Strategy, Planning, and Operations Associate, Communications

Overview

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.

NRDC is seeking a Strategic, Planning and Operations (SPO) Associate to work with the Communications team in our Chicago, New York, or Washington D.C. office.

Position Summary

The Strategy, Planning and Operations (SP&O) Associate will work closely with SP&O Director, the SP&O Lead for Capacities, and the Communications’ Operations Manager and others in their department to oversee and/or drive project management for strategy and operations, including sector performance management and metrics, finance, and accounting. The SP&O Associate will work under the guidance of the SP&O Director to implement change and process improvements, manage workflows, and create documents, templates and other materials. To enhance overall function effectiveness, the SP&O Associate will support the Capacities SP&O Lead with strategy work, communications and event planning, and will co-lead or support project plans.

The position you are applying for is part of the bargaining unit represented by The Washington Baltimore News Guild (WBNG / The Newsguild-CWA Local 32035).

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions.

• Coordinate priority internal initiatives, including contributing to project plans and timelines, tracking key deliverables, managing work plan implementation through workflows such as in Asana, maintaining files on centralized drive, scheduling, and preparing agendas and takeaways for internal meetings.
• Plan meetings, including scheduling, crafting summaries, agendas, and task assignments; follow up with responsible parties to ensure accountability.
• Draft documentation, materials, and communications related to internal NRDC budgeting, fundraising, grants, vendor, and contract processes, reporting, and deadlines.
• Provide support for budgeting, including tracking project codes in trackers, tracking planned spending with project code managers, tracking spend down of grants with project code managers, and coordinating with team members.
• Act as point of contact for some internal HR, IT, and Workplace processes and compliance relating to recruitment, hiring, onboarding, office visits, and off-boarding, in coordination with the Operations Director.
• Draft internal communications plans and manage team processes, including file-sharing systems, under guidance from the SP&O or Operations Lead.
• Support activities or events related to Communications Dept and SP&O governance and team cohesion, including planning retreats or other activities and associated agenda planning and materials preparation.
• Provide support for strategy work, including creating reports, dashboards, and presentations on sector strategies and metrics, sector work plans and project metrics, sector performance management, impact tracking at sector level, etc.

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

Qualifications

Education & Experience: 

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 1-3 years of directly related experience
• And/or equivalent education or experience

Skills, Abilities, Competencies

• Strong written and verbal communication skills. 
• Outstanding problem-solving skills, including the ability to proactively identify obstacles and propose solutions or recommendations to overcome them. 
• Background in a Communications field preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects involving multiple people and deliverables, and to perform or quickly learn new tasks, systems, and technologies. 
• Ability to prioritize and efficiently execute many tasks, follow institutional procedures, and work independently with meticulous attention to detail. 
• Ability to work with a broad range of people on different projects. 
• Experience in event planning.
• Strict adherence to confidentiality requirements and discretion with sensitive information. 
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), in addition to knowledge of or ability to learn accounting and finance systems, as well as relevant NRDC specific software and platforms.
• Competence with and commitment to diversity and inclusion; ability to be an effective partner with diverse colleagues, leaders and partners.
• Ability to occasionally travel to NRDC U.S. based offices, approximately 10% annually
• Ability to work outside of normal working hours as needed for special events or circumstances.
• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been 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 for employment 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. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer. For this position, the salary range is $65,000 to $75,000.

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

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws.

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.