Climate Campaign Manager (Transportation)

Location: Denver
Work schedule: Exempt, Full-time
Deadline for submission: October 27th, 2023

Conservation Colorado is seeking a Climate Campaign Manager based in Denver who will be responsible for developing and delivering strong climate policy at the federal, state, and local levels. The Climate Campaign Manager will likely include a programmatic focus in the area of transportation policy. Candidates with more experience will be considered for a Senior Manager role.

About Conservation Colorado
As the largest statewide environmental organization in Colorado, we work to protect our state’s climate, air, land, water, and communities. For over 50 years, we have played a unique role in Colorado as our work focuses on organizing communities, influencing decision-makers, and electing conservation-minded leaders. That work includes Protégete, which is focused on building Latino leadership and engagement on environmental issues. We believe that achieving racial, social, and environmental justice are critical to our mission and within the organization, we aim to create a workplace culture of policies and practices that demonstrate how we value equity and inclusion. You can learn more about our mission here.

What You’ll Do
As a Climate Campaign Manager, you’ll serve as our organization’s policy expert on climate and transportation issues, reporting to the Senior Government Affairs Director. This includes running issue-specific coalitions and tables and owning issue-specific policy campaigns for the organization. This role can evolve over time, but you will have these areas of responsibility:

Win policy campaigns (50%)

• Develop and execute strategic climate and transportation campaign plans by collaborating with external partners and Conservation Colorado colleagues. 
• Provide issue area expertise and stay informed about policy and political developments relating to campaign strategy, including how these issues affect disproportionately impacted communities.
• Ensure that our environmental justice principles are embedded within all climate and transportation campaigns.

Manage coalitions and build relationships (35%)

• Work with partners to determine priorities, develop policy ideas, and build strategic campaign plans.
• Lead and/or participate in key climate and transportation-related coalitions; diversify and grow coalitions to include a variety of voices and interests who support our work and influence decision makers, with a particular focus on Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
• Identify and cultivate relationships with decision makers at the legislature, state agencies, the governor’s administration, and others to ensure that Conservation Colorado is a trusted partner and key resource for legislators and decision makers.
• Meet with key foundation representatives and participate in funder briefings and other fundraising activities as requested by the fundraising team.

In addition to the above responsibilities, the Senior Climate Manager would help:

Build capacity and support the Government Affairs team (10%)

• Serve as a peer leader to other members of the team.
• Help onboard new members to the team.
• Act as “swing” capacity on the team to fill in gaps for the team director.

In addition to your regular responsibilities, all staff are expected to participate at some level in organizational priorities including helping in certain fundraising efforts, taking part in our election-related activities, and committing to our organizational efforts around equity & inclusivity (5%).

Qualifications
To be successful in this job, you will need to be excited and motivated to dive in on climate and transportation policies, environmental issues more broadly, and Colorado politics, as well as have the skills to work collaboratively with partners and our team. Fundamentally, we are seeking an issue campaigner with the skills and experience to deliver significant and equitable climate and transportation policy victories to Colorado. More specifically, you will have or be most or all of the following:

• At least 5 years of issue or political advocacy: particularly in developing and executing campaigns and working with decision makers to pass policy. Climate and transportation specific issue knowledge is highly preferred but for candidates well-qualified in other areas is not a deal breaker.
• Relationship builder & coalition manager: Helping groups, whether your colleagues or coalitions, make decisions and then stay on track to deliver campaign wins is critical in this role. You excel at building the trust and respect necessary for relationships with decision makers, partners, and colleagues across different social identities or with people who have competing priorities.
• Strong strategizing ability: Climate and transportation issues are nuanced. We’re looking for someone with a demonstrated ability to navigate complex campaigns and issues with subtlety, along with the ability to see solution pathways. Excellent communication skills are critical to success. Experience developing collaborative plans with insightful, pragmatic, equitable, and sustainable ways to win issue campaigns.
• Bring a racial justice lens to the work: You must have a demonstrated understanding of how race dynamics impact campaigns and coalitions, and have a commitment to identifying potential policy solutions through a racial justice lens. Cultural competency is a must, as we are focused on changing the face of the environmental movement by expanding our base and partnerships to reach communities who have been traditionally excluded, particularly Black, Latine, Indigenous, and other communities of color. 
• A willingness to be adaptable and an excellent team player: This is a fast-paced and constantly changing environment that requires the ability to work independently with minimal supervision.The solid project management skills necessary to stay nimble and organized, while managing multiple projects and competing priorities is critical. While collaborating and working in teams, executing sideways management to successfully complete projects and achieve goals.

Additional Senior Climate Manager Qualifications

• 7+ years of issue or political advocacy experience
• A strong history of demonstrated expertise and success at complex management of successful coalitions to enact policy change.
• Experience helping other staff either develop campaign plans or navigate difficult campaign issues.

This position does not have an undergraduate education requirement. Spanish/English bilingual is a skill we value, but it is not a requirement. This is a full-time job but there can be some flexibility in the exact schedule.

Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for the campaign manager position is $72,000-$82,000 and the range for the Senior Campaign Manager is $80,000-$88,000 based on a wage analysis across the organization and new staff rarely starting at the top of the range.

We provide high-quality, zero-deductible health insurance and a strong benefits package that includes a SIMPLE IRA retirement plan with a match, at least 30 days of vacation & holidays as well as 6 physical & mental wellness days in your first year, and parental leave and a sabbatical program. Please note that as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, Conservation Colorado employees are not eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

All Conservation Colorado positions require in person work of some kind & therefore we do require our staff to be vaccinated against COVID. However, when it comes to being in the office or working from home, we have embraced a hybrid work model where we offer people, in consultation with their managers, some flexibility on where they work based on organizational needs, job requirements, and personal preferences. The organization does not have a set policy for the number of days someone must be in the office and the days required for a specific individual or position will vary from person to person based on the needs of the job. Everyone is welcome to work in the office 100% of the time if they prefer or if their home environment is not conducive to working for whatever reason.

We are committed to building a more diverse and inclusive organization and conservation movement to fully represent and engage all Coloradans and to build as powerful a movement as we can. Recruiting staff that better reflects Colorado is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, race, ethnicity, geographies, political affiliation, sexual orientations, gender identities, and all other identities represented in Colorado or protected by law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

To Apply
If this job truly speaks to you please click here to submit a cover letter and resume and answer a few short questions. If you have a disability and need accommodation or assistance with our online application process, please tell us how we can help by calling us at 303.333.7846.