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Jul 30 / BARD CEP

Deputy National Program Director – San Francisco, CA

Organization: Sierra Club

Job Title: Deputy National Program Director (of Sierra Club)

Location: San Francisco, CA

Hours and Compensation: Full time, Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Position Dates: Start ASAP

Application Deadline: Send in ASAP

Posted On: July 30th, 2012

Organization Overview

We are America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. Inspired by nature, we are 1.4 million of your friends and neighbors, working together to protect our communities and the planet since 1892. For more information, please visitwww.sierraclub.org.

Description

Sierra Club seeks a highly skilled strategist, manager, and operational leader to serve as Deputy National Program Director to work in close concert with the National Program Director to ensure that the national programmatic strategy is planned and executed successfully. This is a full-time position located in San Francisco.Since 1892, the Sierra Club has been working to protect communities, wild places, and the planet itself. We are the largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States.You want to work for the Sierra Club because, like so many of your friends and neighbors, you want a safe and healthy community in which to live, smart energy solutions to combat climate disruption, and an enduring legacy for America’s wild places.You’ll help lead the more than 250 passionate and talented nationwide staff of the Sierra Club’s Conservation Department as they work to:

  • Replace coal with clean energy;
  • Protect our country’s wild places;
  • Make our communities more walkable and bikeable and increase public transit;
  • Protect our communities from reckless natural gas drilling;
  • End our country’s addiction to oil;

And more. Those are ambitious goals, but you’re an ambitious person and you’re ready to help our highly effective campaigns. Already our activists and volunteers have:

  • Helped retire more than 110 coal plants nationwide;
  • Established local groups working to secure clean energy to power their communities;
  • Worked with broad and diverse coalitions to effect change;
  • Collected millions of signatures supporting Environmental Protection Agency protections from some of the fossil fuel industry’s nastiest pollution;
  • Taken hundreds of thousands of inner city youth on outdoor trips to local and national parks;
  • Helped elect environmental champions in local, state and national races;
  • Engaged thousands of their neighbors in working to protect America’s wild places like the Arctic Refuge, the Grand Canyon and the Everglades;
  • Supported community groups in low income and communities of color that have been disproportionately affected by pollution;

And much, much more. Our staff can continue to achieve successes like these in order to protect our planet and preserve it for future generations – and they will do it with the help of your leadership.Responsibilities:The Deputy National Program Director’s core responsibility is to work closely with the National Program Director to plan, execute and evaluate effective strategies for the Sierra Club. H/She will support the National Program Director in all areas of running the department, including:People and Organizational ManagementThe Deputy National Program Director will lead Conservation Department units and initiatives by assigning priorities, developing timetables, and evaluating program effectiveness. The DNPD also

  • Directly manages 3-5 senior managers by providing guidance and direction, establishing outcomes and metrics, conducting performance evaluations and providing ongoing feedback and professional development, and effectively recommending hiring, firing, salary, and promotion decisions
  • Represents the Sierra Club’s programs to elected officials, media, donors, businesses and partner organizations
  • Provides operational leadership for the department’s core management team (10 senior managers covering all of our 19 units), setting agendas, facilitating meetings, and managing projects
  • Serves as a departmental liaison for various Club functions and represents the Conservation Department to other departments by providing briefings, perspectives and strategic advice. For example, liaising with Communications and Digital Strategies to provide insight on specific projects such as the newly launched My Piece of America campaign,http://content.sierraclub.org/mypieceofamerica

Departmental Goals and Metrics

The DNPD is responsible for maintaining the Conservation Department dashboard, establishing metrics and indicators, facilitating analysis and evaluation, and providing regular written updates on progress to the National Program Director, Executive Director, and Board of Directors.Fundraising and External Relations

  • Works with executive leadership of the Club to develop and implement strategic programs to attract and retain donors
  • Provides guidance as fundraising strategies are developed, attending donor events and receptions, meeting with donors, reviewing grant proposals, and helping to prepare fundraising budgets
  • Collaborates with national and regional staff and senior volunteer leaders to plan, implement, and execute campaign and fundraising strategies throughout the U.S. Works with Gift Officers and Membership & Direct Marketing team in raising funds from foundations, corporations and individual donors
  • Represents the Club to the press, donors, partner organizations, government officials, and business leaders

Finance and Operations

  • Collaborates closely with the Senior Director for Conservation Finance and Administration and the National Program Director on the overall departmental budget
  • Supports the National Program Director on a wide range of operational, administrative and personnel issues

Special Projects

The DNPD will lead special projects as needed. Examples of recently completed or planned projects that the DNPD will work on include comprehensive reviews of ongoing campaigns, internal diversity initiatives, providing guidance to chapters and groups on policies and campaigns, establishing project management protocols, and executing a comprehensive review of risk management for our outings and activities.Qualifications:Ideal candidates will have the following skills, experiences, and characteristics:Desired Skills and Previous Experiences:

  • 7 – 10 years’ minimum experience as an executive director, senior manager, or comparable position, which could include substantial experience developing strategy, oversight of organizational operations, planning and managing grassroots programs and campaigns, organizing at the grassroots level, litigation, lobbying, managing program and staff, planning and managing a budget, and working on political campaigns
  • Strong generalist skill set with deep emphasis on people and project management
  • 5 years’ minimum experience in fundraising that includes foundation relations, individual solicitation of major gifts, and grant-funded project development and management
  • Bachelor’s Degree in political sciences, environmental science, a closely related field, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Strong knowledge of the environmental field and/or advocacy strategies is preferred but is not a prerequisite for this role
  • Previous experience establishing, implementing, and utilizing organizational goals and metrics to measure progress, identify road blocks, and execute strategies
  • Excellent writing, editing, and public speaking skills
  • Experience driving significant change; comfortable with developing and implementing new processes, building buy-in across a range of constituents, and measuring progress
  • Prior experience and demonstrated ability and effectiveness working with highly engaged volunteers

Characteristics:

  • To be successful in this role and as a member of the Sierra Club team, you will also:
  • Have a passion for our mission and a dedication to grassroots activism
  • Want to be part of a team taking bold action for change and willing to push the envelope to achieve ambitious goals
  • Be able to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative with minimal direction
  • Have exceptional relationship building and management skills, both internally, with colleagues and volunteers, and externally, with funders and other strategic partners
  • Demonstrate the ability to work across teams and department in a complex organizational environment
  • Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
  • Possess excellent interpersonal skills, including a capacity to listen well and inspire trust
  • Be action-oriented, with an understanding of how to move from ideas to measurable action
  • Ability to travel 25% of the time.

How to Apply

Sierra Club has engaged Koya Leadership Partners to help in this hire. Please submit a compelling cover letter and resume to Molly Brennan via our online application portal: http://www.refineapp.com/jobPosting/apply/558

Sierra Club is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from veterans, people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBT applicants.

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