Managing Director, Transportation

Overview

NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's 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 America's 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’s Transportation team is seeking to hire a Managing Director to work in one of NRDC's US offices.

Position Summary 

Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President of the Climate & Energy Department, the Managing Director (MD) will be the chief visionary and strategist for the Transportation sector, charged with leading, scaling, and operationalizing the people, structures, initiatives, and partnerships needed to execute the sector’s advocacy strategy for maximum impact. This role requires a significant amount of collaboration and thought partnership with other internal teams, as we work within a matrixed structure of operation. In addition, the role will require providing guidance and oversight to team Directors who directly report to the MD.  

The MD will be externally and internally focused, representing NRDC and the Transportation sector 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 MD will seek out and build strategic partnerships, develop, and support fundraising efforts for Transportation in partnership with NRDC’s Development team.  

If you thrive in a care-oriented, diverse environment where people connect to create impact, you will enjoy the work we are doing at NRDC. 

Responsibilities

Leadership and Management 

• Serve as chief advocacy and policy strategist, leader, and advocate of NRDC’s Transportation sector and accountable for delivering major outcomes in pursuit of our goals.  
• Lead the Transportation sector, including strategic planning, people management, operations, and fundraising.  
• Directly supervise other Directors and enable their success, effective team management, and execution of priority initiatives. 
• Collaborate with partners together with foundations to develop, align, and successfully execute on key campaigns.  
• Work with our International Program to collaborate, align strategies, and amplify impact around transportation decarbonization. 

Operations 

• Work with our Strategy, Planning, and Operation teams to set the Transportation sector’s strategic goals in alignment with organizational priorities, develop key performance indicators and robust work plans to achieve outcomes, and set high performance expectations for managers and their teams.  
• Oversee and bear responsibility for the financial management of the Transportation sector’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.  

Strategy and Fundraising 

• Serve as a strategic advisor and expert on Transportation to the SVP and Executive Leadership Team.   
• Collaborate across teams within a matrix to ensure that all initiatives are integrated and in support of NRDC’s strategic priorities.  Close coordination with advocacy place-based teams, other sectoral teams, Capacities, and institutional strategy and operations support functions is required to ensure alignment across all work.  
• Collaborate with Equity & Community Partnerships teams to ensure that equity and justice is embedded in NRDC’s Transportation sector goals and workplans; champion community advocacy and help build expertise and capacity among underserved communities.  
• Work with the Development department to develop and implement a vision and strategy to maximize funding opportunities; help develop foundation proposals, meet with donors, and cultivate philanthropic relationships.  
• Work 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 Transportation; serve as an external expert and spokesperson for NRDC’s Transportation sector.    
• Cultivate and manage strategic relationships and partnerships with external stakeholders such as NGOs, community groups, governments, businesses, and labor to maximize impact and achieve major outcomes.   

Qualifications

The Managing Director will be an empowering and collaborative individual who enables high performance and innovation and champions equity, diversity, and inclusion. The successful candidate will be flexible, thrive in collaboration, embrace solving complex and nuanced problems, and be recognized within the environmental movement as a strategic leader who communicates effectively 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 tackle the most important challenges humanity has ever faced.  

• Commitment to NRDC’s mission and values.  
• Minimum 15 years’ directly related experience, including: policy and/or advocacy experience relating to transportation including on clean vehicles, charging infrastructure, mobility, and/or energy and environmental policy. 
• At least 5 years successfully managing large teams toward a common vision and purpose.   
• Experience working with regulatory agencies on issues relating to transportation, energy, and environmental policy.  
• Experience working with industry, academia, NGOs, and/or state and federal government officials on issues relating to transportation, energy, and environmental policy.  
• Master’s degree in sustainability, environmental science, policy, public administration, law or a related field or equivalent work experience.  
• Demonstrable alignment with NRDC’s mission with an ability to communicate this passion to others with a positive and high-energy attitude, integrity, and a commitment to working collaboratively with peers and colleagues.  
• Visionary, forward-looking, and strategic thinker with a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving.    
• Proven ability to manage large teams of people, develop and execute across initiatives, and to oversee a portfolio of projects and working to have the teams deliver on the outcomes and objectives.  
• Manage relationships in a complex and matrixed organizational structure.  
• Experience successfully managing large budgets, including prioritizing and reallocating funds to make the best use of limited resources for strategic purposes.  
• Substantial experience and demonstrated success working with BIPOC-led groups to advance a common goal.   
• Experience in and deep commitment to incorporating and growing the use of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles in strategic goals, work plans, team culture, and operations.   
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to connect with a variety of audiences in writing, orally, and through digital means.   
• Experience with public speaking on technical and non-technical topics  
• Proven success in building strong partnerships with national leaders and organizations.   
• Successful development fundraising experience.  
• A willingness to travel to advance organizational goals.   

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 planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented 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.  

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer. For this position, the salary range is $200,000 to $230,000.  

NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employees are required to come to the office 8 days per month. 

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 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 CDC-approved 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 vaccine-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws. 

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs. 

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 1-800-889-4422. 

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.