POSITION: Climate Justice Program Officer
JOB TYPE: Full time, Exempt
REPORTS TO: Climate Justice Program Director
LOCATION: Flexible within the state of Louisiana
About Foundation for Louisiana
Foundation for Louisiana (FFL) unites philanthropists, committed organizations, and caring residents to address the most critical needs facing Louisiana and our entire country. FFL is a social justice philanthropic intermediary founded in 2005 to invest in the immediate recovery of Louisiana’s communities after Hurricane Katrina. While FFL was founded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, our founders recognized the need to address the longstanding inequities that have shaped life outcomes for the most marginalized of Louisianans. FFL grew in response to these needs, and today, we focus on racial justice, climate justice, criminal justice reform, economic justice, gender justice, and support for Louisiana's vibrant arts and culture. Since inception, FFL has invested $55 million in more than 250 mission-critical organizations working across the state towards building a more just Louisiana. The foundation engages communities in both program co-design as well as its grant-making process, in order to expand opportunities and move communities towards a more just future.
All Foundation for Louisiana employees are currently working remotely. While the Program Officer can be based anywhere in the state, preference will be given to applicants residing in southern Louisiana within several hours drive time of the coastal parishes. Office space is available in both Baton Rouge and New Orleans; however, pandemic conditions are monitored closely and FFL observes all municipal, parish, and state guidelines as well as Center for Disease Control recommendations to prioritize the health and safety of our staff, partners, and the communities we serve.
Position Overview
The Program Officer will work closely with other staff within the Climate Justice Program and across other programs in partnership with community-based organizations (CBOs) to support issue/campaign-based organizing and collective power-building while driving resources towards the development of partner organizations, complementary coalitions, and movement/community leaders in ways that reflect the wisdom of the people, communities, and organizations on the frontlines of climate justice.
Conditions allowing (outside of the global pandemic), this position spends significant time in the meeting locations of CBO partners. The Program Officer can expect regular travel within Louisiana’s coastal parishes as well as some limited travel outside of Louisiana. All work-related travel costs incurred as part of this job are reimbursable per the foundation’s travel reimbursement policies.
Who You Are
This position will utilize a unique combination of skillsets, ideally harnessing the people power orientation of an organizer with the drive of an authentic relationship-builder. The role involves significant facilitation, communication, and writing – the successful applicant should be adept at working with and across diverse audiences in a way that facilitates the full and equitable participation of all people.
You may have experience as an organizer working on the frontlines of climate change or you may have studied environmental law or policy in a formal school setting. You may have experience working in a policy organization or in a non-profit working on any number of issues under the broad umbrella of climate and social justice. Regardless of where you are coming from you have a deep passion for and wealth of content knowledge regarding various issues and areas of practice within the broad banner of climate justice. You are comfortable working in complex, frequently shifting contexts and approach your work in a deeply values-centered way. You are able to take and give meaningful feedback, to challenge and be challenged in ways that are generative and productive, and approach your work with a deep commitment to learning and reflective practice. You are okay with ambiguity, can see, celebrate, and uplift small victories while engaged in generational fights, and are dogged in your belief that a better future is possible. Ideally, you are very familiar with coastal Louisiana and the most pressing issues faced by the region.
Key Responsibilities
- Support the capacity of mission-critical community-based organizations in ways that are consistent with Climate Justice Program’s goals and FFL’s strategic plan.
- Manage grant-making decisions to support mission-critical community-based organizations.
- Manage the expansion of FFL’s TOGETHER Initiative via L.E.A.D. the Coast or other climate justice-based L.E.A.D. programs.
- Build partnerships with diverse and cross-sector individuals and organizations across Louisiana.
- Advise and provide technical assistance to grant partners across the state.
- Represent the program and the foundation in meetings and committees as appropriate.
- Support the development and/or implementation of emerging work projects and initiatives in collaboration with other FFL program staff.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
We understand no one candidate is likely to possess all the following skills, abilities, and characteristics; the following list is meant to be illustrative of what we think will serve someone well in this role:
- Minimum of two years of issue-based advocacy experience including organizing and/or coalition building, advocacy or lobbying
- Demonstrated understanding of the impacts of climate change, coastal land loss and/or environmental justice
- Work experience with nonprofit and/or community-based organizations, ideally across coastal Louisiana
- A well-developed racial equity lens and experience working with Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color and other marginalized members of community
- An intersectional lens on the experience of Louisiana’s queer and trans, immigrant, disabled, incarcerated/formerly incarcerated, and/or low-income individuals and communities
- Ability to link that intersectional lens on identity to programmatic crossover within and outside of the climate justice portfolio (i.e. the overlap between climate justice and our work in economic justice, criminal legal system reform, arts and culture, gender justice, and racial justice)
- Strong writing, editing, verbal and non-verbal communications skills
- Strong time management skills and an ability to meet demanding deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- Excellent relationship and network weaving skills
- Well-developed, dynamic facilitation skills
- Social media savvy
Preferred Skills
- Experience evaluating nonprofit organizational capacity
- Familiarity with implementing non-profit strategic or business plans
- Experience developing and managing project budgets
- Experience with grant proposal writing and reporting
The Ideal Candidate Will Possess Several of the Following Characteristics
- Entrepreneurial: innovative and focused on finding new opportunities
- Initiative: driven to complete goals
- Authentic Leadership: an approach to leadership that emphasizes building the leader’s legitimacy through honest relationships with others who value their input and are built on an ethical foundation
- Creative: independent thinking in a collaborative environment
- Flexible: capability, willingness, and skill to engage in multiple roles simultaneously
- Results- and outcomes-driven: focused on creating demonstrable & replicable change
- Tenacious: perseverance through adversity
- Courageous: willingness to risk failure
- Empathetic: considerate of complex challenges and coordinate the needs of many voices across the community; sensitive to competing ideas and opportunities
- Community oriented: works collaboratively to develop creative solutions to tough problems; believes communities in Louisiana have the ability to determine their own futures
Compensation
The Climate Justice Program Officer is a 40 hour/week, full-time exempt position, and reports to the Director of Climate Justice.
- Salary range $60,000 - $80,000 and depends on experience
- Generous benefits package includes: 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision premiums; up to $50,000 employer-paid life insurance; a 403(b)-employer match, and vacation/sick allowances
How to Apply
Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter (see below for details) to jobs@foundationforlouisiana.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis with a priority date of August 31, 2021. No calls, please.
The cover letter is your opportunity to demonstrate your qualifications for this position based on your experience and how your own values align with those of Foundation for Louisiana. In no more than two pages, we’d like to know both who you are and what type of work you have done.
- Introduce yourself and why you’re qualified for this position and to do this work
- Outline your values in terms of community work and advocacy/organizing
- Summarize your professional (paid or unpaid) background and skills, including any experience conducting presentations, creating information packages, working with multiple stakeholders and organizing events
- Describe your relevant past or current work with community-based organizations, particularly those in coastal Louisiana
Equal Opportunity Policy
Foundation for Louisiana aspires towards freedom for all Louisianans and aims to create a fully inclusive and affirming workplace for all people. We welcome and encourage applications from people who have been involved with the criminal legal system. FFL is committed to providing staff with resources to work from home effectively. Reasonable accommodations may be requested to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the position.
Foundation for Louisiana follows an equal opportunity employment policy and employs personnel without regard to race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, criminal legal background, and marital status.
This policy also applies to internal promotions, training, opportunities for advancement, terminations, outside vendors, members and customers, service clients, use of contractors and consultants, grant partners, board members and dealings with the general public.