Program Director, Digital Economy and the Environment

For five decades, the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) has played a pivotal role in shaping the fields of environmental law, policy, and management, both domestically and internationally.

ELI is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Program Director to lead our Network for the Digital Economy and the Environment (nDEE) program, which aims to understand and address the environmental impact of the digital economy. The Program Director will be responsible for designing and executing projects that explore the intersections between technology, the digital economy, and the environment and for informing actionable policy to mitigate the direct and indirect negative impacts of digital technologies on the planet.

Please note that this is a 1-year position to begin, with possibility of renewal depending on project outcomes.

ABOUT NDEE

The Network on the Digital Economy and the Environment (nDEE) is a collaboration of the Environmental Law Institute, Yale University, and the University of California at Berkeley. The nDEE’s mission is to catalyze and disseminate research on the energy and environmental impacts of the digital economy. These three institutions provide the initiative with a national presence and expertise in environmental assessment, management, policy, and law.

The nDEE’s activities also include research development, grantmaking, and publishing and are jointly funded by the Internet Society Foundation (ISOC) and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The nDEE also manages a Research Coordination Network (RCN) through additional funding from the National Science Foundation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and execute a research-to-action agenda that explores the environmental impact of the digital economy, with a focus on use-inspired research that can lead to actionable policies, more sustainable business practices, or environmentally beneficial consumer choices or behaviors.
• Lead a team of program staff and provide guidance and support as needed to ensure high-quality work and timely completion of deliverables.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the digital technology and environmental fields, including funders, researchers, companies, industry groups, non-governmental organizations, and policy makers, to advance the program’s mission and goals.
• Engage with academic, policy, and advocacy communities to stay informed about developments in relevant fields and promote the organization’s research and advocacy efforts.
• Incentivize engagement across the science-policy gap of these research topics, building researcher and user communications and translation skills, facilitating more networking and professional partnerships, and expanding outreach activities at both research and policy-making institutions.
• Write reports, policy briefs, and other documents that communicate research findings and recommendations to various audiences, including policy makers, industry leaders, and the general public.
• Represent the program and ELI more broadly at conferences, meetings, and other public events, presenting research findings and participating in panels and discussions.
• Connect programmatic learnings and deliverables to ELI’s work, facilitating and encouraging cross-pollination with the institution more broadly.
• Support fundraising efforts for the nDEE program by leveraging existing relationships with foundations and cultivating new partnerships. Specifically, targeting grants and donations to support research initiatives, with a particular emphasis on advancing the mission of environmental protection within the digital economy landscape.
• Build trust across organizational boundaries.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years of policy experience working on environmental or sustainability issues, preferably with a focus on digital technology.
• A Master’s or Ph.D. or equivalent training and expertise in a relevant field, such as environmental studies, economics, computer science, engineering or public policy.
• Familiarity with the political and policy making landscape in Washington, DC.
• Substantive knowledge of the positive and negative impacts that digital technology and the digital economy have on the environment.
• Proven experience raising funds and connecting with foundations and other potential funders. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage a team of researchers and program staff, and to work collaboratively with colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas to non-expert audiences.
• Strong commitment to sustainability and social responsibility.
• Ability to become proficient in new issue areas and contribute to creative, rigorous, analytical approaches to address them.
• Well-developed collaborative and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Well-developed judgment to assess needs, develop strategy, establish priorities, and effectively manage multiple tasks at the same time with moderate supervision.

ABOUT ELI

The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) is an environmental law, science, and policy center that makes law work for people, places, and the planet. We envision a healthy environment, prosperous economies, and vibrant communities founded on the rule of law. Our mission is to foster innovative, just, and practical law and policy solutions to enable leaders across borders and sectors to make environmental, economic, and social progress.

ELI’s Research and Policy experts develop innovative legal and governance solutions to challenges in areas such as climate change; environmental justice; natural resource management; land conservation and smart growth; biodiversity loss and habitat destruction; and air, water, and soil pollution. Together, ELI’s staff aims to:

• Build the skills and capacity of tomorrow’s leaders and institutions
• Research and analyze complex and pressing environmental challenges
• Promote and disseminate the best thinking through print and electronic media
• Work with partners to develop and implement laws, policies, and other means to protect the environment and society
• Convene people with diverse perspectives to build understanding through robust dialogue

For more information on ELI’s programs, visit https://www.eli.org/programs.

COMPENSATION

Compensation starts at $105,000 and is commensurate with experience. ELI’s total compensation includes excellent benefits including:

• Health/Dental/Vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• Employer-paid life insurance & disability insurance
• Long Term Care insurance
• Pre-tax transportation benefit
• Fitness Incentive
• 403(b) Retirement Savings Account with employer match
• Paid time off