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; Bozeman, Montana; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington, D.C. 

NRDC is seeking a Senior Associate to work with the Nature team in our Chicago, Washington D.C. or New York office. 

Position Summary 

Reporting to the Nature Equity & Community Partnerships (E&CP) Lead, the Senior Associate, Equity and Community Partnerships will work in partnership with the E&CP Lead and team members, colleagues in Nature Department and the Environment, Equity, and Justice Center (EEJC) to support Lands, Oceans, and Food and Agriculture strategies, metrics, and workplans that center equity. This role will also support building the capacity of NRDC staff to work effectively with historically underrepresented communities, including BIPOC communities, in collaboration with EEJC. 

• At the direction of the E&CP Lead, increase Nature Department capacity to build more equitable partnerships, processes, and policies, including supporting the implementation of generally applicable institution-wide frameworks, metrics, tools, and initiatives to advance equity and justice in the Nature Department. 
• Help cultivate programmatic support for NRDC’s community partners. 
• Support cross-programmatic engagement with relevant Departments and E&CP teams to advance equity and justice in institutional priorities.  
• Participate in equity-centered advocacy projects, relevant to Department strategies, and in coordination with EEJC and Lands, Oceans, and Food and Agriculture Divisions. 
• Participate in direct community and equity partner and coalition engagement relevant to the work of the Nature Department.  
• Support fundraising efforts to advance E&CP priority work. 

Minimum Education & Experience   

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience required. 
• 2+ years of experience 
• Experience coordinating with coalitions of community-based organizations, environmental- justice groups, NGO advocates, and/or government partners.  
• Experience working with community-based and/or environmental justice groups to build equity, justice, and/or low-income priorities into policy work and campaigns.  
• Experience with public speaking and communicating with a wide variety of audiences. 

Skills, Abilities, Competencies  

• Demonstrated knowledge of equity and justice principles and frameworks, and experience applying those principles and frameworks to reduce inequities.  
• Knowledge of or demonstrated interest in Lands, Oceans, or Food and Agriculture and the ability to learn new and sometimes wide-ranging subject matter areas. 
• Strong research and writing skills, including knowledge of community-driven research tactics.  
• Strong interpersonal and active listening skills, with a collaborative working style.  
• Strong oral and written communication skills. 
• Ability to travel domestically to NRDC offices, coalition gatherings, or partner meetings, approximately 15% annually. 
• 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 $87,000 to $96,000.  

Our offices are open and we are operating in a hybrid model. We offer NRDCers flexibility, and we ask them to come into the office and spend meaningful time there in collaboration with their colleagues. We call this purposeful presence. 

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.