Job Title: Clean Transportation Advocate
Department: Chapter
Location: Chicago, IL preferable, or other IL locations considered
Reports To: Illinois Chapter Deputy Director
Context: At the Sierra Club, we believe in the power of togetherness. Together, we remain committed to the fight for a healthy climate built on a foundation of environmental, racial, economic, and gender justice – a future where all people benefit from a healthy, thriving planet and a direct connection to nature. As the climate crisis and deeply entrenched systemic racism all fuel inequity, we will continue to fight for a bold, transformational agenda that recognizes the interconnectedness between our planet, our humanity, and our democracy. By recognizing that our destinies are tied, we continue to name that all things are fundamentally connected, and the overlap between ecology, race, gender, and representative government will move to either advance our collective humanity or to oppress it.
Sierra Club is comprised of staff across the country and a network of local chapters that support our grassroots engagement. We are also proud to be a unionized employer, with two labor unions representing more than half of our employees.
Scope: The Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All Campaign works at the local, state, and national levels – using a lens of equity and justice – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollution from the transportation sector, while focusing on making clean transportation solutions affordable, accessible, and convenient.
The Illinois Chapter works with our powerful base of 14 volunteer-run Groups and over 130,000 members and supporters to pass environmental legislation and advocate for policies that protect our water, air, and land.
This position would work at the intersection of the Clean Transportation for All (CTFA) Campaign and the Illinois Chapter. The Advocate would work in Illinois with staff and volunteers to plan, coordinate and implement strategic campaigns to address harmful air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, which is the largest source of climate pollution in the United States and Illinois. The Advocate ensures that the campaign engages the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club’s members and supporters, and builds powerful partnerships that are oriented toward a shared vision of climate and environmental justice.
The Advocate will collaborate closely with staff in Illinois working towards adoption of 100% clean energy. The position will initially focus on the transportation sector, but it may shift to include related priorities across Sierra Club Illinois’s energy campaigns depending on needs.
Job activities include but are not limited to:
- Team Leadership & Project Management: Convenes and coordinates staff and volunteer team and facilitates the development and implementation of a strategic campaign plan to reduce harmful pollution from cars, buses, and trucks. Serves as the staff advisor to the Chapter’s Clean Transportation team, which has representation from local Groups. Inspires and facilitates shared vision with team members and collaborators.
- Policy Development & Implementation: In collaboration with staff and volunteers, works to craft policy related to transportation and plan strategies and tactics to implement those policies. Synthesizes information and gathers perspective to inform strategy, and acts as a subject matter expert, providing technical, policy, and strategic vision and guidance to staff, volunteers, and partner organizations . In collaboration with the team and external partners, develops policy positions and advocates before decision-makers. Cultivates productive relationships and represents the Sierra Club with key decision-makers and coalitions. Works with the Chapter organizers to support Sierra Club’s power building goals, including ensuring campaign strategies and activities are designed to build a base of leaders and increase and deepen strategic partnerships. Works with the Communications coordinator on media outreach activities related to the campaign. Writes, edits, and reviews both internal and external advocacy materials. Engages with legislators and hosts town hall meetings to advocate for Clean Transportation in Illinois.
- Effective; Equity-Centered Collaboration: While working across teams and partners, implements Sierra Club best practices regarding the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing and justice, equity, and inclusion practices and goals. Designs and implements campaign strategies rooted in an equitable transition to clean transportation and clean energy that serve front-line and directly impacted communities. Collaborates with staff organizers in pursuit of these goals.
Seasonal Activities: Heavier seasonal workloads may occur as a result of project deadlines, staff absences and vacancies, and during peak activity periods. Intermittent weekend and/or evening work will be required.
Successful candidates must have the following skills and experience:
- Team Building: Demonstrated leadership experience working within a team structure. Ability to build vision, trust, and mutual accountability with team members, collaborators, and external partners.
- Project Management: Track record of planning and implementing advocacy campaigns, strategic initiatives, or similar efforts with clearly defined goals.
- Effective Communication: Highly developed communication skills, with a focus on communicating effectively across different groups of stakeholders, internally and externally.
- Equity Analysis and Practice: You are aware of your group identities and how they have shaped your life and experiences at work. You have an analysis of how racism and other forms of oppression in society impact relationships, systems and culture. You bring experience and skills for working effectively with colleagues across group identities and position/role.
The strongest candidates will also demonstrate the following experience, skills and competencies:
- Experience in transportation, energy, or environmental policy.
- Experience working closely with organizers, as an organizer, or working with volunteers.
- Experience effectively navigating complex organizational systems, structures, and dynamics.
- Experience building relationships and influencing decision makers through advocacy.
- Demonstrated understanding of how organized movements create change.
- Approaches growth and learning with humility
- Public speaking and communications skills
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is $65,000 - $67,000.
This position is represented by a collective bargaining unit and is subject to the terms and conditions of the contract between Sierra Club and Progressive Workers Union.
The Sierra Club offers a competitive salary package commensurate with skills and experience plus excellent benefits that include medical, dental, and vision coverage, and a retirement savings 401(k) plan.
This is a category 5 exempt, represented position.
Sierra Club is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. Sierra Club employees are not eligible to participate in the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
Sierra Club values the expertise and talents of foreign nationals. Sierra Club sponsors both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas when certain criteria are met, based on immigration laws and organizational needs. Such sponsorship is at the discretion of the Department Head and Sierra Club Human Resources in consultation with the employee’s manager. The Sierra Club cannot guarantee the approval of a visa petition. The Sierra Club is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.
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This position does not have an undergraduate education requirement. If you choose to include your education history, please remove your schools from your resume. You may leave your degree (e.g., "B.A. Philosophy"), but please remove any undergraduate and graduate school names.
This anonymous process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments and mitigating bias in the decision making process.
Lastly, we are intentionally not asking for a cover letter, so please do not send one in with your application.
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