Washington University In St. Louis
Position Summary
Position will lead and manage day to day activities related to the core mission of the department/institute/center and maintain ongoing communication and coordination with University and external partners. The successful candidate will identify new opportunities, relationships and resources to expand and amplify the University’s innovation and impact.
Job Description
Washington University in St. Louis is hiring a Director for the new Midwest Climate Collaborative (MCC). The MCC’s mission is to develop a Midwestern response to the climate crisis by accelerating climate solutions, shaping public understanding, and developing climate leaders through a partnership with key organizations across the Midwest. Under the leadership of the Directors of International Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (InCEES) and the Climate Change Program, the director will lead and manage day-to-day activities related to the core mission of the MCC and maintain ongoing communication and coordination with University and external partners. The successful candidate will support and partner with the Directors to engage external leadership (planning committee, steering committee) in strategy development – identifying new opportunities, relationships, and resources to expand and amplify the MCC’s impact. The Director of the new Midwest Climate Collaborative will be responsible for leading the vision and strategic development of the network. This position will foster and build relationships with partners internal and external to Washington University and internal and external to the network and its members to assure robust and impactful climate engagement and action throughout the Midwest. The Director will facilitate the emergence of the network and membership structures, while identifying needs and best practices to support current and developing strategies, projects and partnerships. The Director will be responsible for the administrative infrastructure of the network, overseeing budgets, communications, and staffing.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
Organizational Management and Infrastructure
- Creates and manages administrative infrastructure to support the MCC.
- Establishes and manages alignment of the MCC’s projects, activities, operating systems, and financial model with its mission and strategic vision. This will require proactive engagement and collaboration with the Directors, MCC leadership, stakeholders, and project leads and staff.
- Manage MCC funding, including allocating funds and overseeing budgets.
- Develop a “smart growth” staffing and capacity-building strategy that identifies incremental steps to scaling up MCC efforts aligned with its mission, vision, and strategic priorities while maintaining a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
- Supervise MCC internal communication, coordination, and integration of efforts across projects.
Facilitate a high degree of communication among internal and external stakeholders and collaborators to establish and ensure faithful execution of contracts, agreements, and planned activities as well as identify and resolve problems. - Serve as the primary contact on operational matters for investigators, university departments, external partners and funders.
- Develop and implement organizational policies and procedures that facilitate development, growth, and efficacy of MCC staff, members and stakeholders.
- Lead the planning and implementation of a public-facing communications and public relations strategy including events, website, newsletters, and social media to introduce MCC and disseminate products to research, policy, and practice influencers (e.g., policy makers, academics, think tanks, associations, advocacy groups).
- Oversee development of messaging and communication tactics that differentiate MCC from similar networks.
Strategic Development and Fundraising
The Director will lead the development of the Midwest Climate Collaborative. The Director will be responsible for helping to establish the identity and affirm the mission and vision of the MCC during the initial years of its inception under the leadership of the Directors of InCEES and the Climate Change Program, with active engagement from internal and external stakeholders. They will also be critical in helping to identify, pursue and secure external support to fund MCC operations and activities.
- Facilitates MCC’s strategic thinking and development efforts by engaging internal and external stakeholders through listening and learning conversations and feedback loops to help articulate priorities, initiatives, and tactics aligned with MCC’s vision and goals.
- Defines a strategic path that articulates MCC’s unique value in the Midwest with respect to cross-sector and interdisciplinary training, research, dissemination, and the translation of innovative policies and practices that accelerate climate solutions, shape public understanding, and develop climate leaders.
- Develops concrete goals and indicators for MCC to measure, track, and report on the Collaborative’s progress and successes in its starting years with an eye on establishing a more formal system of evaluation for the Collaborative’s work.
- Oversees the communication, member relations, and meetings concerning the oversight and strategic development of MCC.
- Works with MCC teams and Washington University Corporate and Foundation Relations to initiate and build relationships with funders and help guide the proposal development and submission process.
Network Development and Stakeholder Relationships
The Director will build and maintain strong relationships and partnerships between network partners, collaborators, customers and other internal/external stakeholders.
- Initiates and negotiates partnerships with internal (e.g., Washington University faculty and academic units) and external (e.g., think tanks, national nonprofits, associations, corporations, government agencies, other universities) stakeholders that advance MCC mission, vision, and strategic objectives.
- In conjunction with the Directors of InCEES,the Climate Change Program and the MCC leadership, assist in the development of a student engagement strategy.
- Other duties as assigned.
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong ability to collaborate and communicate across a broad range of disciplines.
- Demonstrated experience with the development and management of programs/networks and procedures
- Advanced communication skills and demonstrated experience with facilitation, public speaking and/or written communications.
- Strong experience in planning and facilitating a variety of public events and private meetings.
- Ability to build and maintain an organizational culture that promotes excellence in research and scholarship, values diversity, inclusion, and equity, and enables team members at all levels to achieve their professional and personal goals.
- Specifically, candidates will be considered who have:
- Strong grant proposal development and funder relationship experience.
- Successfully engaged in strategic plan creation and implementation.
- Prior research experience in a field related to climate and/or environmental policy.
- Master’s degree or higher in an environmental or other relevant field.
- Experience in designing programs or services in areas related to climate action and network building.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate environment or climate-related issues to diverse audiences.
- Ability to envision organizational systems that allow a start-up organization to establish, manage, and analyze relationships with a variety of audiences and identify strategic communication opportunities, including understanding related technologies.
- Demonstrated effectiveness in communicating with researchers, municipal leaders, policy makers and influencers.
- Experience scoping, establishing, and managing partnerships with the private, nonprofit, and public sector organizations.
Required Qualifications
Master’s degree in relevant field and three years’ related experience or equivalent education and experience to equal eight years.
