NRDC Action Fund Political and Advocacy Director

Overview

The NRDC Action Fund is an affiliated but separate organization from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The NRDC Action Fund’s mission is to build political support in the United States for protecting the planet and its people. We mobilize influential constituencies, experts, community leaders and others to directly advocate for clean air and water, public health, biodiversity, and a stable climate. We support candidates who stand up for environmental protection, and we expose those who side with polluters rather than the public good. The NRDC Action Fund is a primary purpose c4 with a majority of its work being advocacy, not electoral. The NRDC Action Fund has both a PAC and a super PAC, NRDC Action Votes.

NRDC Action Fund is seeking a Political and Advocacy Director to work with our team in our Washington, D.C. office.

Position Summary

The NRDC Action Fund Political and Advocacy Director is responsible for ensuring that the Action Fund’s advocacy and electoral work aligns with the institution’s policy goals and is as impactful as possible. The Action Fund Political and Advocacy Director will work closely with NRDC’s Center for Policy Advocacy’s campaigns team and others involved in designing and implementing c3 advocacy campaigns that include c4 funds, as well as separately developing and implementing the political and electoral strategy for the Action Fund. As a primary purpose c4, the majority of the Action Fund’s budget is spent on issue advocacy and accountability campaigns.  While the Action Fund’s electoral work is currently focused on federal elections, it began expanding to state level work in the 2022 cycle. 

Responsibilities

Electoral Strategy

• Lead the creation of the Action Fund’s electoral strategies and plans and ensure their implementation. This strategy will include both coordinated (endorsements, candidate fundraising, PAC) and independent expenditures.
• Manage and implement the coordinated set of activities, e.g. endorsements, GOTV, member outreach and communications.
• Work with the Action Fund’s Candidate Services and PAC Director to ensure alignment between the electoral plan and its endorsements with GiveGreen and the Action Fund’s PAC giving.
• Represent the Action Fund in the development and implementation of GiveGreen’s political strategy and plans, e.g. endorsement decisions, listing on GiveGreen, prioritization of races, etc.
• Work with the NRDC Action Votes Director to ensure that the independent expenditure strategy is aligned with the Action Fund’s overall political strategy.
• Work with Action Fund’s Communications Director to ensure the successful development and implementation of an electoral communications plan. This will also require close coordination with NRDC’s Communications and Digital, Advocacy and Fundraising (DAF) teams to ensure they have the appropriate/necessary messaging and targeting information.
• Work with the Executive Director and Development Director to fundraise for the electoral plan.
• Present the electoral strategy and plan and regular updates to key stakeholders, including the Action Fund Board of Directors, donors, NRDC Action Fund senior staff, and others as appropriate. This will entail developing the presentations as well as the strategies and plans.
• Represent the Action Fund in coalition and partner meetings.
• Prepare and help present a summary of the Action Fund’s electoral plan and accomplishments after the election.

Advocacy

• Ensure that the Action Fund’s strategic goals are incorporated into the priority c3/c4 issue advocacy campaigns.
• Work closely with the Campaigns and Government Affairs teams in the design and implementation of the priority c3/c4 issue advocacy campaigns.

Strategic Direction

• Work closely with the Executive Director, other senior leaders and key stakeholders to develop the Action Fund’s advocacy and political power building strategy and tactics and ensure that the Action Fund supported activities align with the strategy 
• As a member of the Action Fund’s senior team, play a leadership role in developing and implementing the Action Fund’s next 5-year plan. The current plan is for 2017-22.
• Support the Executive Director and Development Director in the development, writing and presentation of fundraising proposals to donors.
• Provide strategic leadership in the development and management of the NRDC Action Fund’s relationships with the climate community’s c4 community and other key political allies and partners.
• Build out an actionable roster of instate partner organizations who can advance the Action Fund’s advocacy and electoral work. 

Qualifications

Required

• 15+ years of relevant experience in the development and execution of electoral and issue campaigns.
• Familiarity with a range of online and offline campaigning strategies and tactics, including direct advocacy, grass tops outreach, digital organizing, field, and earned and paid media outreach strategies.
• Superb project management and oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to facilitate team discussions and build consensus.
• Ability to juggle multiple, complex projects simultaneously and effectively.
• Familiarity with legislative lobbying and advocacy concepts and practices.
• Environmental policy issue knowledge preferred.
• Results oriented.
• Team player who displays grace under pressure.
• Commitment to NRDC’s values and mission.

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. For this position, the salary is $144,000 to $180,000. Internal equity considerations will be reviewed before making a final offer.

Our offices are open and we are operating in a hybrid model. We offer NRDCers flexibility, we ask them to come into the office and spend meaningful time there in collaboration with their colleagues.  We call this purposeful presence.

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws.

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.