Vice President of Climate & Energy – San Francisco, CA

Organization: Earthjustice Headquarters

Job Title: Vice President of Climate & Energy

Location: San Francisco, CA

Hours and Compensation: full-time, n/a

Application Deadline: n/a

Posted On: 2 May, 2013

Organization Overview:

Earthjustice is the original environmental law organization, built on the belief that we all have a right to a healthy environment. We fight, using the power of the law to preserve, protect, and promote a healthier, more sustainable world for everyone. Through far-reaching, high impact litigation, we ensure that those who jeopardize the health of the planet are held accountable to the law. We work tenaciously to preserve our natural heritage, safeguard our health, and promote a clean energy future.

Earthjustice has nine regional offices, an international program, and legislative policy and communications advocacy teams. We hire the best and brightest who share our passion for justice and a healthy environment for all people.

Description:

The Vice President for Climate and Energy is an exciting new position and will be a member of the organization’s senior leadership team overseeing the strategic direction and effectiveness of the Climate and Energy program. The Climate and Energy program encompasses Earthjustice’s work on fossil fuel energy, clean energy, greenhouse gas controls, and related domestic and international climate and energy issues. This is the first of three VP positions that we are hiring for in the coming year to strengthen and deepen our core program areas of climate and energy, natural heritage, and healthy environment.

From a people perspective, the VP of Climate and Energy will report to the President of Earthjustice and will provide management and leadership to climate and energy managing attorneys.

In partnership with the other program VP’s, this position integrates efforts across offices and departments. The VP is well-grounded in the work of the organization both factually and legally, and seeks to maximize funding opportunities and efficiently manage the climate and energy program.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Direction and Vision for the Climate & Energy Program

• Provides strategic leadership to ensure the development and effective prosecution of far-reaching, high impact litigation.
• Collaborates with managing attorneys and other relevant staff, to ensure that Earthjustice climate and energy advocacy achieves strategic program goals.
• In conjunction with managing attorneys, other relevant staff, and the organization’s program leadership team, ensures that associated communications and policy/legislative advocacy strategies are in place (managed internally or by clients or allies) to move toward achieving identified goals and outcomes.
• Helps identify gaps, weaknesses, and lessons learned as the climate and energy program grows and changes.
• Oversees the direction of select regional offices to ensure effective, high-quality litigation and advocacy with the highest ethical standards.
• Effectively manages and develops staff, creates a productive and rewarding work environment, and in collaboration with managing attorneys, effectively recruits and retains the highest quality legal staff.
• Pursues opportunities to diversify program and staff with a focus on (a) fostering an inclusive work environment that is hospitable to, respectful of, and conducive to success of staff from all backgrounds; and, (b) identifying and pursuing opportunities to diversify our client base to include communities of color and/or economically disadvantage communities that experience disproportionate environmental impact.

Integration, Coordination, and Intra-Organization Communication

• Works closely and collaboratively with the other two program VP(s) in leading the litigation program and ensuring a well-integrated litigation program for the entire organization; to achieve this goal, the VP must also be generally knowledgeable about the objectives and work of the entire litigation program.
• Facilitates collaboration among regional offices and between litigation staff and Communications, Policy and Legislation, and Development staff on climate and energy issues.
• Works closely with the VPs of Policy and Legislation and Communications in aligning vision and prioritizing allocation of cross-departmental resources to advance climate and energy program objectives.

Effective Member of Leadership Team

• Reports to, supports and is an effective partner for the President.
• Keeps organizational leadership informed about the climate and energy program.
• Maintains the trust and confidence of the President and colleagues.
• Participates effectively in organizational decision-making, including priority-setting, planning and budget.

Board Relations, Education, and Inspiration

• Participates in the board litigation approval process on climate and energy issues.
• Provides updates to the board on the climate and energy program.
• Inspires and earns the confidence of the board.
• Educates and keeps the board apprised about developments of the climate and energy program and our unique mission.

External Presence and Voice for Climate and Energy Program

• Helps Earthjustice articulate its vision for the climate and energy program and serves as the ambassador for Earthjustice to the outside world (e.g., funders, supporters, media and policy makers) as necessary.
• Ensures that he/she or other litigators are recognized experts and visionaries in spheres that matter for our work.
• May include participation in high level policy discussions at a national level.
• Works with fundraising staff to identify and capitalize on funding opportunities; builds positive relationships with major donors and foundations via effective communications; provides program leadership on climate and energy issues for Development department.
• Works with litigation staff and others to provides program information to the other departments so that they can be as effective as possible.
• Identifies and capitalizes on media opportunities.
• Engages in direct advocacy work on select issues.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Managing Attorneys of designated regional offices and dedicated program staff.

Qualifications:

• JD degree.
• Licensed attorney with 12 or more years’ experience in environmental litigation and/or legal advocacy experience.
• Experience with a diverse range of environmental issues; significant experience with climate and energy issues.
• Excellent litigation skills.
• Experience leading, designing and participating in regional and/or national environmental campaigns.
• Demonstrated leadership skills.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent people management skills; experience managing lawyers.
• Demonstrated success in managing and working with teams.
• Formal and informal advocacy skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills.
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills.
• Excellent computer skills (e.g. Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc…)
• 25% or more travel time.

We offer a mission and employee-focused work environment and a competitive compensation package including excellent benefits. Earthjustice is an equal opportunity employer and highly values diversity. To learn more about Earthjustice, visitwww.earthjustice.org.

How to Apply:

Interested candidates should submit a resume along with cover letter to [email protected]. Please include “VP of Climate and Energy” in the subject line.

NO TELEPHONE CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.