The Managing Director will be the chief visionary and strategist for the People & Communities (P&C) program; charged with leading, scaling, and operationalizing the people, structures, partnerships, and programs needed to execute the program’s strategy for maximum impact. Reporting directly to the Chief Programs Officer (CPO) and serving on the Advocacy Leadership Team, the Managing Director will be externally and internally focused, representing NRDC and the People & Communities program at various external events as well as internal forums, acting as a spokesperson for our strategic vision and helping elevate the reputation and profile of the organization. The Managing Director will seek out and build strategic partnerships and develop and support fundraising efforts for the program in partnership with Development. The Managing Director will be expected and will be supported to build this program even further to help meet the urgency of the moment.   

This is an exceptional opportunity for a dynamic, expert, and inspirational leader. The P&C team are highly capable, and the next Managing Director will be an empowering and collaborative individual who furthers high performance and innovation and can champion equity, diversity, and inclusion. The successful candidate will be flexible, thrive in collaborative environments, embrace solving complex and nuanced problems, and is recognized within the climate movement as a strategic leader with excellent communications skills and the ability to tell compelling stories to diverse audiences. Most importantly, you will demonstrate a genuine alignment with the values of NRDC and seek to apply your passion and skills to work to tackle the most important challenges humanity has ever faced.  

Strategy, Institutional Leadership, Partnerships and External Relations (60%):

• Serves as chief strategist and advocate with NRDC’s People & Communities program and accountable for delivering major outcomes in pursuit of our goal.
• Serves as an external expert and spokesperson for NRDC’s People & Communities program.
• Cultivates and manages strategic relationships and partnerships with businesses, NGOs, labor, government, local government, and community groups to maximize impact and achieve major outcomes.
• Serves as a strategic advisor to Chief Program Officer and a member of the Program Leadership Team.
• Works with the Development department to develop and implement a vision and strategy to maximize funding opportunities; helps develop foundation proposals, meets with donors, and cultivates philanthropic relationships, etc.
• Works with the Communications department to develop effective external communication strategies and formulate opportunities to increase NRDC’s visibility and name recognition as a leader in climate science.
• Embeds equity and justice in NRDC’s people and communities’ work; champions community advocacy and helps build expertise and capacity among underserved communities.

Program Management (40%):

• Leads the People and Communities department, including strategic planning, people management, and administration.
• Sets program’s strategic goals in alignment with organizational priorities, develops key performance indicators and robust work plans to achieve outcomes, and sets high performance expectations.
• Oversees and has ultimate responsibility for the financial management of the program’s budget, aiming to make the most strategic and effective use of program funds by rigorously prioritizing and allocating resources to maximize opportunities and outcomes.
• Collaborate internally with leadership across Programs and other functions to ensure that department initiatives are integrated, and staff are in alignment.