Managing Director

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Collaborate closely with the Principal to define and execute the organization’s strategic vision, aligning it with the mission to combat fossil fuel pollution and promote equitable climate policies.
• Provide high-level thought leadership and strategic guidance, ensuring the organization’s goals are translated into actionable campaigns.
• Lead the Program Team, cultivating a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence within a diverse team responsible for campaign management, public relations, strategic communications, policy development and coalition building.
• Foster collaboration, cohesion, and career development within the Program Team, ensuring team members are mentored, supported, and empowered to excel in fulfilling their roles and shared responsibilities.

Program Operational Excellence

• Oversee the Program Team’s performance, ensuring they consistently meet objectives within budget and implement continuous improvements for quality control, improved workflow, and adherence to timelines.
• Implement continuous improvements to maintain quality control, uphold consistent practices, and streamline campaign operations and systems.

 Campaign Design, Strategy, Development, and Management

• Oversee, advise, and develop campaigns in partnership with coalition partners and driven by funder goals and objectives.
• Provide leadership on multiple campaigns and projects. Advise, develop, and execute on communication plans, strategies and tactics.
• Collaborate closely with coalition partners and the Program Team to monitor progress, identify potential challenges, and adapt strategies in real-time to maximize their impact on climate policy.
• Lead coalition communications and find alignment on issues and work diplomatically between many parties. Embed within coalition partners to provide strategic guidance on communications tactics and execution.

Media Relations Management and Message Development

• Manage media relations efforts, including establishing and nurturing relationships with media outlets, journalists, and influencers to enhance the organization’s presence.
• Oversee message and narrative development for various campaigns.
• Oversee the creation of compelling press releases, op-eds, LTEs, fact sheets, websites, social properties and other collateral
• Lead media pitching strategy that successfully places stories and op-eds within local and national print and digital publications.
• Ensure consistent and compelling messaging across all communications channels.

Resource Mobilization

• Collaborate with the Principal to support fundraising efforts by monitoring funder landscape and establishing new/maintaining existing relationships for the organization.
• Contribute to business development in both philanthropic and fee-for-service client base.

Ideal Candidate & Qualifications

Sunstone Strategies is in search of an exceptional Managing Director who embodies the organization’s values, shares its mission to combat climate change, and possesses a unique blend of skills and experience ideally suited to their strategic communication focus on climate policy. They are seeking a senior leader with a minimum of 10-15 years of experience in campaign development, strategic communications, climate policy and team management.

The Ideal candidate is a decisive implementer with a driving passion for undoing the social license of the fossil fuel industry. They should have a proven ability to translate vision into action. They will exhibit the following qualifications:

Campaigns Implementor: A proven strategic leader with a track record of effectively managing and unifying high-performance teams, driving consensus among diverse stakeholders, fostering innovation, and achieving impactful outcomes. They should have experience in building and optimizing teams, program operations, and successful campaigns that have influenced policy.

Climate Policy Expertise: A deep understanding of domestic climate policy and advocacy issues or demonstrated transferrable experience showcasing the ability to identify and leverage the key drivers of policy change and navigate complex policy landscapes with ease.

Strategic Communications Proficiency: A skilled communicator with a strong background in leading strategic communications teams. They must have a demonstrated ability to guide and mentor strategic communicators in developing and executing effective campaigns that drive tangible results and policy change.

Collaborative Leadership: A collaborative leader who cultivates an environment where individuals are empowered to lead and innovate together. They should be a champion of teamwork, alignment, and effective communication across the organization.

Outcomes-Driven Team Builder: An outcomes-focused team builder with deep project management expertise and a strong grasp of climate policy who can drive tangible results through strategic communication initiatives.