Position Title: Climate & Community Center Director

Organization: Island Institute

Location: Rockland, ME (Hybrid)

Position Overview: The Climate and Community Center Director (Center Director) leads Island Institute’s programmatic work focused on building climate resilience through mitigation and adaptation among Maine’s island and coastal communities. As a key institutional leader, the Climate and Community Center Director is responsible for developing and executing center strategies to achieve institutional impact and serving as the public-facing champion of the work. The Director works collaboratively with other center directors and leadership to share resources, knowledge, and best practices, enhancing the overall success of Island Institute. This role requires effective public engagement and relationship building with partners and stakeholders. The Center Director also collaborates with the Impact Team to monitor and report on program progress and impact and works closely with Marketing and Philanthropy to craft proposals for donors, foundations, and public agencies. Managing within budgeted resources and leading a team to deliver excellent, strategic, and timely programs are essential aspects of this role.  

Duties: 

• Serves as the public-facing champion of the center’s work through representing the Institute on statewide or national bodies, stewarding key partnerships, and working closely with the policy team to identify and advance high priority policy changes. 
• Develops and implements climate mitigation and adaptation strategies to support programmatic goals and resource needs in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders. 
• Convenes, facilitates, and leads workgroups and teams focused on projects of strategic importance to the organization. 
• Supports, advises, and facilitates community processes related to climate issues and oversees the development of communications material that aids communities in this work. 
• As a leader at Island Institute, model positive leadership behaviors, embrace a growth mindset, and have genuine interest in building a high-performing team. 
• Collaborates closely with the Chief Programs Officer to ensure the work of the Center aligns with institutional mission and outcomes. 
• Works closely with Philanthropy to seek funding and manage programmatic investments. 
• In collaboration with HR, recruits, selects, orients, and trains employees. 
• Communicates job expectations; plans, monitors and assesses work performance. 
• Mentors and coaches Center staff working, collaboratively setting goals, and identifying employee growth opportunities. 
• Manages budgets and resources effectively and within available resources. 
• Ensures that the Center is tracking and meeting goals and deliverables in a timely manner. 
• Works closely with the Chief Program Officer, other directors and organizational leaders to create synergies across strategic priority areas, for the short- and long-term success of Island Institute. 
• Builds teams that function effectively and collaboratively toward measurable outcomes. 
• Ensures incorporation and implementation of Island Institute’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles and practices across Center activities and staff. 
• Understands and communicates essential community development principles to enable effective engagement of communities in the Center’s work. 
• Seeks and participates in professional development opportunities to build cross-sector and essential skills. 

Qualifications: 

• Professional expertise that aligns strongly with the mission of the Island Institute, and with the programmatic focus of the Center, especially community clean energy transitions planning. 
• An advanced degree, preferably in a relevant field of study.  
• At least 10 years’ experience working in a related field.  
• Demonstrated expertise in areas critical to the Center’s success, especially community development and climate readiness programs. 
• Proven success and experience leading a team of professionals, including direct supervision of employees.  
• Demonstrated interest in shaping experiences for community members that inspire them, build hope, identify challenges, opportunities and solutions. 
• Demonstrated success designing, managing, and implementing programmatic work and impact metrics. 
• Extensive experience developing and managing a budget.   
• Experience interacting with a non-profit board. 
• Exceptional written communication skills: able to effectively convey the organization’s mission, priorities, and programs to diverse audiences in various formats.  
• Outstanding oral and interpersonal communication skills: able to speak about the organization’s work in an articulate, professional, and compelling manner (one-on-one and with groups)  
• Experience building and managing effective teams, including running effective meetings that meet clearly identified objectives.  
• The ability to give and receive constructive and helpful feedback with staff colleagues and community partners.  
• Comfort with technology, including information technology systems, video conferencing and Office 365 applications.  
• The ability and willingness to travel both locally and nationally, if needed.  
• A willingness to work out of the Rockland office and in our service communities regularly each week and from a hybrid location that supports video calling otherwise; Willingness to live within commuting distance to Rockland.  

Salary/Pay: Starting at $90,640

Application Deadline: Continuous

How to Apply: Please use the online application to view the full job description as well as how to apply.