Green America is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a
just and sustainable society by harnessing economic power for positive
change. Our unique approach involves working with consumers, investors
and businesses. Our workplace reflects our goal of creating a more
cooperative, environmentally sound economy. We have a participatory
decision-making process, which aims to build consensus within the
departments and teams.
The Carbon Farming Innovation Network is a new multi-stakeholder,
cross-industry collaboration that is in the initial research and
development stages. The goal of the Network is to rapidly increase the
use of carbon farming practices to sequester carbon as a major solution
to the climate crises. In order to make our audacious goal more
specific, our first area of focus will be researching the percentage of
acres of crops and pastureland in the USA that need to be using carbon
farming practices to contribute the US share toward the big goal.
The Carbon Farming Innovation Network is an Innovation Network of the
Center for Sustainability Solutions, which brings all of Green
America’s green economy supply-side work into a powerful new flagship
program for Green America. The Center convenes multi-stakeholder
initiatives dedicated to accelerating the shift to environmental
sustainability and social justice, while eliminating environmental and
human abuses in key areas such as energy, agriculture and manufacturing.
The Center builds on Green America’s work over the years, where we’ve
brought together industry groups across supply chains to create major
shifts in such areas as solar, community investing, recycled paper
procurement, sustainable agriculture, and worker health and safety in
the electronics industry. Our innovation network methodology is
effective, compelling, and attracting significant attention as a faster
and more effective way to solve some of Society’s most challenging and
complex problems.
The Director of the Carbon Farming Innovation Network will provide
strategic direction, lead research and stakeholder engagement, assess
the viability and timing of the launch, and oversee the facilitation,
coordination, and program management of the IN and work of participants
when the project is launched. The Director will also oversee the work of
an Innovation Network Associate (once hired) who is responsible for
coordinating meeting logistics and providing project management support.
The Director will also supervise a contracted research team.
The position involves travel for Innovation Network meetings and key
stakeholder briefings. The position would preferably be based in
Washington, DC at the Green America offices (with a work-from-home
allowance for up to 8 hours a week as determined by supervisor).
However, we might consider work from a remote location for highly
qualified candidates.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead the effort to conduct research to launch the Innovation Network. Examples of possible initial research projects include:
- Target Research: What number and percentage of acres of crop and pastureland need to be transitioned to carbon farming in order to sequester the amount of carbon needed to stop temperatures from rising more than 2% by 2040?
- Industry Landscape research: What programs already exist in the US and elsewhere that implement carbon farming practices?
- Industry Landscape research: What research is available on what carbon farming practices are needed for different soil and temperature zones? Discussions with soil scientists and what they know about carbon sequestration.
- Industry Landscape research: What new ways of sequestering carbon are on the near horizon – eg use of microbes?
- Oversee the successful launch of the Carbon Farming IN, including but not limited to development of strategy and securing funding and project commitment from participants.
- Lead new participant and IN member engagement, including conducting interviews with potential participants. Once launched, work closely with team to ensure that IN members are effectively and efficiently engaged. Identify new participants and guide/support process for outreach and engagement in IN projects.
- Secure the participant fees and renewals necessary for the ongoing financial requirements of this network; this position is responsible for at least $250,000 in annual fundraising for the core project, and additional fundraising, if required, for projects that the group decides to take on.
- Build and lead the Design Team meetings and strategy discussions and co-facilitate working group meetings.
- Serve as the point person responsible for producing key project deliverables in a timely manner, including meeting reports, special research projects and other outputs.
- Lead the effort to successfully launch, maintain, and evaluate specific initiatives within the Innovation Network. Develop and implement strategy for advancing the work of the initiative groups with support from Green America and design teams.
- Oversee the work of project staff (includes an Innovation Network Associate) and contract researchers and facilitators as needed.
- Lead program budgeting, as well as fundraising efforts, to ensure we meet the project’s financial goals, with the support of Green America’s foundation fundraising team and the Center Director.
- Produce communications materials for variety of audiences.
- Ensure knowledge gained is converted into “knowledge capital” for Green America, including how to successful launch and manage Innovation Networks and shift markets toward sustainability. Support strategy, planning and operational needs of the Center for Sustainability Solutions.
Qualified Candidates should have the following skills and qualities:
- Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to developed trusting relationships with senior executives and high-level leaders across the electronics sector.
- The ability to understand and converse competently about complex supply chain issues with a broad range of stakeholders, and to provide useful frameworks for analysis and action on key supply chain issues.
- Strong strategic planning, leadership skills and project management skills, with 5+ years of senior management experience and experience managing multiple projects simultaneously.
- Strong fundraising skills with proven experience with fundraising, including corporate partnerships and participant/member fees and grants from foundations and governments.
- Proven management skills, including strategy and operations.
- Negotiating experience and the ability to move groups both quickly and collaboratively on key priorities.
- Strong research and writing skills, and experience supervising research.
- Some knowledge of sustainable agriculture and agriculture supply chain, and the role of agriculture in climate -- both problems and solutions.
- Advanced collaborative leadership skills including advanced facilitation, ability to hold the center for divergent views, and the ability to manage polarities.
- Strong speaking skills
- A compelling combination of confidence and humility that fosters confidence among the Center’s various stakeholders.
- Ability to rapidly develop new strategies and ideas in a quickly changing environment.
- Bachelor’s degree required, Masters degree preferred.
You will be a good fit for this position if:
- You believe passionately in the importance of making positive changes to the current agricultural system.
- You understand that system change is hard and you are eager to work with all willing partners to make progress.
- You have urgency to get things done, and you also understand that sometimes change is neither linear nor immediately obvious.
- You embrace fundraising as essential to the work, moving our mission forward, and building relationships.
- You understand the complexity of managing collaborative innovation processes, and you are comfortable with uncertainty.
- You are comfortable working in an environment with many remote stakeholders.
- You have a growth mindset and see every situation as an opportunity to learn.
- You use your resourcefulness to find creative solutions.
- You like a good laugh, and you take your work seriously, but you don’t take yourself too seriously.
How to Apply:
Send cover letter and resume to K. Kurth at centerjobs@greenamerica.org or to Green America, 1612 K Street NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20006
No calls, please.
Green America is an equal opportunity employer.
Kharget at kharget@greenamerica.org.
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