Executive Director

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND

ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) is the world’s first and largest climate organization focused on serving local governments. Partly due to our work over the last 34 years, the United Nations has formally elevated the role of local governments in solving the climate crisis.  ICLEI is powerfully positioned to continue this work with a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. We are active in 125+ countries and we influence sustainability policy and drive local action for low emission, nature-based, equitable, resilient, and circular development. Our members and team of experts work together through peer exchange, partnerships, and capacity building to create systemic change for urban sustainability. 

This position is with ICLEI USA, the United States office of ICLEI. Our mission is to build and serve a nationwide alliance of local governments, participating in the ICLEI worldwide association, to achieve measurable progress towards more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable forms of development and management. ICLEI USA serves a network of more than 500 U.S. local and regional governments and Tribal Nations. We are  known for our expertise in emissions management and accounting, resilience-building and climate adaptation, nature-based development and more. At ICLEI USA, our actions and inquisitiveness, our personal commitments and collaboration, create an environment in which we share our perspectives and support others to do the same. Our inclusive culture empowers all of us to connect, belong, and grow.

THE OPPORTUNITY

ICLEI USA  is seeking a strategic, visionary, influential leader to continue the organization’s growth and innovation during a period of significant opportunity and change. The right candidate will bring passion, knowledge, and experience related to ICLEI’s  “five pathways,” or dimensions, of climate action, including decarbonization; adaptation and resilience; equity and justice; circular economy; and nature-based development. Their multifaceted experience will equip them to support ICLEI USA’s staff experts, partnerships, and service offerings  across our pathways.  They will  champion the important role climate action plays in building a just, equitable, and climate-ready future and represent the work of the ICLEI USA network to audiences across the country and around the world.  They will be an innovative leader with proven advocacy, communications, and relationship building skills, and possess significant organizational leadership experience, ideally in the nonprofit community and/or local and regional governments.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Executive Director (ED) is the most senior ICLEI USA executive, accountable for both internal and external organizational performance. Internally, the ED is responsible for continuous improvement of  ICLEI’s financial strength, governance, human resources, and for the capacity and quality of ICLEI’s program and service delivery. Externally, the ED is responsible for the nationwide impact of ICLEI’s activities with its local and regional government members, building on ICLEI’s strong market position and its clear and compelling brand, which  is synonymous with best-in-class standards in climate protection and sustainability. The ED is responsible for developing and supporting the ICLEI USA Board of Directors and serves as a non-voting board member and secretary of the ICLEI USA corporate entity. As the U.S. director, the ED is a member of ICLEI’s International Office Management Consultation (IOMC), contributing to ICLEI’s global strategy and outcomes.

In addition to demonstrated executive management and operational competencies and skills, the Executive Director is a resourceful entrepreneurial manager. They will lead and mentor the highly skilled team supporting and growing ICLEI’s local and regional government members towards the next phase of organizational growth. They will effectively communicate a vision to leverage the organization’s growing prominence in light of the UN’s recent recognition that local governments are crucial partners in solving the climate crisis. They will develop a strategy to further the use and recognition of ICLEI’s best-in-class climate planning software tool, ClearPath.

Success in the ED position will, therefore, require excellence in the following areas:

Strategic Vision and Leadership

• Develops and implements a compelling strategic plan for ICLEI USA  in partnership with the Board of Directors and staff.  Achieves the vision and mission of the organization and ensures alignment with financial and operational goals.
• Develops comprehensive annual business plans aligned to the strategic plan to ensure that the budget, staff, and program priorities continue to advance the core mission of the organization.
• Actively manages the day-to-day operations of the organization, developing more robust processes and organizational systems to support its continued growth.

Organizational Governance and Board Management

• Builds and maintains a trusting, collaborative, and transparent relationship with the Board.
• Engages with the Board collectively and individually, to benefit from their diverse perspectives and experience.
• Provides regular feedback to the Board on strategic, operational, and programmatic matters impacting the organization, keeping them apprised of progress and challenges in meeting key goals in strategic and operational plans.

Staff Leadership

• Recruits, develops, inspires, and engages a diverse and virtual staff that has recently doubled in size to lead and administer the organization’s programs and services in support of the strategic plan, key stakeholders, and operational objectives.
• Fosters a culture of inclusion, diversity, transparency, innovation, collaboration, and teamwork in coordination with ICLEI USA’s staff-led DEI Committee..
• Ensures human resources systems are in place to scale the organization appropriately.  Supported by the Deputy Director, leverages performance management processes to consistently evaluate and develop staff on a regular basis to ensure accountability, results, and growth.

External Relations and Communications

• Serves as a key spokesperson, advocating for the organization’s mission and priorities before a wide range of constituencies including policymakers, the media, ICLEI members, and other external stakeholders globally.
• Comfortable with technical issues and details and is able to understand the diverse technical work of ICLEI members and staff, and can communicate ICLEI’s expertise to both technical and non-technical audiences in an accurate and compelling way.
• Elevates the ICLEI brand, visibility, and presence within the global, local, and regional government communities through partnerships and collaborations with media, government entities, and private organizations.

Program Strategy and Oversight

• Clear and stable sense of strategic direction: the ED is a navigator who charts a logical  course, and aligns internal parties and external partners to the course.
• Dedicated to building the next generation of ICLEI assets and taking advantage of significant increases in market share over the past three years.
• Approves pathway-specific strategies and monitors budgets for each of the ICLEI USA Five Pathway programs, in coordination with each pathway lead.
• Is intellectually curious and can develop both a long and short view of climate data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence related to  the needs and opportunities to scale local climate solutions aided by technology.
• Proactively seeks new ways to engage with historically underrepresented communities in the context of ICLEI’s work.

Revenue Generation & Fundraising

• Grows membership revenue (in the past three years, the organization has increased its membership revenue by 35%).
• Grows technical advisory revenue (in the past three years, technical advisory revenue has increased ten-fold).
• Successful fund development and grant management from a variety of sources including federal funding, philanthropy, and private sector.

Financial Management

• Develops and ensures a balanced budget annually that is aligned to the strategic goals of the organization.
• Develops strategies to enhance the long-term, financial health of the organization, including building reserves for key investments.
• Ensures sound financial controls are in place to ensure strong stewardship of financial resources.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate will demonstrate proven experience and qualifications relevant to this important position, which will include a strong combination of some of the following:

• High and sustained energy: the ED is both a sprinter and a long-distance runner with the agility, drive, and energy to achieve outcomes with a sense of urgency.
• Experience as a senior executive (i.e., ED, CEO, President) in a national or regional non-profit organization, private company, or government or significant business department. Qualifying senior executive positions include direct governance,  financial, operations, and service performance responsibility.
• At least two consecutive years of professional experience working directly with local  government(s) in an elected office, professional staff position, or consulting capacity.
• At least one senior professional position with direct annual revenue generation or sales responsibility at the level of 1 million dollars or more per annum.
• Excellent writing skills.
• Excellent verbal communication skills in both small and large settings.
• Effective diplomatic skills and decorum necessary for working with a diversity of local government leaders and senior managers in the ICLEI USA Board of Directors and membership, and with the Executive  Committee and senior managers of the worldwide ICLEI organization.
• Demonstrated success and depth of experience with organizational development, including  team and board development, business and partnership strategy, program planning, and financial  planning.
• Experience leading highly collaborative organizations or teams of at least a dozen staff, An ability to demonstrate a growth mindset and inspire a remote staff to achieve a high degree of productivity while promoting a culture of care.
• Strategic partnerships development, contracting and management.
• Success in attracting, developing and managing  a diverse and inclusive virtual workforce;  readiness to guide ICLEI USA to become an increasingly equitable, inclusive, and accessible organization and network, and to actively encourage a culture of self-care and community care within the organization.
• Willingness to work independently with minimal Board input.
• A change agent who takes a flexible view of the continued mainstreaming of climate action to anticipate opportunities for the organization to enter new markets and adaptable services. Able to frame challenges in a positive, pragmatic way that inspires action.
• Unquestionable integrity, credibility, character, demonstrated high moral and ethical behavior.
• An openness to significant travel within and outside of the U.S. Expect between one and three international trips per year, lasting about one week, and about five domestic trips of several days each.

NEAR-TERM PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES OF A SUCCESSFUL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The first three years of a successful term as Executive Director would produce the following organizational  outcomes:

• Double the number of ICLEI USA local government members via connections established in the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant, other technical service agreements underway, and personal, staff, and partner networks.
• Successfully  manage and position ClearPath 2.0, the second generation of the organization’s industry-leading software application.
• Build out the organization’s Resilience Pathway to equal its Low Emissions Pathway in revenue generation.
• Establish ICLEI USA Circular, Nature, and Equity Pathway resources as best-in-class for U.S. local and regional governments.
• Increase the number of tribal members, including through dedicated programming for Tribal Nations.
• Achieve measurable progress with ICLEI Member sustainability objectives  and implementation, including strengthening robust outcome-tracking mechanisms.
• Maintain a  clear and compelling ICLEI USA brand that is synonymous with best-in-class standards in U.S. and global climate protection and sustainability.

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree plus an Advanced Degree in environmental science, policy, or management, or at least four consecutive  years of senior professional experience in an environmental-related field  is required. 

COMPENSATION

Salary commensurate with experience, with a starting pay range of $140,000 – $165,000 base  with opportunity for additional performance-based compensation.  ICLEI USA offers a benefits package that includes health, dental, and a retirement program with employer match.  In addition to generous paid time off, our offices are closed the last two weeks of December as well as an additional seven major U.S. holidays.  Employees request two additional days off as elective holidays of their choosing.