Program Director, Northeast Communications

ABOUT U.S. ENERGY FOUNDATION

U.S. Energy Foundation’s (EF) mission is to secure a clean and equitable energy future to tackle the climate crisis. We envision a healthy, safe, equitable economy powered by clean energy. We believe a thriving clean energy economy can create sustainable opportunities, spur innovation, and protect our climate—for today and future generations.

EF supports education and analysis to promote non-partisan policy solutions that advance renewable energy and energy efficiency while opening doors to greater innovation and productivity—growing the economy with dramatically less pollution. For more than 30 years, EF has supported grantees to help educate policymakers and the general public about the benefits of a clean energy economy. Our grantees include business, health, environmental, labor, equity, community, faith, and consumer groups, as well as policy experts, think tanks, universities, and more.

At EF, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are top organizational commitments. We are working daily to uproot racism and other forms of oppression and create equitable systems that support people to flourish. We aim to bring humility, transparency, respect, and an appreciation for others’ lived experiences to our interactions with colleagues, grantees, and partners.

EF’s Fundraising Philosophy

As EF’s primary clients/partners are our funders and grantees, EF commits to acting as a strategic and thought leader for our current and prospective funding partners and the field by:

1. Collaborating—and co-creating, where feasible and desired—on strategy development including the hosting and/or managing of funder collaboratives
2. Highlighting the opportunity for climate philanthropy to maximize benefits to disadvantaged communities and those most impacted by climate change
3. Offering excellent, responsive service by providing proactive, compelling and timely updates and information

EF is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, and our more than 100 staff members are based in locations throughout the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Western regions, where they can best serve our programs, partners, operations, and other functions.

POSITION SUMMARY

Strategic communications is necessary to drive public support for ambitious climate policy action and mobilize key constituencies that will hold policymakers accountable over time. The Program Director, Northeast Communications (Program Director), is an individual contributor who plays a key role in supporting EF’s regional strategies and grantees to advance that vision along with the Strategic Communications Program strategies. It has no supervisory responsibilities.

The Program Director will oversee a communications-focused grantee portfolio that spans both the EF Northeast Program and the Strategic Communications Program, contributing a communications perspective to EF’s state and regional strategies; share guidance to advance key narratives across states and regions; serve as connection point between state and national communications partners; and identify ways to build strong relationships and communications capacity among EF grantees through the power of convening, training, and resource-sharing. Internally, this person is a connector and is expected to be responsive to requests from across EF and excel at internal communications. This person will work with colleagues at EF to develop and guide strategy in the region, while interfacing with grantees, funders, and partners in these states to ensure they are supported for maximum impact.

The ideal candidate is a collaborator by nature, as this job requires developing and maintaining durable relationships with an assortment of partners within and outside our teams. Beyond interpersonal skills, the ideal candidate will have deep experience in political communications while also possessing strong writing, digital strategy, media relations, and project management skills. Understanding of data-driven communications tactics is a must, as is the ability to prioritize competing requests while adjusting to the rapidly changing media environments. Balancing all this will require both a commitment to excellent time management and a knack for flexibility. The Program Director must have a solid understanding of and commitment to the principles and foundation of DEI.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Collaborate with EF’s Northeast Regional team, state-based consultants, and with grantees on grantmaking strategy and activities to build power and capacity throughout the region. 
• Manage and coordinate multiple budgets from a cross-section of internal and external sources.
• Oversee a portfolio of grantees and all activities within the grantee lifecycle, including, but not limited to:
  • Manage and admin