Executive Director, Climate Impact Lab

Department

EPIC - Climate Impact Lab (CIL)

About the Department

The University of Chicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth (ICSG) is a groundbreaking initiative that brings together faculty from across the University to advance society’s understanding of our energy and climate future. ICSG integrates insights in energy markets and policy, climate systems engineering, and energy technology to generate transformative ideas, while also fostering the next generation of energy and climate leaders through innovative educational programs.

The Climate Impact Lab, a flagship initiative of the ICSG, convenes leading climate scientists, economists, data engineers, and risk analysts to quantify the impacts of climate change sector-by-sector and community-by-community across the globe. With a research scope covering more than 25,000 geographic regions—comparable in size to U.S. counties—the Lab’s team of over 25 experts produces rigorous, evidence-based estimates of how climate change affects mortality, agricultural productivity, labor, energy demand, coastal flooding, and more. The Lab is also deeply engaged in policy and media efforts to ensure its findings drive meaningful action around the world.

The Climate Impact Lab is currently seeking an Executive Director to lead this world-class team. This is a unique opportunity to guide a high-impact, interdisciplinary research enterprise at the forefront of climate science and policy.

Job Summary

The Executive Director, Climate Impact Lab will be responsible for determining, managing, and successfully executing the next stage of the Lab’s development at a critical moment of opportunity. Competitive candidates will have a proven record in research management and administration, partnership development, policy engagement, fundraising, outreach, and staff management. The person in this role manages a team of professional staff and external partners responsible for scientific research projects and outreach activities. Ensures compliance of research activities with institutional, state, and federal regulatory policies, procedures, directives, and mandates. Manages the production of articles, reports, and manuscripts, and presents research findings at meetings and/ or conferences in collaboration with Lab partners.

This is a senior level position that works closely with Professor Michael Greenstone and other Lab leadership to develop all aspects of the Lab’s strategic planning, including research support, programming, and outreach and communications. As a key public face of the Lab, the Executive Director, Climate Impact Lab is expected to play an active role in global discussions to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change, and the climate mitigation and adaptation policies that can confront the challenge.

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes strategic planning to grow the Lab’s brand and its influence on climate impacts research, policy, and adaptation, in line with Lab leadership’s goals and vision.
• Serves as the Lab expert on climate adaptation use cases and user base for Lab research, policy, and products. Leverages climate adaptation experience and existing network of adaptation practitioners to design, establish and execute the climate adaptation practitioner pillar, including its strategy, body of work, and on-the-ground engagement.
• Oversees work conducted by external partners focused on 1) product development, and 2) practitioner engagement. Ensures coordination between those two pillars and the research pillar. Accountable for Lab-wide outcomes and deliverables, such as a new data platform, driven by effective collaboration between those three areas of work.
• Working with a team of University of Chicago development and operational professionals, engages in a fundraising strategy, meets with potential funders, and writes proposals to secure new sources of funds to enable rapid growth in multiple countries and industries.
• Collaborates with Lab research leadership and University of Chicago communication professionals to develop strategic plan for growing the Lab’s thought leadership on climate impacts research and climate adaptation. Ensures research is properly integrated into the Lab’s outreach strategy and includes robust digital marketing campaign.
• Produces a steady stream of original, creative, and timely content, including white papers, policy briefs, etc., through research, data analysis, and collaboration with climate adaptation practitioners.
• Forms strategic relationships with key partners in governments, non-profits, foundations, multilateral aid agencies, and the private sector to amplify communications impact, applications of the Lab’s research, and policy dialogue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries across the globe.
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