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Director, Global Climate Initiative Environment and Science Posted: April 14, 2025
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Los Altos, CA, USA
USD 232k-312k / year
Posted on Apr 15, 2025
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About The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
The David & Lucile Packard Foundation was founded in 1964 by David and Lucile Packard. We work with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world. We have worked with thousands of organizations and leaders in the U.S. and worldwide to advance progress in the critical areas of science, ocean and land conservation, climate change, women’s reproductive health and rights, and the well-being of children, families, and communities.
OUR VISION: A just and equitable world where both people and nature flourish.
Our new vision embraces a future where both people and nature flourish in a more just and equitable world. We explicitly acknowledge that the fate of people and the natural environment are inextricably linked. Solutions to the complex challenges we face must account for this interconnectedness.
OUR MISSION: We work with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world.
Our new mission takes on the critical work of addressing root causes of the challenges we face and mobilizing people for collective action. In addition to building on approaches that have guided our philanthropy for decades — working in partnership, committing to issues over the long-term, and grounding our work in science, knowledge, and data – we focus on understanding the systems that either accelerate or impede progress. It is only through just and equitable systems that we can find and sustain solutions to some of the biggest challenges we face today.
OUR VALUES: Equity, Integrity, Belief in Individual Leadership, Thinking Big, Respect, and Effectiveness
In addition to clarifying our long-held values, we added equity. We will champion equity by treating people with dignity, honoring a range of ideas and perspectives from those closest to the issues, creating inclusive processes, and funding people who have been historically excluded to spur progress for all. For more information, including our definitions of key concepts, please visit our website.
Department Overview
The Environment and Science (E&S) team supports work to achieve the Foundation’s three goals, with a particular focus on the goal of protecting and restoring our natural world. To do this, we champion bold climate solutions, an ocean that sustains us, and scientific innovation and discovery to secure the health and future of people and our planet. Across our globe, the fate of both people and our natural world are inextricably linked, and all solutions must account for both.
Position Summary
Reporting to the Vice President for Environment and Science, the Global Climate Initiative Director will lead the refinement and execution of the GCI strategy and an integrated, multidisciplinary team of 9 working across multiple geographies (Congo Basin, Indonesia, and Brazilian Amazon). The Director will provide strategic oversight and thought leadership to ensure impact against the Foundation’s vision and that its grantmaking activity is aligned to the Foundation’s core values.
Additionally, the Initiative Director will partner with the Grants Officer to oversee Program Associates’ grantmaking via a dotted line reporting relationship. GOs will provide expert guidance and oversight on grantmaking processes and quality of work; they are responsible for ensuring that Program Associates are informed, supported, and completing grants in line with our policies and practices.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Develop and Oversee Initiative
- Evaluate the changing landscape, trends, and developments to ensure that the Foundation is selecting objectives and deploying resources as effectively as possible to achieve the GCI goals
- Refine current grantmaking by incorporating input from the President, Trustees, and Foundation colleagues, as well as lessons from key funder and grantee partners
Ensure that the strategy and portfolio align with the Foundation’s vision, mission, values, and theory of change - Provide written and verbal communication to the President, Trustees, and other stakeholders regarding the Global Climate Initiative, learning and evolution, and progress against goals
Grantmaking & Grantee Partnership Management
- Oversee operations including review and approval of all grantmaking decisions
- Manage the operations and grant budget for the Global Climate Initiative
- Build and manage portfolio(s) of grantee partners; develop and steward trusting relationships with
grantee partners, and provide support through proposal development process as needed
In cooperation with the evaluation and learning officer, assess progress of collective GCI grantee partner impact to evaluation and learning goals
Field Leadership
- Effectively represent the Foundation and the initiative to nonprofit, intergovernmental and private sector leaders, elected officials, academics, collaboratives, and journalists
- Provide external leadership in the field through writing, collaboration, and thought leadership
People Management & Team Leadership and Management
- Manage the ongoing work of the Global Climate Initiative staff by serving as a leader, mentor, and coach who encourages collaboration, innovation, excellence, and professional development.
- Hire, onboard, manage, coach, and develop direct reports based within the initiative; responsible for
performance management and compensation decisions, ensuring that each direct report understands
their learning and career trajectory at the Foundation - Cultivate a positive, productive, innovative, highly collaborative, and feedback-rich team culture
- Partner with peer Initiative Directors to sponsor and support the ongoing development of the Program Associate cohort
- Actively participate in Foundation’s People Manager Cohort, designed to train and support managers
and create a space to share management best practices - Partner with the Grants Management Director and team to ensure accuracy and adherence to
grantmaking policies, procedures, processes, and timelines. - In partnership with Grants Management Director, ensure productive and effective dotted line
relationship between Program Associates and Grants Officers. - Serves as a member of the goal leadership team, with the Vice President, partnering on decisions, priorities, plans, and problem solving for the goal area.
Qualifications
Education
- Advanced degree desired in a related field or equivalent education or work experience in non-profits and/or the global climate initiative
Experience
- A minimum of 10 years of experience working in the area of the global climate initiative
- Deep knowledge of relevant concepts, trends, and issues of the global climate initiative
- A minimum of 5 years of management experience, leading and managing people, projects, and teams
- Experience using evidence as well as sound judgment and integrity to develop effective, productive programmatic partnerships
- Experience in climate solutions, particularly in tropical forest regions and with Indigenous People and/or local communities is desirable
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- A commitment to the vision, mission, values, and goals of the Packard Foundation
- Passion for, and belief in, the Global Climate Initiative goals and approaches.
- Ability to work in a nonpartisan, productive, and collaborative manner across the ideological and geographic spectrum
- Skilled communicator with exceptional interpersonal, facilitation, and written and oral communication skills
- Diplomatic and respectful approach to problem-solving; demonstrated ability to thrive in a team-based and collegial workplace
- Comfortable with ambiguity, a fast pace of work and risk-taking inherent in a highly dynamic setting; can move start-up projects from concept to completion, and adapt as needed based on learning and input from others
- Demonstrated people management skills with considerable experience attracting, coaching, developing, evaluating, and retaining professional staff
- Proven managerial talent in budgeting, staffing, and performance management
- Demonstrated experience in strategic planning
- Experience in the design and facilitation of meetings and internal planning processes
- Deeply committed to inclusion and creating a workplace that is supportive of difference; success at navigating cross-cultural communication and diverse teams
- Devoted to growing their cultural competence and willing to actively participate in the Foundation’s efforts to integrate justice and equity in all facets of the work
- Independent and decisive leader with a point of view, who demonstrates initiative, responsiveness, pragmatism and thoughtfulness. Comfort in admitting what they do not know and asking for input
- Knowledge of evaluation-based approaches
- Ability to travel and work outside of typical work hours (i.e., early mornings and/or late evenings) when required to accommodate various time zones
- Meticulous adherence to compliance, due diligence, and cost-effective processes.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (e.g., Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and a willingness to learn and become proficient with Foundation systems
Compensation and Benefits
The position is full-time. The salary range for this position is $232,000 – $312,000 annually. This salary range is an estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on various factors, including without limitation individual education, experience, tenure, certification, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation offers excellent benefits for eligible employees. Current benefits include medical (HMO and HDHPs), dental and vision coverage; 15% employer contribution to employee retirement plan; life insurance, disability insurance, vacation, and sick leave; an adoption benefit; fertility benefit; a financial wellness program; health advocacy services, paid time off to volunteer for nonprofit organizations; matching grants for employee contributions to tax exempt organizations; commute assistance; and tuition assistance.
To Apply
Please apply using this link: https://packard.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/169?c=packard
Hybrid Work Policy
The Packard Foundation’s current Hybrid Work Policy is that staff are expected to be in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week.
Equal Employment Opportunity
The Foundation is an equal employment opportunity employer, which means we recruit, hire, assign, train, promote, compensate, provide benefits, discipline, and discharge (and all the other terms and conditions of employment) based on merit, qualifications, job requirements, and other legitimate business factors.