Director, Agriculture Policy at Environmental Defense Fund Washington DC

Director, Agriculture Policy job at Environmental Defense Fund. Washington DC. When you apply for this position, please say you saw this job on Green Dream Jobs!! Description Put your passion and skills to work, building a vital Earth – for everyone. We’re Environmental Defense Fund, a fast-paced nonprofit with a growing staff of more than 1,000 people in nearly 30 countries. We deliver game-changing solutions that cut pollution and strengthen people’s ability to thrive despite the effects climate change is already having. We work wherever we can have the most impact, from local communities to top companies to governments worldwide, and even in space. Position Overview Agriculture is responsible for nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas pollution, with the overuse of nitrogen-based fertilizer and methane emissions playing a major role. The Director, Agricultural Policy, will lead EDF’s efforts to develop and implement effective and innovative agricultural policy solutions in the United States and around the world in order to reduce impacts to air, land, water, and climate. The Director will bolster EDF’s leadership on agricultural policy, markets, and innovation and will catalyze a growing global strategy to ensure effective teamwork and management across the organization and with key partners. This role, a key leader within the Climate-Smart Agriculture team and the Agriculture, Water, and Food (AWF) focus area will report to the Vice President, Climate-Smart Agriculture. Key Responsibilities • With key colleagues and partners, lead the development of strategies and workplans for agriculture policy, with a specific focus on cropland and fertilizer use. • Partner with the Vice President, SVP, and EDF Development to engage trustees and donors and to raise funds to advance our mission, and liaise with EDF Executive Team and Board of Trustees as needed. • Identify emerging issues and trends to identify EDF’s role and value add, and develop strategies based on assessed needs and opportunities. • Guide strategy for analyzing complex agriculture issues and designing solutions to reduce climate impacts of agriculture by strengthening management and aligning stakeholders’ economic incentives with the health of the planet. • Advance EDF Organizational Effectiveness and Culture (OEC) goals so people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values. • Serve as a lead authority on issues of agricultural policy and implementation of improvements, including effective and authentic community engagement, which ensuring attention to issues of equity and justice. • Regularly communicate in various fora (internal, public, etc.) on key areas of expertise, representing EDF and the Climate Smart Agriculture team. • Provide expert advice and consultation to the policymakers, partners, staff and other stakeholders on agricultural policy. • Play a key lead role in fundraising efforts, including drafting strategically relevant proposals, growing relationships with donors and foundation officers, tracking and reporting progress, and other functions. • With the Vice President, work to identify and cultivate new funders and individuals to contribute to the fundraising goals. • Identify and oversee consultants and coordinate with staff and partners to ensure aligned execution of work to achieve results and work closely with financial operations lead on budget matters. • Guide, motivate and develop staff, prioritizing professional development and ensuring staff understand how their work relates to EDF’s global strategy. • Effectively coordinate across EDF teams (AWF, Political Affairs, OCS, OCE, and others) to ensure EDF priorities are met. • Develop a team management plan that clarifies roles and responsibilities, empowers staff, and ensures staff are in the right roles. • Take accountability for effective and impactful implementation, ensuring that EDF attains its technical, financial and contractual commitments for work under the Director’s purview. • Proactively identify and manage risks, escalating as necessary to executive leadership. • Ensure compliance with EDF’s policies, procedures and project management processes, and actively contribute to the strengthening of these. • Serve as a global thought leader and thought partner to influence the broader Ag, Water and Food agenda. • Guide and oversee novel research that advances our understanding of resilient cropland mitigation and leads to robust solutions. • Periodically author op-eds or other thought pieces to enhance EDF’s positioning and expand understanding of policy (and other) solutions. • Proactively strengthen existing and cultivate new partnerships from all sectors (public, private, nonprofit, etc.) that enable EDF to expand the scope, scale and impact of its work. • Convene key government, private sector, community and other stakeholders to advance...