Climate Science Program Manager

Who we are: First Street is the industry standard for physical climate risk data. We use transparent and peer-reviewed methodologies to calculate the past, present, and future climate risk for every property in the world. We started eight years ago by working with the world’s leading climate scientists to create groundbreaking, climate-adjusted, property specific models and haven’t stopped. 

Our mission: We exist to connect climate change to financial risk

Our data: We create physics-based, deterministic models of flooding, wildfire and hurricanes, and advanced statistical models of extreme heat, air quality, drought, hail, severe convective storms, winter storms, and more. All of this data is used to create property-level financial risk metrics and macroeconomic variables to quantify the impacts of climate change. 

Our customers: We empower governments at the highest levels to make smart regulations, businesses to avoid bad investments, and everyday Americans to understand their personal risk from climate change. We are relied on every day by:

• Agencies ranging from the U.S. Department of Treasury to Fannie Mae

• The world's biggest banks such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo 

• Institutional investors like Nuveen and Blackstone 

• Millions of users on Redfin, Realtor.com, Homes.com, and more 

We believe:  Our work needs to match the pace and scope of the climate problem. This is why we have invested tens of millions of dollars into our science, data, people, and products and have raised tens of millions more to move even faster.  Read more about our culture here.

Come join us and use your talents to create solutions to address humanity's biggest problem.

Team & Role Overview: 

We are looking for an experienced Climate Science Program Manager to join First Street as a key team member of the Project Management Office and the broader Operations Team. You’ll report to the Director of Operations and work closely with Climate Scientists, Data Scientists, and other project managers – as well as the First Street Leadership team. You will be instrumental in translating big ideas into concrete action plans and play a key role in helping First Street achieve its ambitious goals. You will be responsible for helping the organization balance scope, schedule, and cost (while holding our teams accountable) as we push forward on our ambitious roadmap.

What you’ll do: 

• Define program/project requirements – managing all project/program documentation

• Build (and manage) project timelines and project plans – some of which are 12 months+ projects with complex interdependencies

• Pro-actively surface bottlenecks and issues to the First Street Leadership team – guiding discussions and helping the team make key decisions

• Manage project resources with the support Project Leads and Team Leads (including compute resources) to make trade-off decisions on project staffing

• Guide cross-team handoffs – ensuring smooth transitions between teams

• Set PMO standards and scale our teams impact – mentoring and potentially managing other project managers as we collectively develop and implement new processes

• Communicate and liaison with stakeholders – keeping everyone moving forward in the same direction

What you’ll need: 

• 5+ years of experience as a program/project manager supporting data/technical related initiatives (including but not limited to: engineering, integration engineering, data engineering, data science, climate science, etc.)

• Strong knowledge of program/project management methodologies and techniques demonstrated by experience scoping complex projects and developing/managing timelines

• Track record of managing programs/projects using project management software (such as: Smartsheets, Microsoft Project)

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate concepts and ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences

• Ability to facilitate technical discussions and multi-disciplinary meetings; ability to keep attendees on task and defining next steps

• An analytical and solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to conduct analysis as part of project related work

• Curiosity and willingness to learn about climate change and First Street’s product offerings

• Bachelor's degree, or equivalent, in a relevant discipline such as engineering, MIS, business, project management, etc.

What will make you stand out: 

• An interest in climate technology and doing mission driven work

• Experience at a growth stage company and/or excitement for supporting an early stage startup and getting your hands dirty

• Experience as a people manager

• Relevant certifications in project management, agile, or scrum a plus

• Previous experience as an engineer or a technical role is a plus

• Familiarity and/or curiosity with a wide range of tools and technologies for business operations (such as Stripe, Zendesk, HubSpot, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, etc.)

How we work: 

• Impact: We only focus on things that move the needle 

• Drive: We are driven by the role we play in connecting climate change to financial risk 

• Ownership: This is our company and we act accordingly

• Urgency: We move quickly because the world depends on it 

• Resilience: We have a growth mindset in all that we do

What we offer: 

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience 

• Ownership interest in the company via Employee Stock Option Plan 

• Hybrid Schedule with in-office work days on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 

• 15 vacation days along with 13 company holidays and 10 sick days 

• Health benefits covered at 100% for employee or a significant contribution for family plans 

• Vision and dental benefits with partial employee contribution

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave 

• Access to One Medical, Teledoc, HealthAdvocate, Kindbody, and Talkspace

• Company 401k program 

• Commuter benefits 

• Life Insurance

• Tech startup environment 

• Weekly team meals and an office stocked with coffee and snacks 

• Working on the world’s biggest issue with other passionate professionals 

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.