity and strategy;
- Support and co-lead organizational efforts to build out strategic and rigorous green economic research capacities;
- Create briefs and other written outputs to support policy advancement and analysis in line with CCI strategy;
- Work collaboratively with the Communications and Research Departments to identify high-salience research needs for national policymakers, media, and stakeholders, and to help translate CCI’s research to these audiences;
- Build a bench of academic and expert fellows with policy and political expertise.
Support organizational development as an active member of the leadership team
- Serve as an active member of CCI’s leadership team;
- Provide strategic and operational leadership across the CCI structure;
- Cultivate relationships with funders and support organizational development efforts alongside the Executive Director and Development and Operations Director;
Other duties, as assigned.
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