Senior Associate, Operations, U.S. Climate Alliance

The salary range for this position is $74,000 - $84,000.

Position Overview

The U.S. Climate Alliance is a bipartisan coalition of governors securing America’s net-zero future by advancing state-led, high-impact climate action. The Alliance Secretariat helps its members accelerate climate action by providing a broad range of technical, analytical, policy, and capacity assistance and resources. The coalition has also built strong relationships with the federal government to help create and implement an ambitious, durable national climate framework. For more information on the Alliance, please visit www.usclimatealliance.org. 

The U.S. Climate Alliance seeks a highly motivated Senior Operations Associate to support the efficient and effective management of core organizational functions that are critical to achieving the Alliance’s mission. Specifically, the Senior Operations Associate will manage planning and execution of Alliance events, including in-person semiannual meetings with governors’ offices, policy learning labs, events at Climate Week NYC and the UN Climate Change Conference (COP), and hosted receptions; oversee logistics for Secretariat meetings and events; track action items and partner with staff to ensure timely follow-up; organize team-building activities; direct the Alliance’s growing internship program; and work with the Chief of Staff to implement other key special projects, such as annual strategic planning. This position is ideal for a creative and detail-oriented professional with a passion for operations management and working collaboratively with others. The position reports to the Chief of Staff and is part of the Energy and Climate team at the United Nations Foundation, which houses the U.S. Climate Alliance Secretariat.

This position is based in Washington, DC (hybrid schedule) with consideration for remote work in the contiguous United States.

Essential Functions

Lead planning and execution of major Alliance events

• Serve as operations lead on all meetings and events hosted by the Alliance to ensure their success and maximize impact. Events may include semiannual meetings of governors’ offices, national and regional learning labs, press conferences, hosted receptions, staff retreats, federal-state convenings, funder roundtables, and state capital visits.
• Develop event budgets, track spending, and ensure expenses come in within budget and invoices are paid.
• Oversee distribution of invitations and manage collection of RSVPs in close collaboration with policy, development, and communications leads, providing regular updates on registered attendees.
  • Develop event runs-of-show, ensuring day-of responsibilities are appropriately identified and covered.
  • Track the development of event materials (e.g., talking points, presentations, signage) and work closely with content leads to ensure all materials are completed on time.
• Serve as a point of contact for day-of event execution, managing event set-up and registration.
  • Manage relationships with preferred event vendors, including caterers, hotels, and venues. Review and negotiate event-related contracts and grants.
  • Liaise directly with governors’ offices and state staff regarding travel support and logistics.
• Organize event debriefs and help capture feedback to improve and strengthen future engagements.
• Track needed follow-up actions in the Alliance’s project management system and work with the Chief of Staff to assign tasks, as needed.

Direct the Alliance’s growing internship program

• Develop and implement a year-round hiring and recruitment plan for interns, covering spring, summer, and fall cycles.
• Work across departments to identify opportunities for interns to join our team and contribute to our mission while developing their own skills and professional experiences.
• Screen intern applications and recommend candidates to interview.
• Facilitate intern onboarding and offboarding processes.
• Organize professional development and learning opportunities for interns to maximize their experiences while working with the Alliance.
• Build out an alumni engagement strategy for former Alliance interns to stay involved with our team and our work.

Organize Secretariat engagements that promote team building and professional growth

• Oversee logistics for all internal meetings and events of the Secretariat, including annual staff retreats.
• Lead planning of monthly brown bags for Secretariat staff that highlight Alliance policy priority areas, departmental updates, and other topics focused on professional growth.
• Plan regular staff gatherings that promote team building and support morale, such as team games,