Director, Shifting Trillions

Job Title: Director, Shifting Trillions
Organization: Sierra Club Foundation
Reports To: Executive Director

Mission and Goals: The Sierra Club Foundation promotes efforts to educate and empower people to protect and improve the natural and human environment. The Foundation Board of Directors established the following goals to guide the Foundation's work: 

• Solve the climate crisis primarily through a successful transition to a resource-efficient, clean energy economy that better serves people and nature;
• Secure protections for public lands and waters, promote healthy ecosystems and communities, and fight for clean air and water;
• Expand opportunities for more people to explore, enjoy, and protect the planet by supporting programs and policies that reach across economic, cultural, and community lines to get people outdoors; and
• Build a diverse, inclusive environmental movement that reflects and represents today's American public; and prioritizes important connections between environmental health and social justice.

The Sierra Club Foundation (SCF) actively collaborates with the Sierra Club, other organizations and networks to address the investment and finance practices of financial institutions and industries that contribute to climate change and environmental destruction. The Foundation leverages its brand and other assets to accelerate the deployment of trillions of dollars of investor and corporate funds towards creating a thriving climate-safe world as quickly as possible. The Sierra Club Foundation: 

1. Serves as an effective 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor of and grantor to the charitable programs of Sierra Club and grantor to partner organizations.
2. Creates and deepens relationships of donors and influencers to raise additional funds that advance Sierra Club's charitable activities at this crucial moment in environmental protection and social change.
3. Leads the shift of trillions in capital toward climate solutions, social justice, and land/water/wildlife protection. 

Scope: As a member of Sierra Club Foundation's senior management team, the Director, Shifting Trillions will provide strategic direction for the Foundation's leadership role in shifting trillions of dollars from the current extractive and exploitative fossil fuel economy to an economy that addresses the climate crisis and restores ecosystems, while decreasing economic inequities. The Foundation's three primary roles related to "Shifting Trillions" and transforming energy finance are as an investor, active asset owner, and a thought leader in the field of philanthropy and for other asset owners and asset managers. The Sierra Club and the Sierra Club Foundation's collective assets of over $350M in investments, and the Sierra Club's more than 3 million members and supporters, multi-faceted advocacy campaigns, and nationally recognized brand, uniquely position us to have a significant leadership role in shifting how asset owners, money managers, and community leaders deploy capital. Our goal is to transform the world economy to one that is sustainable for, not exploitative of, people and the environment.

Job activities include but are not limited to:

1. Active Asset Ownership: (~50%)
   1. Staff the Active Assets Working Group; work with the Executive Director and Board of Directors to develop and execute annual priorities for shareholder engagement and activism; including advising the investment team on development of an engagement portfolio; drafting and shepherding shareholder resolutions; deploying and supporting Foundation Board members and other volunteers for media engagement; and recruiting other shareholders to support SCF resolutions;
   2. Serve as SCF's primary contact for shareholder networks and partners, including Interfaith Center for Corporate Accountability (ICCR), Ceres Investor Network, Climate Action 100 , Net Zero Asset Owners Alliance, As You Sow, Confluence Philanthropy, and others; collaborate with partners to advance shared goals;
   3. Lead asset manager advocacy efforts; advance strategies to leverage SCF's client role with fund managers and collaborate with Sierra Club's advocacy efforts to shift financing and investments away from fossil fuels;
   4. Coordinate with the Sierra Club's Fossil-Free Finance team to utilize SCF's asset owner role to advance policies in federal agencies (SEC, Federal Reserve, etc.) to address climate-related finance risks.
2. Advancing SCF as a thought leader for Investing for Impact: (~40%)
   1. Coordinate with the CFO and Senior Director, Programs and Compliance, SCF board members and Sierra Club staff to elevate investor and funder partnerships to advance climate justice;
   2. Support the SCF Catalytic Capital working group, collaborating with the CFO and Senior Director, Programs and Compliance and investment consultants to maximize the impact of SCF's catalytic program related investments in advancing climate and justice in underserved communities;
   3. Engage SCF as a leader in advancing a national "community of practice" of investors who are evaluating and deploying capital into climate justice community initiatives;
   4. Support SCF staff and board members' participation in investor fora as a panelist, speaker, writer, and thought leader.
3. Supporting the Executive Director in identifying foundations and donors to advance the Shifting Trillions work: (10%)
   1. ​​​​​​​Work closely with Sierra Club Advancement staff to identify and cultivate new sources of funding from donors and funders to expand the Shifting Trillions work;
   2. Coordinate with the Sierra Club's Fossil-Free Finance Director and team.

The successful candidate must have the following skills and experience:

• Understand and model equity, inclusion, and justice in individual and team settings
• Substantial experience with a mission-focused asset owner, impact investment fund, registered investment advisor, financial advocate, or similar entities
• Superior analytical, assessment, and problem-solving skills and experience
• Strong collaboration, project management, and team leadership skills and experience
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Highly organized, self-motivated, and accountable

The strongest candidates will also demonstrate the following experience, skills and competencies:

• Experience with engaging traditional and online media preferred

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range is $120,000 -$150,000.

The Sierra Club Foundation offers a competitive salary package commensurate with skills and experience plus excellent benefits that include medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid vacation time, and a retirement savings 403(b) plan. The Sierra Club Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity and is eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs.

To Apply:

This hiring process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments and mitigating bias in the decision-making process.

If you choose to include your education history, please remove any undergraduate and graduate school names from your resume. You may leave your degree (e.g., "B.A. Philosophy").

Sierra Club Foundation is an equal opportunity employer that values workplace inclusiveness and diversity in our workforce. Achieving our mission to "promote efforts to educate and empower people to protect and improve the natural and human environment" requires our staff to have a breadth of background and experience.