Manager, Environment

The Environmental Portfolio at The Pew Charitable Trusts

For more than 30 years, Pew has been a major force in engaging the public and policy makers about the causes, consequences, and solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Our environment work spans all seven continents with more than 250 professionals working at the local, national, and international levels to reduce the scope and severity of global environmental problems, such as the erosion of large natural ecosystems that contain a great part of the world’s remaining biodiversity, and the destruction of the marine environment. Pew’s global environmental program focuses on science-based, nonpartisan, and sustainable solutions to help protect the planet and people. We work in partnership with governments, Indigenous rights holders, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, local stakeholders, scientists, and other researchers to advance public policy so that nature and communities can thrive.

Since 1990, Pew has worked in North America, South America and Australia to protect large and critically important terrestrial ecosystems, including rivers and other freshwater resources, coastal temperate rainforests, interior mountain ranges, the northern boreal forests, Australia’s Outback, and Chilean Patagonia. We work to ensure these natural systems remain bountiful, functioning, and resilient, providing essential ecological services such as clean air and clean water, sustenance and food security for local communities and more broadly for the welfare of current and future generations. Our work relies on the sciences of conservation, sociology, biology, and economics to advocate for practical and durable solutions to the loss of biodiversity.

In the sea, reforms to how our oceans are managed are essential to address overfishing, pollution, and loss of habitat. Pew began its oceans program in the United States, focusing on ending overfishing and protecting fragile marine habitat. Starting in 2005, Pew’s ocean conservation program expanded around the world and played a significant role in reforming marine fisheries management in the European Union and on the high seas and creating large scale marine reserves around the world. Our work is grounded in the best available science and pursues domestic and international conservation measures that are long-term and provide permanent, durable protections for marine ecosystems. We also work to address systemic threats to the ocean, including from plastics, over-and-illegal fishing, seabed mining, and climate change.

Position Overview
The manager, environment, will report to the director, management support team, and will support the management of cross-cutting operations activities in the environment portfolio, engage with and provide substantive support to the director, vice presidents, and program leaders on relevant policy, program, and operational issues, contribute to documents prepared for senior leadership and the board, including responses to board inquiries, among other additional duties. The manager will work closely with other cross-cutting operations staff within the environment portfolio, including the senior officer, management support, environment, as well as partner closely with relevant program department teams and operations units.

This position is based in Pew’s Washington, D.C. office and participates in Pew’s hybrid work program with core days in the office and the flexibility to telework the remaining days. Staff also enjoy four telework “flex weeks” per year.

Responsibilities

• Support the director, management support, to oversee cross-cutting operations activities in the environment portfolio, including operations, annual planning, adaptive talent management, and institutional operations. This includes accountability for overseeing the cross-cutting operations work of the officer and senior associate, environment, to ensure financial and human resources are used wisely, projects are completed in a timely and efficient manner, and leadership has the capacities they need to be successful.
• In partnership with the director, management support, environment, provide high-level operational support to environment portfolio leadership to ensure the successful functioning of the portfolio related to annual planning, events, internal processes, and project management in collaboration with other Pew departments and the environment conservation support and conservation science teams.
• Provide dedicated support to the vice presidents, environment, to manage special projects, facilitate workflow, track action items and follow-up, and support coordination across a range of topics, including explorations and cross-cutting thematic priorities such as conservation finance, preparation of board documents, and assessing potential new work. Drive operational follow-through, internal alignment, and provide planning and follow-up support for multi-stakeholder processes.
• Liaise with program department teams, including program coordination and services, program planning and development, and core operations units (e.g., finance, human resources) on behalf of project teams and environment portfolio leadership.
• Together with the director, management support, provide strategic oversight and leadership for special initiatives, events, and other convenings for portfolio staff and leaders.
• Foster a work environment that inspires excellence, values impact, encourages transparency, builds mutual trust and respect, embraces and values diversity, and is collaborative, caring and compassionate.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; an advanced degree in public or environmental policy, or equivalent experience is strongly preferred.
• Generally, a minimum of 8 years of professional experience, including staff, project, and/or consultant management experience, with a proven track record of people management and accomplishment in developing and implementing solutions to complex problems.
• Strong strategic and analytical acumen with proven skills in taking initiative, developing, executing and evaluating a range of diverse projects. A task-oriented, deadline driven style with a focus on achieving clear and ambitious goals. Capacity to develop and move projects forward with a high degree of independence and autonomy.
• Sophisticated project management experience, with demonstrated track record working across thematic and institutional workstreams.
• Demonstrated acumen for exercising sound business judgement at all times.
• Experience managing projects in dispersed geographies. Capacity to develop and manage productive relationships with consultants, partners and others who contribute to the development of a project by anticipating possible outcomes.
• Experience with environmental issues and conservation topics preferred.
• Strong oral and written communications skills. Experience synthesizing material and focusing quickly on the essence of an issue and the means to address it.
• Well-developed skills in diplomacy. Works productively with a wide array of different people and institutions that frequently disagree with, and may be in competition with, one another.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. Must be flexible, creative, and consistent and assume high accountability for all areas of responsibility.
• Strong people manager with proven experience adapting quickly, deploying talent flexibly, and supporting the professional growth of team and colleagues.
• Seasoned judgment; aptitude to make appropriate decisions, justify recommendations, and be responsive, clear and firm with colleagues and partners.
• Fluency in English is essential and competence in other languages is desirable.

Travel

This position requires occasional domestic and international travel for meetings and conferences.

Work Authorization

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are seeking employment without visa sponsorship.

Salary Range

The salary range represents a reasonable estimate of the annual salary based on Pew’s commitment to provide equitable and market-competitive pay. The actual salary offered will take into consideration many factors including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills and experience, internal pay equity, and business need.

Total Rewards

We offer a competitive salary and benefit program, including: comprehensive, affordable health care through medical, dental, and vision coverage; financial security with life and disability insurance; opportunities to save using health savings and flexible spending accounts; retirement benefits to help prepare for the future; and work/life benefits to maintain a good balance.

The Pew Charitable Trusts is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. Pew considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, race, color, sex (including pregnancy), nation of origin, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military/veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by law.