Senior Advocate

Overview

NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.  As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC is working to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, and advance innovative, science-based, and enforceable solutions.  

  

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Today, we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as through the marketplace. Our team works across the United States and around the world, from offices in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Beijing, London, and New Delhi (a subsidiary of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd.).  

  

Supported by our members and online activists, NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis, defend nature and safeguard public health across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. At NRDC, we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent, passion, and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world. Learn more at nrdc.org  

 

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Advocate, Adaptation will drive innovative solutions that enhance climate resilience across key themes that affect the safety and wellbeing of people and communities. This includes a focus on comprehensive risk management with a particular emphasis on insurance in the residential sector. The Senior Advocate, Adaptation will collaborate in efforts to promote comprehensive risk management at the state and local levels to address the looming homeowner insurance crisis precipitated by the growing frequency and severity of climate-influenced disasters. In this role, you will work at the intersection of policy, research, and on-the-ground implementation to shape and execute strategies that improve the long-term resilience of communities and states. Reporting to the Senior Director of Adaptation, the Senior Advocate, Adaptation will work along with other staff in NRDC’s Adaptation Division and related departments across NRDC. The Senior Advocate, Adaptation will apply their expertise to support other themes in Adaptation, including disaster resilience, climate mobility and climate resilient workers, communities and homes.

 

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:

• Develop and implement strategies that integrate climate risk considerations into insurance andfinancial products for homeowners
• Work with governments, private sector and financial institutions to design and promote innovative risk reduction and risk transfer mechanisms related to homeowner insurance
• Collaborate with state and local governments, community organizations and related stakeholders to enhance adaptive capacity and strengthen policies and incentives for climate adaptation using homeowner insurance as an entry point
• Identify needed changes to homeowner insurance and resilience policy and practices and develop advocacy initiatives that result in their adoption and implementation.
• Support strategies for disaster resilience, climate mobility and climate resilient workers, communities and homes
• Contribute to global and national dialogues on adaptation, advocating for inclusive and holistic approaches and represent NRDC in media interviews
• Lead the development of presentations, reports, and research materials tailored to diverse audiences, including senior leadership, policymakers and community organizations

The above list of duties is not comprehensive but generally demonstrates the types of work that fall within this position’s responsibility. Other duties may be assigned.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Climate Policy, Environmental Science, Economics, Geography, Public Policy, or a related field
• Knowledge of the inner workings of the homeowner insur