Director of Strategy, Impact, and Learning

Key Responsibilities

Strategy Development

• In partnership with the Managing Director, facilitate an integrated ClimateWorks strategy development process for organization-wide efforts, including, but not limited to, ClimateWorks’ strategic planning efforts which are slated to begin in 2024.
• Develop and implement an agile, inclusive, and results-oriented strategy support function that enables CWF’s programs and services to create smart, robust, iterative, and effective strategies.
• In concert with other key departments and staff, support ClimateWorks’ strategy efforts designed to enable the broader climate philanthropy ecosystem to work in a more aligned and effective manner.
• Prepare materials and communicate effectively internally and externally about CWF’s strategic direction and its approach to measuring success and impact.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting, Measuring Progress, and Learning

• Utilize and improve the CWF Results Framework, working across all departments and other departments to recommend and improve measures as well as streamline data collection and reporting on organization impact and results.
• Bring innovative approaches to incorporating evaluation and learning into programs and services to improve delivery and strengthen impact. Support the dynamic and fast-paced approaches to scale impact with right sized approaches. Steward vision and implementation of CWF as a learning organization. Support setting a learning agenda in collaboration with department leaders and other internal stakeholders.
• Ensure that evaluation is connected to strategy and used as a learning and management tool.
• Actively create and support opportunities to turn learning into collective knowledge, both for CWF and the broader climate philanthropy ecosystem.
• Network and collaborate with partners, experts, and stakeholders to integrate best practices and improve monitoring, evaluation, and learning within CWF and with its ecosystem partners.

Build a High Performing Team

• Supervise the Impact and Learning team.
• Through coaching, mentoring, and onboarding, support staff in professional development in order to create a high performing, cohesive team.
• Build a supportive service-oriented and collaborative working relationship with internal and external partners, creating a strongly connected team with all CWF departments.

Ideal Candidate

ClimateWorks Foundation seeks a Director of Strategy, Impact, and Learning who can be a nimble, cutting-edge, and yet practical strategist to help build the organization’s systems-based approach for its programming. Working closely with the Managing Director, this position will support a thoughtful, balanced, and long-term view of strategy for CWF. A veritable thought partner, the new Director will work collaboratively with organizational leadership to help frame and guide decision-making around strategic choices coupled with deploying a system of learning and impact measurement.

The ideal candidate will bring logic and structure to organizational planning and strategy development processes and have excellent problem-solving abilities, while also able to pivot in response to unanticipated opportunities
and challenges. Because CWF works in areas that can change unpredictably and quickly, a high degree of flexibility and willingness to work through strategy development in an evolving / iterative manner is essential. The Director must also be an outstanding implementer who can execute on a broad array of initiatives simultaneously.

Experience managing or influencing teams across disciplines and functions is essential. Candidates must be superb communicators (verbal and written) and able to seamlessly motivate and inspire others. Outstanding interpersonal skills are required, including a willingness to listen to and learn. CWF seeks candidates who are well organized, analytical, self-directed, and team players who
share information and collaborate effectively with both internal and external partners.

The Director will be passionate about CWF’s mission and values, and have demonstrated success in the international social impact sector. Cultural competence to work with colleagues and partners across the globe is essential. CWF seeks candidates who are familiar with the foundation world and the grant making process.  A broad knowledge of the organization’s practice areas of climate change is highly desirable.

Additional qualifications for the Director include:

• A minimum of 10-12 years overall work experience leading strategy development for complex organizations or issues in the philanthropic sector is required, which can come from an internal role or external consulting context.
• An understanding of the key issues and/or broad-based experience working in the climate change field is highly desirable, as is a demonstrated ability to navigate these issues diplomatically.
• Experience building internal communications and tracking systems.
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritize, and multi-task.
• Managerial talent in budgeting, staffing, and workload / project management.