Job Description

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has grown into America’s largest conservation organization with 52 state/territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters nationwide. The mission of the National Wildlife Federation is to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world. In an effort to achieve our mission, we are committed to the integration of equity and justice in our programs and policies.

The Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization Program is committed to unraveling systems of oppression to achieve healthy, sustainable, and just communities by addressing environmental injustices that have overburdened lower wealth, communities of color, and Indigenous people by using our resources, cultivating strong partnerships, and prioritizing on-the-ground solutions that communities find value in. To support our ability to connect frontline and fence-line communities with decision-makers on a national and international scale, we seek to hire an Associate Vice President, Public Health and Economic Justice Policy to join our team in Washington, D.C. In addition to a commitment to advance racial and economic justice across organization-wide policies, the Associate Vice President will play a critical role in establishing policy and advocacy priorities across the Federation that center the voices and priorities of historically marginalized communities in collaboration with the environmental justice team.

Your major areas of responsibility:

Establish Legislative and Policy Priorities Across the Organization

• Provide insights and recommendations to guide organization-wide policy stances that center Environmental Justice Principles and the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing
• Staff, lead, and consult with the Environmental Justice Advisory Council on a regular basis to ensure the insights and perspectives of council members are integrated across the Federation
• Establish policy and advocacy priorities in consultation with and specific to internal environmental justice leaders, affiliate environmental justice leaders, impacted communities, and external environmental justice partners
• Build and implement an iterative process to engage frontline and fence-line community leaders and organizations on policy advocacy with the support of the Environmental and Climate Justice Policy Specialist
• Work collaboratively with affiliate organizations to advance local and state policy that advances environmental, climate, and economic justice
• Remain up-to-date on environmental, climate, and economic-related legislation to guide organize-wide posture

Build Upon Cross-Team Collaborations

• Lead efforts to develop and pilot a Natural Infrastructure Institute, in collaboration with program leads across the Federation, that brings forth natural solutions to vulnerable communities
• Apply and environmental, climate, and economic justice lens on legislation to advance the interests of historically marginalized communities that face the brunt of the climate, economic, and public health crisis
• Actively build relationships with members of Congress and policymakers on a local, state, and federal basis
• Collaborate with the National Wildlife Federation government affairs and lobby team members, with the support of the Environmental and Climate Justice Policy Specialist, when communicating with congressional staff and members to consult, draft legislative proposals, etc.

Strengthen Environmental Justice Program and Policy Advocacy

• Supervisor the Environmental and Climate Justice Policy Specialist
• Work in collaboration with the Associate Vice President of Environmental Justice and Climate Justice and the Sr. Environmental Justice Program Manager to guide the growth and development of the environmental justice program, including strategic planning
• Regularly engage with staff and members of Congress on the Hill and government agencies to build stronger synergy between environmental justice programs and policy advocacy
• Build relationships with foundations, donors, and other institutions to support fundraising efforts
• Strengthen environmental justice communications and marketing efforts by actively building a connection between science and public health
• Help organize convenings and facilitate meetings with stakeholders to ensure frontline and fence-line community priorities and policy recommendations are amplified
• Provide public commentary and testimony when applicable
• Serve as a proxy to the Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization and represent the environmental justice team on policy discussions
• Report to the Vice President of Environmental Justice, Climate, and Community Revitalization and lead additional initiatives as directed

Qualifications:

• 10 years or more of working experience on policy at a state or federal-level
• At least 5 year of experience working directly with federal legislatures and/or policymakers on advocacy and/or lobbying
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications
• Experience building relationships with foundations, donors, and other institutions to support fundraising efforts is a plus.

Required Competencies:

Equity Analysis & Action

• Demonstrated experience and expertise in environmental and climate justice policy advocacy and the intersections between public health and the economy
• Committed to deepening an equity and justice lens in policy priorities, program development, strategic planning and partner engagement
• Motivated by values of equity and responsibility to those most marginalized, in both internally-facing work and externally-facing work
• Demonstrates awareness of the attributes associated with a white dominant culture, especially as it manifests within the National Wildlife Federation and across the conservation movement, and takes actions to dismantle hierarchies of oppression within that culture
• Dedicated to advancing the National Wildlife Federation’s internal equity transformation and compelling partners and allies to incorporate equity into their external work and internal culture

 Self-Awareness & Learning

• Exhibits a commitment to continuous learning and growth, especially related to the development of strong equity competencies and managing large and diverse teams, and models this approach with others
• Dedicated to deepening understanding of cultural and systemic racism and the intersectionality of multiple forms of social inequality and how this impacts our work on environmental issues
• Demonstrates awareness of positional power and privilege (both personally and professionally) and its attendant impacts on colleagues, team, and on oneself
• Consistently brings a high level of empathy and social skills to work and interpersonal interactions

Authentic Relationships & Community Partnerships

• Maintains a sophisticated understanding of how group dynamics impact supervisory relationships, organizational culture, partnerships, campaigns and coalition work
• Demonstrates capacity to maintain relationships across difference and create greater psychological safety in the workplace
• Acknowledges when mistakes are made and harm is done; works to repair breaches in relationships
• Openly holds space, and invites others into conversations during sensitive engagements, exhibiting a responsible and respectful demeanor with colleagues and partners
• Models and encourages commitment to community care and selfcare in order to bring best self to relationships and interactions

Direct Communication

• Ability to translate complex legislation and policies to a wide array of stakeholders, including a public audience, and Congressional and agency offices
• Exhibits strong interpersonal skills rooted in teamwork, diplomacy, respect and an awareness of how diverse identity and communication styles intersect
• Provides clear and direct communication with and feedback to colleagues, with an understanding of communicating respectfully across different identities
• Strives to match intent and impact in all interactions
• Works proactively to resolve conflicts and misunderstandings toward restorative solutions; attends to conflicts as opportunities for learning and growth
• Ability to facilitate discussions and learning sessions with staff and partners around developing team equity competencies

 Supervision & Power Sharing 

• Supports the leadership, success, and professional development of staff members, with a commitment to utilizing power to ensure equitable access and opportunities for staff of color and with other marginalized identities
• Consistently provides positive and developmental feedback to support growth of team members
• Actively seeks feedback, direction, and guidance from all team members and works to integrate and lead with this guidance in mind
• Strives for transparency and timeliness, keeping staff informed of decisions that impact them
• Intentionally shares power through decision-making, clear definition of roles and responsibilities, effective delegation, and equitable access to resources

 Innovation

• Actively seeks new solutions to persistent problems by engaging a diversity of perspectives and experiences
• Practices both/and thinking and the ability to accept ambiguity
• Demonstrates willingness to take risks, pilot new approaches, bring in new partners, learn from failure, and continually improve efforts
• Provides expertise, leadership, and new thinking in environmental and conservation policy

Travel and regular participation in Hill meetings are required when offices reopen.

Compensation and Benefits

This position pays $135,000 – $140,000 (commensurate with experience and skill set).  The starting salary will not be set outside of this range, so please consider this when applying.

The National Wildlife Federation values work-life balance and a family-friendly atmosphere.  Our paid time-off includes 3 weeks of vacation leave, open wellbeing leave, 10 paid holidays, 3 floating holidays, a week-long winter break, and additional leave options, per year.  In addition, our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, company paid life insurance, AD&D, short- and long-term disability, 16 weeks of paid FMLA leave, 403b retirement plan with employer matching and annual contribution, adoption benefits, and flexible work options including telecommuting, non-traditional work hours, and compressed work weeks.  Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s benefits package at https://www.nwf.org/About-Us/Careers.

Application:

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please submit a resume, a cover letter, and writing sample (e.g., policy brief, memo, report).

We strive to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) in all elements of our work and with our partners to support the interdependent needs of wildlife and people in a rapidly changing world. We recruit, employ, train compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity (including gender nonconformity and status as a transgender individual), age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are invited to learn more about National Wildlife Federation’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at nwf.org/equity.

If you have a disability and require an accommodation or assistance with our online application process, please tell us how we can help by calling us at 703-438-6244.

The requirements listed in our job descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, and if you have 75% of the qualifications listed we encourage you to apply.  Your experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work, which helps build the competencies, knowledge, and skills that translates directly to our openings.  Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

If selected for this position, a background check will be conducted.

How to Apply

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time.

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