Vice President, Programs
Vice President of Programs
Mighty Earth is accepting applications to join our team as Vice President of Programs, a critical leadership role on our “Dream Team.” In this position, you will drive the strategic direction of our campaigns for Nature and climate at one of the most effective environmental advocacy organizations in the world. You will oversee talented senior leaders of programs to protect the Amazon and other rainforests, transform the global meat industry, shift to regenerative agriculture, and decarbonize industry in ways that advance the rights of Indigenous and local communities. You will also help develop new programmatic initiatives with outsized potential to protect Earth and its inhabitants, such as work on rewilding and the finance sector.
Who we are:
Mighty Earth (www.mightyearth.org) is a global advocacy organization working to defend a living planet. Our goal is to protect half of Earth for Nature and secure a climate that allows life to flourish. We are obsessed with impact and aspire to be the most effective environmental advocacy organization in the world.
We have played a leading role in developing and deploying campaigns that have:
- Driven a 90% decline in deforestation for palm oil, rubber, and other commodities
- Banned European imports of commodities linked to deforestation
- Helped spark decarbonization in the steel and aluminum industries
- Ended financing for and shut down dangerous new coal plants in Asia
- Secured stronger rights for Indigenous and local communities affected by industrial agriculture
- Won major new investments in protecting highly biodiverse landscapes
- Shifted energy policies away from fossil fuels towards clean energy
Read more about our approach and our campaign in the following resources;
Fomenting a “Perfect Storm” to push companies to change (Mongabay).
How Pressuring Corporations Can Save the Amazon from Destruction (Yale Environment 360)
As Mighty Earth’s Vice President for Programs, your responsibilities will include:
Leadership and Management
- Managing Mighty Earth’s campaign leaders
- Working with the Senior Directors for Communications, Finance, and Development on operational, and programmatic priorities
- Working closely with the organization’s leadership (as a member of the Senior Leadership team) to build a culture that is obsessed with impact, fun, supportive, collaborative, and committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ).
Campaign Strategy
- Working with campaign leaders to develop and update multi-year strategic and tactical plans;
- Supporting campaign leaders to develop budgets that align with programmatic and organizational priorities and responsibilities;
- Guiding Mighty Earth’s campaigns in major decisions, planning, communication, and advocacy, and bringing in the CEO and Deputy Director as needed;
- Working with the Senior Director of Communications, to coordinate Mighty Earth’s digital campaigning, communications, and research to advance programmatic and organizational strategy and goals;
Additional responsibilities include:
- Serving as a representative and spokesperson for Mighty Earth in meetings with strategic partners, corporate targets, and/or philanthropic supporters as needed;
- Supporting organizational, strategic, and project planning;
- Supporting the CEO in Board-level planning;
- Supporting the CEO and playing a role in fundraising and development as needed.
Who you are:
Required qualifications:
- You have a minimum of 8 years of experience, including experience working in advocacy or social change
- You have experience recruiting, training, and managing senior staff.
- You have experience developing and deploying detailed strategic and tactical plans.
- You are deeply committed to protecting the environment and advancing a more just society
- You are a strong writer and verbal communicator and can distill complicated information into fluent and accessible prose.
- You have a commitment to and experience working with people from a variety of backgrounds.
- You are excited about working in an entrepreneurial, dynamic environment where changes in politics, economics, or other factors requires
- You are comfortable working with various internal and external stakeholders and can network and work in coalitions across diverse constituencies. You are comfortable working with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
- English fluency is required.
Preferred qualifications:
- Additional language skills, including Portuguese, Spanish, French, German or Chinese a plus, but not essential.
- You have experience in markets campaigning or influencing company executives.
- Expertise in deforestation, agriculture, or industry decarbonization a plus, but not required. We are open to candidates with experience in other issue areas such as human rights, politics, democracy, or racial justice.
- Familiarity with and connections in Latin America, Africa, Asia, or Europe is a plus, but not required.
More about our team: Mighty Earth is made up of people from various backgrounds including people with background in non-profit organizations, election campaigns, government, the private sector, and legislative offices, at a range of experience levels. We pride ourselves on being a welcoming place for people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, parents, empty-nesters, and more.
Approach and Culture: Consistent with our obsession with impact, Mighty Earth is results-focused, entrepreneurial, collaborative, and nimble – and we seek candidates who are excited to work in that culture. While remaining true to our public interest mission and commitment to movement-building, we’ve sought to apply the best of business to our organization. A resource that has informed our approach to culture is the book No Rules Rules and the famous Netflix culture deck.
Details: This is a full-time position with a preference for candidates based in Washington, DC. We are open to candidates based in other U.S. locations, with a preference for eastern time zone locations. The position involves international travel. You will report to our CEO and work closely with our Deputy Director.
To apply: Please submit your application as soon as possible. Please include a thoughtful cover letter which speaks to our mission, demonstrates your writing abilities, and let us know where you heard about the job. The position will remain posted until it is filled. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact Jeanne-Marie Leroux at [email protected]. Applications should be submitted through our application link and not sent to this email.
Interview process: Our interview process involves a phone interview, two video interviews, a candidate exercise, and reference calls for candidates advancing in our process.
Compensation and benefits: The hiring salary range for this position is $125K – $160K, depending on experience. We have a generous benefits package including group health insurance, dental benefits, unlimited vacation time, paid holidays, and a 401(k) plan.
Mighty Earth is an equal opportunity employer; we strictly prohibit discrimination against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression and any other characteristic protected by law. Women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community are strongly encouraged to apply.
