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. 

POSITION SUMMARYThe Senior Director, Strategic Communications leads the development and execution of comprehensive communication plans that advance NRDC’s advocacy work, drive public engagement and increase brand awareness.

This role oversees an integrated Communications team comprised of four communications strategists, each responsible for their assigned advocacy sector (Climate & Energy, Environmental Health, Nature and International). The team will be responsible for creating, launching and measuring the impact of communications campaigns across NRDC’s paid, earned, shared and owned channels in collaboration with media, digital advocacy and fundraising, content and creative teams.

Reporting to the Managing Director, Brand and Digital Strategy, this position will also partner with advocacy and program sector leaders across NRDC to develop proactive communications and thought leadership plans in support of institutional priorities.

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions:

• Lead team to identify and work with local, national and sometimes international media outlets
• Lead a team of communications strategists in developing and executing clear, compelling, and measurable integrated communication plans to reach NRDC’s target audiences including policymakers, members and the general public.
• Support message development for strategic initiatives and programs to ensure organization-wide alignment.
• Partner with advocacy and program SVPs to develop thought leadership platforms across sectors and issue areas.
• Identify and help mitigate political, brand and reputational risks in partnership with Communications Leadership.
• Champion a data-driven approach to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of NRDC’s communications campaigns in partnership with the Director of Analytics.
• Set clear expectations and performance goals for team members, conducting regular check-ins and performance evaluations to assess progress and provide feedback.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and professional development opportunities for junior staff, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence.
• Foster a positive and inclusive work environment where all team members feel valued, supported, and empowered to contribute their best work.

Qualifications

Minimum Education & Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in communications, public relations, and/or marketing; background in leading diverse and matrixed communications functions across multiple channels.
• Bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in journalism, communications, political science or a related field.
• And/or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Skills, Abilities, Competencies

• Strong written and oral communications skills.
• Proven track record of successfully developing and implementing impactful communication strategies, preferably in a nonprofit or advocacy environment.
• Expertise in cause marketing, with a deep understanding of audience segmentation, engagement tactics, and optimization.
• Creative and innovative thinker with the ability to generate new ideas and approaches.
• Experience supervising a team of communications professionals with proven ability to develop and execute large-scale projects and strategic goals, and manage relationships in a complex and matrixed organizational structure.
• Demonstrable alignment and deep commitment to NRDC’s mission and purpose 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.
• Forward-looking and strategic thinker with a multidisciplinary approach to problem solving.
• Deep understanding of current trends in communications and public relations.
• Strong analytical skills and experience leveraging data insights to drive decision-making and improve campaign outcomes.
• Experience with application of message testing across multiple audiences.
• Strong collaborator with inclusive mindset that leads with confidence and inspires confidence among colleagues at all levels.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders and lead cross-functional teams.
• Flexible and adaptable style; a leader who can positively impact both strategic and tactical communications and marketing initiatives.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to travel to NRDC U.S. based offices, approximately 10-15% annually
• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles

PHYSICAL DEMANDSThe physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position within the described work environment.

Frequently: Perform desk-based computer tasksFrequently: Ability to interact and communicate with employees and others as necessaryFrequently: Attend planned meetings and collaborate with management and coworkersOccasionally: Ability to attend events and activities in the office or offsite

Work is sometimes performed primarily in office. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet in office settings and moderate in other situations. Hours of employment may sometimes require working flexible and/or longer hours, including nights and weekends, when necessitated by projects. The job includes work-related situations such as those involving challenging, important, urgent, time-sensitive, or multiple matters.

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 $173,000 to $190,500.

Our offices are open and we are operating in a hybrid model. We offer NRDCers flexibility, and we ask them to come into the office and spend meaningful time there in collaboration with their colleagues. We call this purposeful presence.

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.