Managing Director of Political Affairs
Managing Director of Political Affairs
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Salary Not Disclosed
1 Vacancy
Job Description
Overview
NRDC is a nonprofit environmental advocacy organization. We use law science and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planets wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air clean water and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of Americas bedrock environmental laws including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today our team of more than 700 lawyers scientists economists policy advocates communications experts and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington D.C.
NRDC is seeking a Managing Director of Political Affairs to work with the NRDC Action Fund team in our Washington DC office.
Position Summary
NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 700 scientists lawyers and other environmental specialists to confront the climate crisis protect the planets wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air clean water and healthy communities. It is joined by the affiliated but separate 501(c)(4) organization the NRDC Action Fund () which engages in various advocacy and political activities for which NRDC a 501(c)(3) organization faces spending limits or legal restrictions. In addition the NRDC Action Votes () an independent expenditure political committee affiliated with the NRDC Action Fund works to educate and mobilize voters independent of candidates.
The Managing Director of Political Affairs principal responsibility is to lead the development management and crossdepartmental coordination of the NRDC Action Funds electoral strategies and programs aimed at building the institutions political influence in Washington and nationally while also overseeing the work and impact of the NRDC Action Votes. In addition the Managing Director of Political Affairs will advise and help shape a limited number of NRDC Action Fund federal and state advocacy initiatives. Reporting to the Chief External Affairs Officer and also closely advising the Executive Director and the President and CEO the Managing Director of Political Affairs plays a critical role in charting the NRDC Action Funds strategic direction and yeartoyear priorities while being an external leader in fundraising coalition engagement and board relations and as a media spokesperson.
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:
Leadership and Program Management
- Lead a crossdepartment electoral program team of experienced communications government affairs campaigns and development colleagues to design manage and communicate about the NRDC Action Fund NRDC Action Fund PAC and the NRDC Action Votes electoral programs to build the institutions relationships with federal and state elected officials and to grow the institutions brand and influence in Washington and nationally. These programs include:
- Candidate endorsements.
- Candidate fundraising through GiveGreen and PAC contributions.
- Building up soliciting and making PAC contributions to promote institutional relationshipbuilding with elected officials and candidates in coordination with government affairs.
- Electoral communications to members voters and the media in coordination with Communications.
- Voter education and GetOutTheVote campaigns in coordination with external partners and coalitions and candidate campaign committees as legally appropriate.
- Oversee and direct the NRDC Action Votes goals and approve its budget and spending to ensure their consistency with the NRDC Action Funds goals and strategies.
- Be a partner to the Government Affairs Campaigns and Development teams in planning and executing grasstops advocacy programs.
- Directly supervise 13 staff while leading a crossfunctional crossdepartment team as their matrixmanager and coordinator on electoral program development and implementation.
Board Relations
- Work closely with the Board Relations team executive leadership and other departments to organize the Action Funds board meetings including its agenda and programming. Partner with the Board Relations and Development teams to regularly engage the Action Funds board members to cultivate their support and sense of community.
External Relations:
- Represent the NRDC Action Fund to electoral partners and coalitions.
- Serve as one of the chief public faces and as the daytoday managing authority of the NRDC Action Fund to candidates elected officials political donors environmentally active NGOS and the media.
- Represent the NRDC Action Fund on the GiveGreen steering committee. Lead internal and external efforts to continue to grow the GiveGreen program and maximize its impact.
- Demonstrate political expertise and become a trusted adviser to Action Fund donors and board members.
Strategic Planning
- Be a central thought leader and programmatic voice in the development of the NRDC Action Funds next strategic plan especially around longterm powerbuilding through electoral activities in close engagement with executive leaders the electoral program team and the Action Funds board members.
Budget and Fundraising:
- Lead the development and management of the NRDC Action Fund and the NRDC Action Votes electoral program budget and in the institutional budget process.
- Partner with development on a fundraising strategy to increase the number of donors and revenue for electoral programs by the Action Fund and the Action Votes.
Qualifications
Minimum Education and Experience:
- 15 or more years of experience in electoral politics and issue advocacy with proven crossfunctional leadership ability demonstrated through senior roles held in campaigns political committees nonprofit advocacy organizations consulting firms trade associations etc.
- At least two consecutive years of work experience at a large missiondriven advocacy organization.
- Bachelors degree in a related field.
Skills Abilities Competencies and Qualities:
- Excellent verbal and written communication advocacy and social skills.
- Experience with budgeting management and fundraising.
- Reputation for consistently achieving goals by mastering process and building consensus.
- A professional network across federal and state elected offices political party committees and campaigns major advocacy and political organizations and donor networks.
- Ability to build relationships effectively collaborate and engender trust from colleagues at all levels of institutional seniority.
- Ability to handle complex and sensitive discussions and processes with diplomacy confidentiality and cultural sensitivity.
- An adept project manager who can juggle multiple priorities and ambiguity.
- Ability to commute to and work from the NRDC office at least eight times a month and additionally as needed.
- Ability to travel for work outside of normal office operations approximately 20% annually.
- Commitment to NRDCs mission and values.
- Ambition and growth mindset paired with methodical planning and patient discipline.
NRDC is committed to advancing diversity equity and inclusion both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planets most pressing environmental problems and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically underrepresented in the environmental movement.
We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race color religion gender gender identity or expression marital status sexual orientation national origin citizenship age disability veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employees are required to come to the office 8 days per month.
As a sciencebased organization NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID19 public health crisis. For the sake of health safety and equity we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDCapproved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee Relations. NRDC treats all vaccinerelated data confidentially in keeping with local state and federal laws.
If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at.
For more about NRDC visit .
Required Experience:
Director
Employment Type
Unclear
