Legal Director

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Beyond Petrochemicals: People Over Pollution is seeking a Legal Director to build a comprehensive legal strategy that will stop the build out of the petrochemical industry, reduce demand for plastics, and support the movement of advocates fighting petrochemicals.

Beyond Petrochemicals will transform the US industrial sector, ensuring more local victories in the transition to a clean economy, supporting laws that protect communities from harm, and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are fueling the climate crisis.

The ideal candidate will be an attorney with a passion for holding industry accountable for its harms to public health and the climate. As a member of the senior leadership team, the Director will build and lead the legal strategy in support of the campaign, communications and policy initiatives. The Director will work closely with partner organizations and key allies in shaping effective and impactful litigation strategy.

This is a unique opportunity to make a significant contribution in the climate change fight and stop the build out of the petrochemical industry.

ABOUT BEYOND PETROCHEMICALS

Beyond Petrochemicals is a fiscally sponsored project of the Resources Legacy Fund (RLF), launched in September 2022 by Bloomberg Philanthropies after seeing unprecedented growth in the petrochemical industry, which contributes to climate change and its detrimental impact on the health of communities. 

Drawing on the success of Bloomberg’s Beyond Coal and Beyond Carbon campaigns, Beyond Petrochemicalsis turbocharging existing efforts led by frontline communities to block the expansion of more than 120 proposed petrochemical projects concentrated in three target geographies – Louisiana, Texas, and the Ohio River Valley. Beyond Petrochemicals is also working to establish stricter rules for existing petrochemical plants to safeguard the health of American communities. 

The campaign will identify opportunities for grassroots activation, strategic communications, capacity-building, research, legal strategy, and policy advocacy to drive US petrochemical production into permanent decline.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Legal Director is full-time, exempt, and reports to the Executive Director of Beyond Petrochemicals. This is a remote position with occasional travel required (quarterly), may be located anywhere in the US with the ability to work East Coast hours, and is responsible for the following:

• Lead the development and implementation of complex legal strategies that challenge new and expanding petrochemical facilities. This may include legal analysis of permit challenges, land use, finance, and advocacy aimed at local, state and federal decision makers.
• Bring creative ideas and vision in identifying vulnerabilities surrounding the petrochemical industry’s expansion plans, including product liability litigation or state action opportunities.
• Collaborate with colleagues throughout the campaign, including the Chief of Staff, Campaign Director, Policy Director and Communications team to drive overall campaign strategy.
• Build strong and effective relationships with partners in frontline community organizations, public-interest law firms, and environmental and public health groups.
• Pursue new partners for legal representation, in collaboration with community groups and other advocacy organizations.
• Identify emerging legal opportunities and risks for the campaign, develop appropriate strategies and coordinate with key allies.
• Provide guidance to the campaign regarding potential legal risks associated with proposals and deployment of resources.
• Coordinate with outside attorneys and legal experts, allied organizations, and community partners on campaign legal strategies.
• Assist in analyzing the campaign’s progress toward its goals, identify opportunities to develop new legal strategies that will strengthen its work, and direct resources accordingly.
• Participate in training and professional development opportunities.

This position will not conduct litigation, although experience with and a deep understanding of litigation is important as this leader will support, oversee, and coordinate with other legal entities, including advocacy organizations, law firms, and consultants.

QUALIFICATIONS

Note: These qualifications are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, so if you have 75% of the qualifications listed, we encourage you to apply. Experience can include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work that helped you to build the competencies, knowledge, and skills needed for this position. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.

Strong candidates will offer:

• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in environmental law and
• Experience with and a deep understanding of environmental litigation.
• Experience coordinating multi-faceted projects in environmental, public health, or climate change policy.
• Ability to work independently and in collaboration with internal and external partners.
• Proven team leadership with experience managing legal initiatives.
• Experience working in and with environmental justice campaigns and communities.
• Ability to synthesize information from multiple sources into clear and cohesive written and visual products.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to respond rapidly and appropriately to changing priorities, objectives, and situations; a self-starter with a sense of initiative and good judgment.
• Ability to travel as needed, at minimum quarterly.
• Juris Doctorate required; an active bar license is not required.

LOCATION, COMPENSATION, AND BENEFITS

This is a remote position that can be located anywhere in the US with the ability to work East Coast hours.

Starting salary of $200,000, commensurate with experience.

RLF offers an alternate Fridays off work schedule (employees work 40 hours one week, 32 hours the next week) and a comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401k plan with a 5% match, and generous paid time off. RLF also offers a technology allowance, student loan repayment assistance, the Calm app, mental health benefits and approximately 17 paid holidays per year.

TO APPLY

Submit a resume and a cover letter at https://grossmansolutions.applytojob.com/apply/. The cover letter should be concise and compelling and outline the specific ways in which you would be a good match for this position. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 

ABOUT RESOURCES LEGACY FUND Beyond Petrochemicals is a fiscally sponsored project of Resources Legacy Fund (RLF). RLF builds alliances that advance bold solutions to secure a just and resilient world for people and nature. RLF partners with philanthropy, community groups, government, science, and business to promote smart policies and ensure equitable public funding that protect nature, address the climate crisis, and advance environmental equity and justice. Across the American West and internationally, RLF manages complex, multi-year grantmaking programs and fiscally sponsors projects that accelerate change on environmental and equity issues.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION: We are committed to providing a work environment free from discrimination, where all team members feel valued, respected, and included. We know that our work is enriched by the varied voices and perspectives of every staff and board member, so we are committed to making an earnest effort to recruit, welcome, train, develop, and retain talented individuals from diverse backgrounds. We believe that a diverse and inclusive culture expands our creative capacity to do our work and achieve greater outcomes for people and the natural world. Learn more about RLF’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion on our website. 

RLF participates in E-Verify; potential candidates can review the information here and here.