Managing Policy Advisor, Tech (DAC)

WHO WE ARE

We know that our climate goals can only be met by rapidly reducing emissions and removing the carbon that already exists in our atmosphere. Carbon180 is a climate NGO with a vision to remove legacy carbon emissions from the atmosphere and create a livable climate in which current and future generations can thrive. Based in Washington, DC, we design and champion equitable, science-based policies that bring carbon removal solutions to gigaton scale.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Overview

Carbon180 is seeking a managing policy advisor to support our growing work on implementation of direct air capture (DAC) hubs and additional policies related to the deployment of DAC and other technology-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions. This position will help lead our work to identify and pursue opportunities to bolster Carbon180’s advocacy on DAC, shape federal policies that enable just, equitable, safe, and high-accountability implementation of DAC hubs, and expand federal interest in tech-based CDR to include solutions beyond DAC over time. The managing policy advisor should be passionate about the role the federal government can play in delivering climate solutions and the opportunity to build broad and durable coalitions in support of Carbon180’s goals. This individual will work alongside the director and deputy director of policy and other tech policy team members to develop strategy, vision, and goals for the team, analyze and recommend policy solutions, independently manage projects and/or lead public-facing initiatives, and support policy-related communications and events. The managing policy advisor will be part of a growing tech policy team and report to the director or deputy director of policy.

Major roles and responsibilities

• Serve as a leader and subject matter expert on direct air capture, the Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs program, and other policies to support the deployment of DAC and other tech-based CDR.
• Execute Carbon180’s policy implementation strategy related to DAC and DAC hubs.
• Manage key campaigns for Carbon180, including leading coalition-building and stakeholder outreach activities to build support for the tech policy team’s preferred policies.
• Lead outreach and relationship-building with local and regional organizations, including but not limited to local community groups, environmental justice organizations, labor unions, environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), academics, and industry.
• With the tech policy and environmental justice teams, identify opportunities for additional thought leadership and advocacy as it relates to policies that enable rapid and high-accountability deployment of DAC.
• Support outreach to policymakers in coordination with Carbon180’s government affairs team.
• Coordinate with our communications team to support relevant content creation, media engagement, social media planning, and other communications tasks. Help plan policy-related events including briefings for Hill staffers, gatherings with media personnel like reporters, ENGO workshops, and more.
• Make recommendations to the director and deputy director of policy with the potential to significantly impact the organization and the field.
• Serve as a key thought partner to the director and deputy director of policy and a mentor to more junior tech policy team members.

YOU WILL NEED: 

• 4+ years of experience working on climate and/or clean energy policy.
• The ability to work independently with limited oversight, manage large-scale projects, programs, and processes, and effectively complete tasks in alignment with both short- and long-term goals.
• Comfort analyzing and applying data to policy development and advocacy.
• Eagerness to think creatively and propose innovative ways to implement your ideas.
• Connections to key partners, allies, and decision makers and/or enthusiasm to actively build this network.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice (DEIBJ).

Our ideal managing policy advisor believes deeply in our mission. Beyond that:

• You don’t opt out of DEIBJ conversations, even when they are uncomfortable. You are committed to working at an organization that centers DEIBJ and willing to learn and grow your literacy in this space.
• You’re a driver of results. You've demonstrated the ability to set ambitious goals and achieve them, and you combine your exceptional strategic, analytical, and critical thinking skills with your penchant to make data-informed decisions for impressive outcomes.
• Partnerships are your thing. You have experience building relationships across a diverse set of stakeholders. You’ve developed high-impact strategic programs, then pitched and implemented each to achieve a specific, impactful objective. You make a great salesperson, but you’d rather sell democracy.
• You effectively collaborate to get things done. A relationship-builder at heart, you work with people to get things done in a mutually beneficial, non-transactional way. You are both warm and motivated. You do the things you say you will do, hold others to account, and support others pursuit of shared goals.
• You excel on a small, nimble team and are happy wearing lots of hats. Working on a small, fast-paced, and quickly growing team not only feels familiar to you but you love it. You are flexible, comfortable with ambiguity, know how to roll with the punches, bounce right back after a setback, and get energy from building the plane as you fly it.
• Creative problem solving fires you up. When faced with a mountain, you know there are plenty of ways to climb it. You’re not dissuaded by challenges, but energized, and can build structure out of chaos.

WHAT WE OFFER

Carbon180 is deeply committed to providing market-leading compensation and robust benefits to our employees. Our salaries are in the 70th percentile of the Washington, DC market. We employ an external firm to conduct market analyses every three years, and we are committed to safeguarding internal salary equity. For those reasons, we have a non-negotiation policy on salaries.

The starting salary for this position will be $116,000 with opportunities for growth up to $157,400.

Carbon180 prides itself on offering benefits and perks to our employees that illustrate how we live our values, including:

• 36-hour workweeks (we close at 1 pm every Friday) and dedicated no-meeting time each week.
• A remote-first flexible work culture.
• Four weeks of PTO, three weeks of paid org-wide breaks including one week in the summer and two weeks in the winter, four weeks of sick leave, and five floating holidays/personal days.
• 100% company-covered insurance premiums for medical/dental/vision/long-term disability for you and your dependents.
• Quarterly health and wellness, book, and learning and development stipends.

TO APPLY

To apply for the role of managing policy advisor, please submit an application here no later than Tuesday, May 30, 2023.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they are received, so we encourage you to submit your application early. If you have any questions or issues submitting your application, please email us at hiring@carbon180.org and we are happy to assist.

On the application, you’ll be asked to:

• answer some basic questions about your background and experiences,
• in place of a cover letter, answer a few written reflection questions to help us learn more about your interest in joining our team and in this role specifically, and
• upload your resume for review.

Interview process and timeline

• Applications are being accepted and reviewed through May 30, 2023.
• There will be three rounds of interviews in June and July.
• We anticipate extending an offer in August.

If you have any questions or issues submitting your application, please email us at hiring@carbon180.org.

We currently require that all employees that plan to enter a Carbon180 office or otherwise meet in person with coworkers or other third parties on Carbon180 business are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Accordingly, this role may require full COVID-19 vaccination (subject to any exemptions or accommodations due to medical or religious reasons).

OUR VALUES

At C180, we believe in living by an internal set of core values, which we strive to embody and celebrate in moments big and small.

• One boat. We work hard to ensure that we are rowing in one direction as a team, aligning our work and resources to shared goals.
• Pencil to pen. We think critically, do our research, and weigh multiple options. Then, we commit to move to action.
• Win and lose together. When one of us succeeds, we all win. When we encounter challenges, we determine how best to redirect the energy and resources of the team to solve them.
• Person in the professional. Our team is composed of real people with real passions, interests, and needs, within and outside of our work. To be our best and most productive selves at work, we believe we need to care for ourselves and others.
• Make space, share space. We believe in making space for all voices to be heard, within our team and our broader work — particularly and especially voices historically disenfranchised and disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change.
• Be a window, not a door. We’re committed to transparency, and to shining light on how and why decisions are made. We are honest with one another, ask for clarity, and operate with integrity to build a culture of trust.
• Grow the braintrust. We are committed to constantly learning, and to staying up to speed on the science of our field. We work to grow our knowledge, sharpen our skills, and to bring great minds to the field of carbon removal.

Carbon180 is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Carbon180 continually seeks to enrich its staff and team culture. In particular, we’re dedicated to broadening opportunities for individuals from demographic groups that are historically underrepresented in the sciences and in environmental advocacy. We’re also committed to building an inclusive workplace culture where talented people of widely different backgrounds can thrive. We've adopted this commitment because we believe the inclusion of culturally diverse perspectives will improve our work and produce better societal and environmental outcomes for all, including historically disenfranchised communities.