Program Director - Upper Midwest

UndauntedK12 is a national nonprofit working to support America's K-12 public schools tomake an equitable transition to zero carbon emissions while preparing our youth to build a sustainable future in a rapidly changing climate. We are united by a desire to activate the potential of America's K-12 public school sector to respond to the challenge of climate change and are undaunted by the scale of the challenge. We believe the current moment offers opportunities to address long standing inequities, stimulate the economy, enhance critical public infrastructure, and position America to lead the world in the transition to clean energy-driven commerce and community. We envision a day when every dollar spent on K-12 infrastructure is aligned with building an equitable, zero-carbon future; when every education leader recognizes that rapidly changing climate threatens their core mission; and when every student is prepared to build a sustainable future.

UndauntedK12 seeks a Program Director to develop and lead state and local strategies to create healthy, resilient, decarbonized schools in the Upper Midwest. The Director will play a key role in devising and leading our activities and partnerships in the region, including our advocacy priorities, programs, operations, and support for fundraising. The Director will serve as the "face" of Undaunted in state and local engagements and represent Undaunted's work with the media. The Director will work to understand the current landscape and opportunities and build alliances around K-12 climate action. The Director will develop targeted strategies to influence state-level policy, budgets, and implementation to realize change in priority states, and lead the execution of that strategy. In addition, the Director will help support state and local leaders to act on climate by developing and connecting them with tools and resources that can be used to both bring awareness about climate action and advance change within state and local ecosystems.

As part of a growing start-up organization, a successful candidate will be entrepreneurial in spirit; collaborative and successful at building relationships with individuals at all levels of organizations, both within and external to Undaunted; and successful at advancing multiple projects at once. Our ideal candidates will have social sector experience through policymaking, advocacy, or program administration at the state-level. School district or federal level experience is also beneficial. They will have shown an ability to work with diverse networks to realize change in the world.

Develop collaborative, impactful relationships to drive K-12 climate action ~30%

• Build relationships and lead meetings about K-12 climate action with state elected officials and staff, and partners at relevant state agencies.
• Develop collaborative relationships and partnerships with leaders and organizations in the youth, education, environmental justice, health, climate, civil rights, labor, and private sectors to collectively advance our missions.
• Work with allies and the Undaunted team to establish policy and programmatic priorities for UndauntedK12's initiatives in Upper Midwest states.

Lead UndauntedK12's policy advocacy, programs, & engagement in the Upper Midwest ~40%

• Develop campaign strategy and advocacy/engagement plans to achieve goals.
• Lead UndauntedK12 team members and partners working on state and local initiatives and ensure they have clarity on how various work streams feed into our broader strategy.
• Coordinate a strategic approach to responding to requests for engagement and technical support from schools, districts, and agencies.
• Serve as a spokesperson for UndauntedK12's work, including with the media, in public testimony, and in op-eds and other reports.
• Serve as an ambassador of UndauntedK12 at conferences and industry events to grow excitement for and knowledge of UndauntedK12's programs, tools, and thought leadership among policy makers, education leaders, and allied organizations.
• Develop and maintain relevant data to support Undaunted's activities in the region.

Build capacity and movement infrastructure to drive K-12 climate action ~20%

• Propose, develop, and lead initiatives and programs to promote collaboration, develop leaders and partnerships, and advance Undaunted's policy and implementation goals.
• Coordinate campaigns to include and leverage the voices of students and education leaders as advocates for change.
• Lead the planning and delivery of consistently best-in-class, expertise-filled, and action-oriented virtual and in-person convenings to advance Undaunted's objectives.
• Contribute as needed to the development of resources and supports for state and local leaders to advance decarbonization and resilience in school infrastructure with a focus on climate justice and maximizing funding and incentives for schools

Contribute to shaping a healthy, thriving Undaunted ~10%

• Prepare and contribute to updates, communications, and materials (including content for emails, social media, and our websites) for UndauntedK12's supporters and networks.
• Contribute to evolving UndauntedK12's knowledge base around state-specific strategies and local implementation efforts.
• Lead, manage, and contribute to organization-wide strategic projects and initiatives as needed.
• Manage staff and/or contracted partners, as applicable.

Requirements

• Effective strategist. Able to stay focused on the larger vision and goal but can ruthlessly prioritize against competing work streams and needs in order to execute effectively, especially when navigating ambiguity.
• Influencer. Uses a combination of active listening and questioning to engage others in the decision-making process. Seeks to deeply understand and respond to people's motivations and barriers in order to maximize their potential for impact in this work, and is able to adapt to different motivations and drivers to build a diverse network of champions.
• Effective communicator. Can motivate others to take action through written and verbal communication to build support for UndauntedK12's work.
• Problem solver. Brings a solution-orientation to consistently make excellent decisions through a combination of data analysis, judgment, and experience including the ability to anticipate future consequences and trends and incorporate them into organizational plans.
• Data savvy. Skilled at basic data analysis, drawing out conclusions, and communicating those findings to broader audiences to influence and drive decision-making.
• Learning orientation. Self-reflective leader who seeks to understand previous approaches and evolves in response to changing dynamics. Brings a mindset of humility and inclusion.
• Organized project leader. Strong project management skills and a demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities to success in a rapidly changing environment.
• Team builder. Has an exceptional capacity for managing and leading people across multiple functions and the ability to connect, on both an individual level and in large groups, with people from a wide range of backgrounds. Treats teammates and others with care and respect.
• Entrepreneurial. Thrives in environments where there is not an established path. Is not deterred by ambiguity, takes smart risks, and remains motivated and adaptable when responding to evolving circumstances.
• Aligned to the cause . Passion for UndauntedK12's mission, issues, and values.

• College degree or comparable experience.
• Minimum 7 years experience working with a broad set of stakeholders advancing change strategies specific to education or climate.
• Minimum 3 years experience leading a team highly preferred.
• Subject-matter expertise in a relevant topic such as climate change, decarbonization, building electrification, environmental justice and/or public health.

Benefits

• Salary and Benefits: Competitive nonprofit salary between $100,000 - $140,000. Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental & vision coverage for employee, employer-paid life insurance, short-term/long-term disability, and 401(k) retirement savings plan with company contribution. Paid time off including federal holidays and a winter holiday break.
• Location and Travel: Our operations are fully remote, but ideally we are looking for a teammate based in the Upper Midwest (Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, or Wisconsin). Other team members are in California, New York, and Massachusetts. Travel expected approximately 2-3 times/month, primarily within the region.
• Organizational Relationship: Reports to the organization's CEO.
• Physical Demands: Requires sitting, talking and listening for up to 8 hours per day.

We believe that having staff with diverse personal and professional backgrounds and lived experiences makes our work stronger as we seek to engage all those who can contribute to this effort. We encourage candidates who bring diverse perspectives, identities, professional and lived experiences to apply. UndauntedK12 seeks individuals of all backgrounds without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, pregnancy, disability, marital status, genetics, or any other factor that the law protects from employment discrimination to apply for this position.

We are moving to quickly fill this position with priority given to applications received by March 14, 2025. Candidate review and interviews begin immediately and will be conducted throughout the search process. Given limited capacity, we may not be able to respond to all applicants. We appreciate your interest in UndauntedK12.