Climate Programs Associate

Job Title: Associates

Status: Full-Time Permanent

Non-Exempt

Can Report To: Director of Climate Mitigation, Director of Climate Policy, or Director of Climate Resilience

Applications Due: April 19, 2024

ABOUT COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL:

CEC is a fast-paced nonprofit based in Santa Barbara and serving the California Central Coast, with a reputation for positive social change and community engagement. Since 1970, CEC has incubated and innovated real life environmental solutions that directly affect the region.

With its current focus on promoting rapid and equitable solutions to the climate crisis, CEC is known for organizing the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival, advancing 100% renewable energy goals, and developing campaigns to #gosolar, #driveless, #driveclean #ditchplastic, and #rethinkfood. CEC’s primary objectives are to 1) Achieve carbon zero communities; 2) Promote nature-based solutions to draw down legacy emissions and 3) Protect against unavoidable climate impacts.

The CEC team is a highly committed and energetic group, with an internal culture that values collaboration, ongoing learning, and innovation. CEC seeks to activate people of every age, race, ethnicity, and economic status in community planning, political action, personal behavior change, and climate leadership.

Visit www.CECSB.org and www.facebook.com/cecsb to learn more about our work and history.

ABOUT THE POSITION:

The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is seeking highly motivated and dedicated Associates to join our team and lead efforts to advance climate mitigation and community resilience on the Central Coast. The Associates will play a crucial role in CEC's mission to promote sustainable solutions for the environment, economy and community by working on key tasks for a variety of CEC projects that aim to achieve rapid and equitable greenhouse gas emission reductions and achieve carbon zero communities. CEC views the Associate role as an opportunity to develop and grow project management, community organizing, and policy advocacy skills to advance goals and objectives that personally impact our community’s most pressing climate justice concerns.

CLIMATE MITIGATION

The Transportation and Energy portfolio of projects focuses on immediate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by promoting renewable energy solutions and incentives to marginalized communities throughout the tri-county.

CLIMATE POLICY

The Climate Policy team focuses on advancing climate and clean energy related policies to reduce the region's use of fossil fuels. The department works to influence planning processes and build public support for climate action, with campaigns at local governments and regional agencies for clean transportation, decarbonized buildings, and 100% renewable and clean electricity. The team also coordinates policy actions across CEC's programs, working closely with other teams such as food, agriculture, waste, climate resilience and climate justice to achieve a comprehensive approach to climate change. This Associate position will focus on Ventura County.

CLIMATE RESILIENCE

The Climate Resilience department works to deploy bold, community-led solutions that protect against extreme weather while accelerating natural solutions that adapt our working lands to achieve resilience on our central coast. The department takes a 'whole community' approach that centers equity and justice, empowers all people, and builds capacity to protect the Central Coast from climate impacts such as increasing fire, drought, heat, and sea level rise. The department has a strong focus on bilingual outreach, education, and engagement activities to ensure that resources are deployed in a just and equitable way to strengthen communities during climate disasters.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Driving Operational Excellence

• Implement work plans and timelines with the support of CEC’s management team to deliver projects on schedule. Escalate concerns about timelines and delivery quickly and efficiently when identified.
• Drive assignments to completion with accuracy and in the assigned time frame.
• Collect, document, and organize information for projects; assess and bring potential recommendations for actions based on input from partners and project stakeholders.
• Partner with other CEC programs to align and coordinate work efforts, occasionally working with other departments and teams to facilitate collaboration and impact across programs.
• Provide information as needed for CEC’s Board of Directors, including contributing to staff reports and periodically preparing and presenting program-specific discussions at Board meetings.
• Inform, support and bring your personal perspectives to the organization’s annual goal setting process for the Energy & Transportation, Climate Mitigation, Climate Justice, and Climate Policy programs.
• In collaboration with your manager and team members, identify specific actions CEC can take to deliver CEC projects/programs with our region’s underserved communities in our region.
• Track funding opportunities and support the development of grant applications to secure funding awards.
• Complete administrative tasks that support grant agreements, reporting, and budget management.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Monitoring and Communicating Performance

• Gather data to measure and evaluate outcomes for Climate Mitigation projects. Develop draft reports to communicate project results.
• Provide content, data, outcomes to the CEC’s Communications Team for use in developing programmatic materials, i.e. websites, blogs, e-blasts, articles, videos, annual impact report and other items as requested.
• Track and maintain data on progress towards CEC's 2021 - 2025 Strategic Plan and internal Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice goals.

Representing CEC to the Community

• Share CEC’s work with the community, and engage with external partners and community members to improve CEC collaborations with the communities we serve.
• Attend meetings and public events, representing CEC in a positive, professional manner and collecting the data and insights gained so they can be acted on to better serve communities.
• Represent CEC in regional, state or national networks as necessary. May include participation in local government or stakeholder committees, including providing coordination support as needed.
• Attend meetings with consultants, Board or Board Committees, President's Council and/or Partnership Council as requested.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Two or more years of professional work experience, preferably in a field focused on climate change, energy, climate policy, community resilience, and/or food.
• Bilingual candidates who are fluent in Spanish strongly preferred for certain positions*
• Knowledge and awareness of intersectional issues related to racism, diversity, equity, social justice movements, and fair labor practices strongly preferred.
• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field is preferred, but a degree is not required. We will gladly consider demonstrated experience that directly relates to the position in lieu of a degree.
• Demonstrated experience in a role that required effective written and oral communication skills, including interpersonal networking skills, public speaking, and relationship building.
• Aptitude with Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to learn and use file sharing systems such as Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.
• Commitment to CEC’s mission and programs, including community-centered climate action that reduces carbon emissions and advance equity.
• Openness to adopting new perspectives and beliefs on how our organization addresses and solves difficult challenges in fast-changing global and local contexts.

JOB STATUS AND COMPENSATION:

• 40 hours/week
• Salary: $50,000 - $60,000/yr plus bilingual differential for Spanish language fluency.
• Hourly, Non-Exempt position
• This position will be based out of our office in Santa Barbara, California
• This position works a 60/40 in-office/hybrid schedule with 3 days per week based in CEC’s downtown Santa Barbara HUB and 2 days working remotely from home.

TO APPLY:

Applications will be considered until the position is filled.

HIRING PROCESS & TIMELINE:

• Prospective candidates are encouraged to apply by April 19, 2024;

Questions related to this position can be submitted by emailing hr@cecmail.org.