Position Summary

Washington Conservation Action (WCA) is seeking a strategic, people-oriented Climate and Clean Energy Senior Manager to advance equitable and effective climate action in Washington State. The Climate and Clean Energy Senior Manager will lead on developing impactful issue-based campaigns and coordinating with diverse partners on strategies to achieve clean energy priorities.

This position involves an evolving body of work, with a core focus on advocating for racial and environmental justice across our state’s climate policy landscape and building power with impacted communities and coalition partners. Current program priorities include: supporting strong implementation of Washington’s climate laws, while defending them from political and legal challenges; advocating for responsible development of clean energy resources; championing equitable decarbonization of residential and commercial buildings; advocating for air quality improvements in communities highly impacted by air pollution; and organizing to prevent new and expanded fossil fuel infrastructure. This position is supervised by WCA’s Climate and Clean Energy Director.

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About Washington Conservation Action

Washington Conservation Action is a statewide environmental advocacy organization that advances environmental policies and pushes for actions that equitably address climate pollution, restore Puget Sound, sustain our state’s forests, and protect our democracy. For Washington to remain a national leader on environmental issues, we need environmental champions in elected office and to hold our leaders accountable. To keep our environment protected, healthy, and vibrant, we are committed to supporting Native candidates, candidates of color, and environmental leaders seeking election.

In January 2023, Washington Conservation Voters and Washington Environmental council unified under a shared brand—Washington Conservation Action. This evolution as organizations builds on over 50 years of work and history of bringing people together to solve Washington’s most critical environmental issues. We develop, advocate, and defend policies that ensure environmental progress and justice by centering and amplifying the voices of the most impacted communities. Washington Conservation Action is a 501(c4) organization. Washington Conservation Action Education Fund is our 501(c3) partner organization. Together, we advance a shared a vision for a Washington state where nature and people live in balance for the flourishing of all.

Washington Conservation Action is based in downtown Seattle. Most of our team of 50 work in a flexible hybrid model with staff in the office typically two days a week (or 40% of the time over the course of a month on average) for collaboration and celebration. The remainder of our staff are considered fully remote, since they live outside the greater Puget Sound area but within Washington. All staff members have access to tools and systems to support work from home, whether hybrid or remote. We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and the opportunity to make a difference. We are committed to a diverse, socially just, and welcoming work environment. People of color, people with varying abilities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are especially encouraged to apply. We continue to advance the application of a racial equity lens to our work and are led by a CEO who is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes Warm Springs, Oregon.

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Roles & Responsibilities

This position will work as a member of the Climate and Clean Energy program, and with diverse partners and coalitions, to advance our goals across sector-specific campaigns, state legislative advocacy, strategic litigation, and policy implementation at state and local agencies. This is a dynamic position, and responsibilities will develop and change over time.

Policy Advancement and Campaign Management

• Grow and deepen relationships within and beyond the environmental community, including with community-based organizations, labor unions, business groups, and state and local agencies.
• Advocate in rulemakings and other processes to equitably and effectively implement climate laws and policies.
• Develop and manage strategic campaigns, rooted in racial and environmental justice and respect for Tribal sovereignty, to advance programmatic and organizational goals.
• Manage and support involvement in litigation and other legal issues as needed.
• Provide leadership in collaborative coalition spaces to develop consensus and achieve collective advocacy priorities.

Cross-Team Collaboration

• Identify areas of mutual interest and collaboration across WCA’s areas of work and proactively collaborate with staff across programs.
• Collaborate with Communications staff to develop calls to action, email alerts, press releases, outreach materials, content for member publications, etc. to engage members and external audiences.
• Work closely with WCA’s Tribal Nations program to develop relationships with leaders and staff of Tribal Nations.
• Collaborate with Government Affairs and Political staff to directly engage elected officials and candidates for office.
• Coordinate with Field team to connect members and activists with priority policy campaigns, including public hearing attendance, legislative lobby days, phone and text banking, etc.

Program Support

• Help shape WCA’s organizational culture in our recently unionized workplace, working to center antiracist practice and advance racial equity goals, foster a positive and inclusive work environment, and support colleagues across programs to advance our organizational mission.
• Support Development staff with organizational fundraising, including development of grant applications, meetings with funders, and assisting with fundraising events as needed.

Learning & Evaluation

• Maintain a practice of continuous learning across all areas of work and practice. Participate in ongoing professional development, racial equity organizational committees, and other opportunities to build knowledge and skills.
• Serve as an internal expert on an evolving set of climate-related issues, maintaining a commitment to continuous learning in a rapidly changing field. Seek out knowledge to deepen subject area expertise on various existing and emerging climate and energy-related issues. As new issues emerge, seek and center ongoing input from Tribal Nations and other overburdened communities to integrate perspectives on historical, contemporary, and potential future impacts of climate change into our positions.
• Conduct ongoing evaluation of bodies of work and revise strategy as needed based on changing political conditions, access to resources, and/or emergent opportunities. Share program successes and opportunities for enhancement with others who may benefit from these learnings.

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Required Skills & Qualifications

• A commitment to an ongoing anti-racist learning journey, both personally and professionally, and a strong desire to be a productive member of a team that is deeply engaged in the work of building power with Black, Brown, and Indigenous people.
• A minimum of two years of experience managing and developing legislative, policy and/or sector-specific campaigns.
• Enthusiasm for WCA’s mission to advocate for environmental progress and justice through actions that mobilize the public, elect champions for the environment, and hold our leaders accountable.
• A heartfelt connection to the natural beauty, abundance, and diversity of the Pacific Northwest: its people, cultures, and environments.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including adeptness at navigating conflicts and high stress environments.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with people from different backgrounds, interests, and approaches.
• Strong facilitation, public speaking, and written communication skills, in order to prepare effective comment letters, public testimony, reports, correspondence, etc.
• Ability to read and understand complex laws, regulations, reports, and other policy documents. Skilled at analyzing policies to identify key issues and priorities for advocacy.
• Proficiency and/or ability to learn and utilize a variety of computer applications (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google suite, Zoom) as well as project management systems (e.g., Salesforce, Box, Asana).
• Excellent organizational skills, keen attention to detail, and good judgment.
• Capacity to work effectively both independently and within a team in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Demonstrated ability to identify connections between efforts and/or groups that can help maximize impact.

Desired Skills & Qualifications

• Familiarity with the climate and clean energy policy landscape and political dynamics in Washington State.
• Coalition management experience.
• Experience engaging with Tribal Nations.
• Experience working in local, state, federal, or Tribal government, and/or grassroots community organizing, and/or electoral campaigns.‍

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Compensation & Working Conditions

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full time, exempt position with a fixed starting salary of $73,000. We also offer a generous benefits package including medical and dental insurance, 401k plan and organizational match of up to 3% of your annual salary, a flexible spending account, paid vacation and sick leave, thirteen paid holidays per year, an unlimited ORCA transit pass, professional development, and if you work for five consecutive years you are eligible for a two-month paid sabbatical. We welcome new and diverse people to a great team who together shape environmental protection in Washington.

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Location Information

This position is hybrid (minimum of 40% in the Seattle office) or fully remote (for those located within Washington State, but outside of mass transit options to our Seattle office). We anticipate this job will involve occasional travel (under 15%) to in-person meetings and staff gatherings at the discretion of the supervisor.

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Working Conditions

This job requires frequent sitting. Must be able to conduct business in English, though fluency in other languages is welcomed. For remote work, employees must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work during scheduled work hours. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with different abilities to perform functions essential to the duties of the position. Washington Conservation Action and Washington Conservation Action Education Fund is a unionized employer represented by Communications Workers of America Local 7800. This is a represented position.

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COVID 19

The organization follows all requirements of local health authorities. We are currently working in hybrid remote work model with staff working from home in addition to in-office time for collaboration and celebration. We maintain strict safety protocols while in our office. All staff who come to the office must be fully immunized against COVID-19.

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Application Instructions & Hiring Process

Please submit a cover letter and a resume. No phone calls or mailed applications please. This position is open until filled. Applications received by August 5 will be given priority consideration.

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WCAEF and WCA are equal opportunity employers committed to dismantling structural racism and creating a welcoming work environment. WCAEF and WCA do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. People of color, people with disabilities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are especially encouraged to apply.