Director of Corporate/Institutional Engagement

Position Type: 1.0 FTE.  Exempt.

Reports to: Senior Director of Programs

About Us

The Center for Environmental Health (“CEH”) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that protects people from toxic chemicals and promotes business practices that are safe for public health and the environment. We stop corporations from exposing people to toxic chemicals, collaborate with responsible businesses and industry leaders, and commit to inclusive, community-led solutions that address environmental injustices facing the general public as well as low-income communities of color.

Workplace

CEH is an organization of committed science-driven advocates who work together to keep short-sighted business interests from harming people in the name of profit. We are proud of our work and achieve big wins for people’s health. The organizational culture is one of entrepreneurism and thoughtfully assessed risk taking. CEH believes that to protect the health of all people, we must address the disproportionate health effects of toxic chemicals caused by systemic racism and other social injustices. The movement to eliminate dangerous chemicals must move forward in partnership with environmental justice, reproductive Justice, and other related movements working to address the pressing social justice issues of our day. CEH’s headquarters are in Oakland.

Commitment to JEDI

At CEH, striving for justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (“JEDI”) for all is critical to its mission and values. We know that having a team that is diverse in race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, ability, sexual orientation, age, and background, and opinions — and fostering inclusion among that team — is core to achieving our organizational goals. CEH strives to recruit talent from a diverse pool of candidates and ensure that those professionals we hire are sufficiently supported so that they flourish. CEH wants everyone to not only have a seat at the table but to know that their presence and input make the organization stronger.

Equal Opportunity

CEH is an equal opportunity employer. In keeping with the priority we give to the values of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), we are committed to gender and racial equity and actively seek to hire those from historically marginalized communities. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status. Learn more about the Center for Environmental Health at www.ceh.org.

The Opportunity

CEH’s corporate/institutional engagement strategy seeks to leverage the power of large, institutional purchasers by encouraging them to demand commercial goods and products that are free of toxic chemicals and other dangerous substances. By harnessing rising purchaser and consumer demand for toxics-free goods, we hope to achieve nothing less than wholesale shifts in the marketplace towards healthier and more sustainable products.

Building on our preliminary successes in working with external partners, CEH is now seeking to hire our first Director of Corporate/Institutional Engagement (DCIE) to formalize and expand the organization’s efforts in this area. Among the top priorities that the DCIE is expected to take on is the development of a fee-for-service structure that monetizes the organization’s consulting, testing, and training activities for for-profit, governmental, and non-profit groups that are able and willing to pay for our services. Additionally, working with an internal team and paid consultants, the DCIE is expected to lead other strategies and initiatives to raise funds from external partners who share CEH’s commitment to a toxics-free world.

Qualities of a Successful Candidate

  • Deeply committed to environmental health and justice – You’re motivated to protect human beings, animals, plants, and whole ecosystems from the damaging effects of toxic chemicals.
  • Innovative and entrepreneurial-minded – You’re constantly on the lookout for effective ideas and strategies to galvanize external partners, eradicate toxic chemicals, and shift the marketplace.
  • Highly motivated with a high emotional intelligence – You’re excited to champion the design of new program strategies and initiatives, and, at the same time, know that building positive relationships and cohesive teams is crucial to making change happen.
  • Mission-driven, detail-oriented, and focused on social impact – You like to project manage and breathe life into complex initiatives from soup to nuts.
  • Dedicated to generating revenue – You know the importance and necessity of raising dollars to support social change organizations and are excited to tackle ambitious financial goals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Spearhead the strategic assessment, planning, and implementation of CEH’s expanded corporate/institutional engagement strategy.
  • Lead a team of internal stakeholders and consultants in strategic assessment, planning, and implementation re CEH’s corporate/institutional engagement strategy.
  • Develop a three-year strategic roadmap, including a business plan, with clear success markers to guide the rollout of the expanded strategy.
  • Formalize the list of services and build internal capacity, including identifying external contractors, to respond to increased demand for those services.
  • Partner with other program directors to align the corporate/institutional engagement strategy with their program initiatives, starting with CEH’s Built Environment and Food Programs
  1. Lead the corporate/institutional engagement strategy, ensuring that it remains in alignment with CEH’s mission and values.
  • Coordinate outreach and marketing related to the expanded strategy
  • Lead efforts to identify, track, cultivate, and manage relationships with potential and existing partners.
  • Provide project management services and maintain relationships with key corporate/institutional partners.
  • Conduct regular assessments and evaluations related to the quality and impact of services provided by CEH.
  • Supervise and oversee the work of the Senior Manager of Institutional Engagement for Colleges and Universities.
  1. Increase CEH revenue through the development and launch of a fee-for-service structure, with a goal of raising at least $500K over the next three years.
  • Primarily responsible for establishing and meeting goals related to social impact and revenue from fee-for-service and other corporate engagement initiatives.
  • Develop, pilot, and institute a fee-for-service structure, including the process for determining how much to charge for CEH services.
  • Oversee the process for tracking, prioritizing, assigning, and completing projects in a timely and efficient manner.
  1. Serve as the lead manager for CEH’s corporate consulting work.
  • Develop, manage, and carry out agreed upon scope of work in a timely fashion.
  • Negotiate contracts with clients and other external partners, including any fee structure for completing agreed upon deliverables.
  • Coordinate, as necessary, with other members of the CEH team to ensure the smooth delivery of any negotiated services.
  • Conduct project evaluation and assessment regularly to assess quality of services, partner satisfaction, social impact, alignment with CEH’s mission and values, etc.
  1. Assist Senior Director of Programs with Coordination of Program Team Meetings & Assessing Impact
  • Works closely with the Senior Director of Programs to do planning, develop agendas, and facilitate program team meetings, including the Directors, Cross Program Strategy Team Meetings, Program Team Retreats, etc.
  • Develops and maintains programs “dashboard,” and assists with tracking and evaluating the impact of programs, strategies, and initiatives.
  • Takes on other assignments as requested by the Senior Director of Programs.
  1. Other Duties and Responsibilities
  • Contributes to CEH’s ongoing work and priorities by actively participating in staff meetings, committees, special events, etc.
  • Represents CEH to external stakeholders, including meetings, conferences, press conferences, fundraising events, etc.
  • Actively participates in CEH’s fund development efforts by contributing to grant proposals and written reports, participating in donor and foundation cultivation efforts, attending fundraisers, etc.
  • Actively contribute to CEH’s communications efforts by providing written updates, participating in press events, and engaging CEH’s target audiences through traditional and social media.

Qualifications

  • Master’s degree and/or equivalent work experience in a relevant field, e.g., sustainability, environmental health/justice, procurement, green business strategies, etc.
  • 6-8 years of relevant work experience, with increasing levels of leadership and responsibility.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of fee-for-service models and/or the ability to lead the successful development and implementation of these models in a nonprofit setting.
  • Proven project management experience, including leading an initiative from its earliest conception to full implementation.
  • Strong people skills, including the ability to network with people in informal and professional settings, expertly pitch CEH’s services, and build and cultivate relationships with diverse groups of people.
  • Close alignment with CEH’s vision, mission, and goals, including our commitment to principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI).
  • Experience working with CRM and project management software is a plus.

Location

Preference will be given to qualified candidates located in the Oakland/Bay Area. However, talented applicants located in other parts of the continental U.S. will also be considered for permanent remote status.

All CEH staff are currently working remotely, but this is expected to change as conditions improve. We anticipate that the Oakland Office will reopen using a hybrid schedule that will require some part-time, in-person work in the office and some part-time remote work at home.

Salary

The base salary for this position is $85,000 and is negotiable, commensurate with experience. Base salaries are set based on living expenses in the San Francisco/Bay Area; CEH uses an adjusted pay scale to determine the base salaries for permanent remote positions stationed in other parts of the country. The job comes with full benefits, including medical, dental, and vision, employer contributions to a 401K, and generous paid time off.

Working Conditions and Job Setting

  • Physical ability to type (or use voice keyboarding software) and use a computer is essential.

Applying for this job

Please submit the following materials in a single PDF:

  • Cover letter, highlighting your qualifications
  • Resume
  • A writing sample related to environmental health/justice concerns.

Please merge these documents into a single PDF whose file name includes your surname and “DCIE.” Then email it to: [email protected] with the subject line: Director, Institutional/Corporate Engagement.

We acknowledge receipt of all employment applications, and when we decide a candidate is no longer in the running, we inform her/him/them promptly.  (Note: this sometimes can take a while.)

Position open until filled. Applications submitted on or before April 15, 2022, will be given priority.