Director, Southeast Region

Overview

NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington, D.C. 

 

POSITION SUMMARY  

NRDC’s Environmental Health Department is seeking to hire a Southeast Regional Director to advance our regional environmental health goals in the Adaptation and Air & Water sectors, with occasional work to advance additional Environmental Health goals in the Southeast region. The Regional Director will work remotely and based in the Southeastern United States, with a preference for Atlanta, Georgia. 

 

The advocate will be an empowering and collaborative individual who champions equity and justice. The successful candidate will have existing relationships with community, environmental justice, environmental groups, in addition to state and local elected officials and staff and state agencies. The candidate should also be adept at telling compelling stories to diverse audiences. The candidate must demonstrate a genuine alignment with the mission and values of NRDC and seek to apply their passion and skills to tackle the most important challenges humanity has ever faced.    

 

The position is remote, with an expectation to be based in Atlanta, Georgia and to travel occasionally to other parts of the Southeastern United States to advance NRDC’s policy goals and for team meetings, etc., as needed.  

 

This is a limited term 2 year position.

 

The position you are applying for is part of the bargaining unit represented by The Washington Baltimore News Guild (WBNG / The Newsguild-CWA Local 32035).   

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions:   

• Support the development of a broad portfolio of policies that seek to protect communities in the face of climate change, environmental degradation, and inequality. Specific priorities include: risk reduction initiatives that protect homes from climate impacts, homeowner insurance reform, and drinking water contamination (due to PFAS, lead, or other harmful contaminants). [50%] 
• Work to advance other community-driven, cross-cutting initiatives that advance the Environmental Health Department’s wider portfolio, including but not limited work on air quality, clean water, toxics, fossil fuels, and community impacts. [20%] 
• Build and manage partnerships and collaborate with community groups most impacted by climate and environmental injustices (including Black, indigenous, and people of color, and low-income and rural communities).  [10%] 
• Develop and nurture durable partnerships with state coalitions and a wide network of allies, including the environmental community, frontline and environmental justice groups, consumer and low-income advocates, labor, the faith community, state and local decision makers and elected officials.  [10%] 
• Manage one state advocate based in North Carolina with a similar workplan. [10%] 
• Contribute to research, analysis, and design of state and local drinking water and climate adaptation policies. 
• Provide written and oral advocacy at many levels of government, including but not limited to municipal agencies, municipal legislatures, utility boards, state agencies, the state legislature, and governor’s office. 
• Represent NRDC at conferences and serve as a spokesperson in the press for NRDC’s environmental health mission in the Southeastern United States. 
• Collaborate with a multi-faceted internal team of campaign, communications, public engagement, and policy experts to advance a diverse portfolio of policy initiatives. 
• In partnership with the Place-Based, Water, and Adaptation team members, set strategic goals and priorities, and timelines. 
• Be a central part of a strong and collegial team that is focused on collaboration, approaches advocacy with innovation and optimism, and is committed to leveraging the full range of expertise within NRDC and among its partners to drive change. 

Qualifications

Minimum Education & Experience: