Vice President of Programs & Government Relations at Clean Wisconsin in Madison, WI

Clean Wisconsin | Vice President of Programs and Government Relations

The Vice President of Programs and Government Relations position is an executive leadership position and a principle ambassador at Clean Wisconsin. The position reports to the President and CEO and is responsible for the consistent achievement of Clean Wisconsin’s mission. This role is a key leader that is critical to developing, managing and maximizing relationships that help further the organizational mission. This senior leadership position supervises five Program Directors and helps lead, mentor, and support staff throughout the organization. This role often acts as the organization’s ambassador to decision-makers, media and stakeholders and funders and is responsible for the alignment, visioning, and day-to-day management of all advocacy programs at Clean Wisconsin, a 501(c)3 environmental organization.

The Vice President’s responsibilities include overseeing work plans for all Program Directors; management of the program budget; hiring program personnel; and program strategy development, including legislative, organizing, legal and communication strategies as they impact advocacy campaigns. In addition, the Vice President will work closely with and assist the President and CEO, Grants Manager and Program Directors in development and cultivation of financial support for programmatic budgets.

The ideal candidate will be a strong leader with excellent interpersonal skills and broad relationships with key decision-makers and partners. The ideal candidate will be capable of generating and cultivating creative ideas and a vision to advance precedent-setting advocacy campaigns that protect Wisconsin’s clean water, air and climate. Candidate must be a strategic thinker skilled in workload prioritization. They should be cognizant of how to use Clean Wisconsin’s voice and “brand” to achieve success towards our mission. This person should be well-versed in legislative and regulatory processes and how advocacy can create opportunities within these systems. Strong experience in strategic planning and articulating program goals to multiple audiences, including members, media, funders and decision-makers is required.

The ideal candidate should also be adept at creating opportunities to further Clean Wisconsin’s mission through strategic and nontraditional partnerships. The ideal candidate will also be knowledgeable about electoral activities that complement the work of Clean Wisconsin’s 501(c)3 work.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Program/Issue Development and Strategic Planning (45%)
• Collaborate with President and CEO, Board of Directors and other staff to ensure that Clean Wisconsin has a long-range programmatic strategy that advances the achievement of its mission.
• Establish Clean Wisconsin as a leading voice in Wisconsin’s water, air and climate change policy work.
• Lead efforts to align funding and opportunities to advance water, air and climate change policies.
• Supervise and direct the actions of the water, energy, climate change, legislative and Milwaukee teams to meet and exceed program goals and achieve maximum success toward our mission.
• Cultivate trusted relationships with decision-makers and other key partners to advance goals.
• Coordinate campaign plans and work plans with Program Directors to help measure progress.
• Assist program directors and communications staff in coordinating member engagement opportunities and public messaging around program priorities.
• As a registered lobbyist, assist the Director of Government Relations in covering relevant legislative actions and crafting messages for priority legislative campaigns. On occasion, serve as Clean Wisconsin’s voice on issues in the Capitol and assist in legislative relationship-building.
• Ensure diversity, equity and inclusive principles are built into our issue campaigns, build authentic relationships centered around racial and environmental justice and seek opportunities to elevate the voices of BIPOC communities in our program work.

• Personnel Management (30%)
• Supervise and direct program staff.
• Ensure staff development and education by providing appropriate orientation, training, information and support.
• Maintain a positive programmatic working environment that attracts, motivates and maintains top staff and volunteers.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations, campaign plan check-ins and work plan check-ins.
• Promote a work environment free of discrimination and harassment.

• Communication and Public Relations (15%)
• Maintain open and effective communication with other advocacy partners.
• Establish and maintain sound working relationships with all stakeholders, including board, staff, civic and political leaders, and other organizations.
• Promote the organization at events, speaking engagements and other venues.
• Act as a leading voice in representing program priorities and needs to the President and CEO and Board of Directors.

• Funds Development (5%)
• Collaborate with development and program staff to cultivate, solicit and steward private foundations and major donors in order to ensure development of a stable and growing fund base. Supervise the electoral and programmatic work of the Clean Wisconsin Action Fund.

• Organizational Demands (5%)
• Work closely with the President & CEO and staff to address emerging organizational challenges and needs. This position is the strategic rally point that enables the organization to seize opportunity.

SKILLS

• Demonstrated abilities in personnel management, strategic planning and thinking, and communicating priorities to multiple audiences.
• Understanding of the role advocacy plays in advancing environmental protections – from policymaking to educational efforts, to grassroots and grasstops organizing and legal strategies.
• Excellent written, verbal and listening skills and ability to adapt messages for the appropriate audience.
• Ability to perform in a multi-task environment and to prioritize work requirements; Ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining a long-term vision.
• Flexibility and creativity.
• Ability to interact effectively, appropriately, and compassionately with staff and colleagues.

TRAITS

• Trustworthy
• Compassionate
• Consensus-builder
• Team-oriented

EDUCATION

• Graduate degree in political science, environmental studies, public health, non-profit management, law, social work, or equivalent work experience.
• Management or leadership experience with a non-profit organization or issue advocacy campaign. A minimum of five years of such experience is preferred.

Salary range for the full-time position is $90,000-$110,000, commensurate with skills and experience. A strong benefits package includes health and dental insurance, retirement, paid vacation and holidays.

Due to the COVID-19 situation, we plan to hold interviews via video conference. We will do all we can to accommodate technology needs. Thank you for your flexibility.

Clean Wisconsin is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in our work and in our hiring practices. We value a team with different perspectives, educational backgrounds, and life experiences, and we prioritize diversity within our team. We encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.