Program Director

Summary

Join UndauntedK12, a national nonprofit, as their Program Director to lead state and local strategies for creating healthy, resilient, decarbonized schools in the Upper Midwest. You will develop and implement impactful relationships to drive K-12 climate action, lead policy advocacy and engagement, and build capacity and movement infrastructure. This role requires a strong ability to build collaborative relationships, lead teams, and communicate effectively. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in education or climate change advocacy and a passion for UndauntedK12's mission. The position offers a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and the opportunity to work remotely with occasional travel within the region. UndauntedK12 values diversity and encourages applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds.

Requirements

• College degree or comparable experience
• Minimum 7 years experience working with a broad set of stakeholders advancing change strategies specific to education or climate
• Subject-matter expertise in a relevant topic such as climate change, decarbonization, building electrification, environmental justice and/or public health

Responsibilities

• Develop collaborative, impactful relationships to drive K-12 climate action
• Build relationships and lead meetings about K-12 climate action with state elected officials and staff, and partners at relevant state agencies
• Develop collaborative relationships and partnerships with leaders and organizations in the youth, education, environmental justice, health, climate, civil rights, labor, and private sectors to collectively advance our missions
• Work with allies and the Undaunted team to establish policy and programmatic priorities for UndauntedK12’s initiatives in Upper Midwest states
• Lead UndauntedK12’s policy advocacy, programs, & engagement in the Upper Midwest
• Develop campaign strategy and advocacy/engagement plans to achieve goals
• Lead UndauntedK12 team members and partners working on state and local initiatives and ensure they have clarity on how various work streams feed into our broader strategy
• Coordinate a strategic approach to responding to requests for engagement and technical support from schools, districts, and agencies
• Serve as a spokesperson for UndauntedK12’s work, including with the media, in public testimony, and in op-eds and other reports
• Serve as an ambassador of UndauntedK12 at conferences and industry events to grow excitement for and knowledge of UndauntedK12's programs, tools, and thought leadership among policy makers, education leaders, and allied organizations
• Develop and maintain relevant data to support Undaunted’s activities in the region
• Build capacity and movement infrastructure to drive K-12 climate action
• Propose, develop, and lead initiatives and programs to promote collaboration, develop leaders and partnerships, and advance Undaunted’s policy and implementation goals
• Coordinate campaigns to include and leverage the voices of students and education leaders as advocates for change
• Lead the planning and delivery of consistently best-in-class, expertise-filled, and action-oriented virtual and in-person convenings to advance Undaunted’s objectives
• Contribute as needed to the development of resources and supports for state and local leaders to advance decarbonization and resilience in school infrastructure – with a focus on climate justice and maximizing funding and incentives for schools
• Contribute to shaping a healthy, thriving Undaunted
• Prepare and contribute to updates, communications, and materials (including content for emails, social media, and our websites) for UndauntedK12’s supporters and networks
• Contribute to evolving UndauntedK12’s knowledge base around state-specific strategies and local implementation efforts
• Lead, manage, and contribute to organization-wide strategic projects and initiatives as needed
• Manage staff and/or contracted partners, as applicable

Preferred Qualifications

Minimum 3 years experience leading a team

Benefits

• Competitive nonprofit salary between $100,000 - $140,000
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental & vision coverage for employee, employer-paid life insurance, short-term/long-term disability, and 401(k) retirement savings plan with company contribution
• Paid time off including federal holidays and a winter holiday break
• Fully remote operations