JOB SUMMARY
CARE is looking for a senior global Climate strategist who can shape and represent a growing practice area with vision, creativity, and commitment. Candidates must have global climate expertise and credibility, demonstrated experience working across sectors and geographies, an international climate change network, and a deep understanding of the strategies and vital role that nonprofits and civil society networks play in responding to and mitigating climate change impact. The position is housed within PSI – Program Strategy & Innovation team, with a direct line reporting to the Senior Leader of the ‘Impact Hub’ and a dotted line reporting to the Vice President, PSI. The successful candidate will partner with the Vice President, PSI and have leadership and oversight of the Climate Justice team, and collaborate with all relevant technical teams, Fundraising teams, country offices, Innovation and Social enterprise teams; will also engage directly with the Portfolio Design and Thought Leadership team.
CARE is uniquely positioned to impact people and communities bearing the biggest climate impacts through our presence in the countries most affected, decades of experience, the strength of our global connections, and the power of our local networks and partners.
· There is increasing understanding within the sector that single breakthrough endeavors will not work. We need to drive partnerships with ecosystem actors and local implementers. CARE is well- positioned to be a platform and ecosystem actor that can deliver scale through local implementers.
· We believe the answers lie in more local solutions, supporting adaptation and adopting an innovation strategy that focuses on identifying and scaling Global South solutions.
· High-net-worth individuals, Foundations, corporations, and USG are looking for innovative solutions to climate change. Funding to address the climate crisis largely exists and donor interest is high, yet competition for these dollars is also increasing.
CARE has been working at the forefront of global problems for nearly 80 years, starting with its response to World War II. As the challenges the world faces have evolved, so has CARE—always keeping the focus on the most marginalized communities and the biggest obstacles to global progress. Today, it is abundantly clear that climate change is one of those problems, and CARE seeks to:
- Scale our already successful work on climate change adaptation and build new approaches for people to face the climate change causes in their lives, and;
- Build on our global networks of communities, innovators, policymakers, and the private sector to build new solutions to solve climate change for everyone.
Over more than 20 years, CARE has operated on the frontlines of climate change, from building new agriculture approaches to solve climate change to creating successful partnerships that unlock national and regional solutions for climate change adaptation and response. CARE and our partners built new climate change response plans for all of Madagascar; helped the government of Guatemala start tracking climate change response and financing; and built responses to ecosystem management and reforestation in Uganda.
CARE global network in more than 109 countries reached more than 160 million people in 2023 and provides unprecedented opportunities for innovation, scale, and partnership to solve climate change.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Core Responsibilities
· Serve as a credible climate leader for CARE’s external representation, especially in spaces where CARE is not currently active or is underrepresented.
· Combine climate expertise, reputation, and track record of high-level engagement on climate change with the network of expertise of CARE and its partners.
· Inspire investment in CARE as a leader in resolving climate change and its impacts.
· Help CARE grow the climate portfolio with both new funders and new offerings in spaces where there are growth opportunities.
· Foster collaboration and connection across teams to bring together and advance CARE’s climate vision.
Advance Technical and Thought Leadership (50%)
Advance technical and thought leadership in climate change and at the nexus of climate justice, gender, health, and education – focusing on innovations and scale-able external social entrepreneurship solutions.
· Leadership and oversight of Climate Justice team (Sr. Director and Sr. Technical Advisor) within Program Strategy and Innovation (PSI)
· Leading CARE Climate Solutions Accelerator (CCSA) and bringing in partners, funders, and relevant solutions to the CCSA.
· Expanding CARE’s presence in networks and spaces we are not now covering to be a key leader. Particular focus areas include foundations, corporations, and high-net -worth-individuals.
· Bringing credibility, a track record of success, and expertise in climate change to be able to seamlessly represent CARE’s climate work in external spaces—including with donors, on panels, and in media.
· Actively pitching CARE as a climate leader, innovator, and critical player in the climate space. Build credibility to invest in CARE as a key solution to climate change.
· Bringing new donors to CARE in the climate space.
· Building from CARE’s existing base, skills, and climate excellence to showcase why CARE is a good investment for donors in the climate space.
· Fostering collaboration and cross-cutting thinking across CARE’s teams and external stakeholders.
· Engaging closely with project designers and country office / regional management unit colleagues to develop new pitches, innovations, and plans for strategic growth in climate change areas where CARE is not yet expert (ie: mitigation).
· Routinely publishing external CARE Climate content in high-profile spaces (news media, technical journals, professional publications for innovation and climate) to highlight CARE as a leader in climate change.
· Attending key climate change-related events, conferences etc. with the intent to mobilize funding, in collaboration/coordination with the rest of the CARE Climate team.
***Design a Climate Growth Strategy for CARE (***30%)
Design a Climate Growth Strategy for CAREin partnership with relevant PSI technical teams, Resource mobilization team, Executive office, and relevant country offices.
· Identify key opportunities and sectors for growing the portfolio building on CARE’s current expertise.
· Identify key opportunities for CARE to strategically grow into new areas of climate change—building on our capacities for community organizing and influencing at scale.
· Build plans to integrate across CARE’s donor streams to build exponentially higher impact by drawing from CARE’s unique value add as bringing different stakeholders to the table.
· Working with the Climate Justice team and the Climate Portfolio designer to identify core innovations to pitch to donors.
· Build core KPIs for growth in climate change and KPIs that will make the case for transformation and success in climate change.
· Identify core areas to grow evidence, data, and measurement in climate change and how to leverage existing evidence on climate change impact in CARE’s work.
Supporting Resource Mobilization (20%)
Supporting Resource Mobilization colleagues in rapid pitching of fundraising products with winning themes.
· Developing relationships and pitching to new donors with RM colleagues (major donors, Foundations, corporate partnerships).
· Building a strategy to grow funding streams we have not historically worked with – understanding the funding landscape we have not yet tapped into and how it is evolving a key aspect of this area).
· In consultation, develop new content and products based on game-changing ideas/solutions.
· Engage technical, corporate, major gift, and Foundation partners (through collaboration with Resource Development).
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
- At least 15 years of experience in an external-facing climate change role with verifiable results.
- Proven expertise and track record in climate change influencing, including climate change publications, climate conferences, media appearances, etc.
- Climate change expertise and technical credibility in climate change spaces and networks.
- Ability to build and act in networks of climate change experts and philanthropists.
- Deep respect for collaboration across different actors, particularly locally-led organizations.
- Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of climate change funding (from a technical perspective and in areas including but not limited to adaptation action (locally led adaptation, anticipatory action, scenario planning), green enterprise and the green transition, clean energy, devolved climate finance, climate information services, payment for environmental services, nature-based solutions, carbon finance).
- Demonstrable success building relations with high-level climate donors and networks.
- Acute understanding of gender equality issues in climate change
- Learning and adaptation mindset
- Advanced editorial and writing skills for donor audiences
- Advanced and confident oral presentation and public speaking skills
- Degree or advanced education in a relevant field
- Experience working with partners in the Global South
Desired
- Experience working with an INGO.
- Location flexible to states where CARE can hire but knowledge and understanding of the US market is required.
- Spanish or French fluency is an advantage.
How to apply
https://phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg02/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=CAREUSA&cws=52&rid=7374
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Starting salaries are based on internal equity, candidate experience, and the cost of labor where the job is based. Salaries listed only apply to jobs based in the US.