Policy and Programs Manager, Chief Program Office

Policy and Programs Manager, Chief Program Office

Join to apply for the Policy and Programs Manager, Chief Program Office role at Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington, D.C.

Position Summary

The Policy and Programs Manager supports and works closely with the Chief Program Officer (CPO) to manage and advance the strategy and execution of NRDC’s programmatic work, in coordination with the leaders of NRDC’s Programs : Climate & Clean Energy, International (including NRDC’s offices in China and India), Nature, Environmental Health, and Green Finance and Economic Development. The role involves strategizing day‑to‑day operations, supporting project management for teams delivering the organization’s mission, assisting with reporting and tracking a $100 million budget, and leading administrative efforts. The Manager serves as a proxy for the CPO in internal settings, leads team meetings, and represents Programs with Finance, HR, and other counterparts. The Manager collaborates with the CPO on strategic leadership, undertaking discrete strategic projects and serving as a delegatee on specific matters related to strategy and execution.

Responsibilities

Support the team’s strategic planning and results management efforts (~40%) :

• Collaborate and build relationships across institutional verticals to inform strategic priorities in alignment with NRDC’s strategic plan, mission, and goals.
• Engage in institutional strategy development and implementation, executing consistent and cohesive planning and organizational performance management processes.
• Facilitate the process of sector and geographic strategy development and execution within the team.
• Support adaptation and continuous learning through feedback and update cycles for strategies and workplans.
• Provide regular reporting and line of sight to senior leadership and the Executive Team on progress against priorities, changes to the activity portfolio, and emerging risks and opportunities.
• Drive project management for Programs in alignment with institutional priorities.
• Develop proposals for institutional initiatives, including SWOT analysis, project management, RAPID decision making, and prioritization.
• Align team functions to support NRDC’s current and future scale, optimizing workflows, designing scalable processes, mitigating risk, and adapting to changing needs.
• Partner with NRDC leadership to develop, define, and monitor key metrics and evaluation methods.
• Undertake discrete substantive projects under the CPO to advance strategy and execution of programmatic advocacy.
• Create and manage methods of internal communication for Programs to improve overall functioning.

Oversee the team’s operational processes, informing and executing reforms (~40%) :

Support coordination of the Regional Impact Councils (~20%) :

The above list is not comprehensive but demonstrates the types of duties under this position’s responsibility. Other duties may be assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Education & Experience :

Skills, Abilities, Competencies :

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We encourage applications from candidates historically under‑represented in the environmental movement.

We are an equal‑opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. For this position, the salary range is $113,000 to $121,000.

NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employees are required to come to the office 8 days per month.

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org / careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in‑person résumé drop‑offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1‑800‑889‑4422.

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.

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