Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships

Description

ABOUT U.S. ENERGY FOUNDATION 

U.S. Energy Foundation’s (USEF) mission is to secure a clean and equitable energy future to tackle the climate crisis. We envision a healthy, safe, and equitable economy powered by clean energy. We believe a thriving clean energy economy can create sustainable opportunities, spur innovation, and protect our climate—for today and future generations. 

USEF supports education and analysis to promote nonpartisan policy solutions that advance renewable energy and energy efficiency, while opening doors to greater innovation and productivity—growing the economy with dramatically less pollution. For more than 30 years, USEF has supported grantees to help educate policymakers and the general public about the benefits of a clean energy economy. Our grantees include business, health, environmental, labor, equity, community, faith, and consumer groups, as well as policy experts, think tanks, universities, and more. 

We are working daily to create equitable systems that support people to flourish. We aim to bring humility, transparency, respect, and an appreciation for others’ lived experiences to our interactions with colleagues, grantees, and partners. 

USEF’s Fundraising Philosophy 

As USEF’s primary clients and partners are our funders and grantees, USEF commits to acting as a strategic thought leader for our current and prospective funding partners and the field by:  

1. Collaborating—and co-creating, where feasible and desired—on strategy development, including hosting and/or managing funder collaboratives 
2. Highlighting the opportunity for climate philanthropy to maximize benefits to disadvantaged communities and those most impacted by climate change 
3. Offering excellent, responsive service by providing proactive, compelling, and timely updates and information  

USEF is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and our more than 100 staff members are based in locations throughout the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Western regions, where they can best serve our programs, partners, operations, and other functions. 

USEF believes that a diverse workforce makes us a more effective organization and is essential for achieving a clean and equitable energy future. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. 

POSITION SUMMARY 

As a result of USEF’s ongoing success and growth, and in recognition of the significant work still ahead to address climate change, the Strategic Partnerships (SP) team continues to expand and scale its efforts nationally. The Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships (Senior Manager) joins an innovative and agile team at USEF, working to further build and evolve its capabilities to coordinate and support the organization’s results-driven partnerships and donor relations. 

This is an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to one of the country’s leading philanthropic organizations, in a critical decade for climate. Reporting to the Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships, the Senior Manager will be an external-facing member of the SP team and will support a variety of projects and assignments related to the cultivation and stewardship of USEF funders.

Overseeing a portfolio of funders and prospects across various program issue areas, the Senior Manager will engage directly with funders, track funder engagement, draft materials, and contribute to meeting and event planning. In addition to working with the SP team, the Senior Manager will have the opportunity to collaborate with USEF program colleagues on funder-related projects, as well as contribute to other institutional efforts. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Contribute to developing and implementing innovative and comprehensive plans for cultivating philanthropic support by managing an existing portfolio of funders, prospects, and program issue areas.
• Support National, States and Regions, Strategic Communications, and Programs and Equity teams’ quarterly fundraising check-ins, including developing the agenda and tracking action/follow-up items. 
• In collaboration with the SP team and external consultants, build and manage an active pipeline that identifies and continually brings in new prospective funders to USEF. 
• Support the maintenance of highly sophisticated relationships with partners by conducting or coordinating meaningful and regular contact with them through meetings, convenings, and other activities, ensuring funders’ long-term commitment to USEF and the climate and clean energy field as a whole.
• Proactively capture and track all follow-up issues and action items that emerge from external funder meetings and stakeholder convenings, as well as internal USEF meetings, independently and in collaboration with the SP team and other USEF colleagues.
• Support the SP team and USEF leadership in preparing for key meetings, including agenda preparation, scheduling support, and collaboration with the team to gather background research on current and prospective funders.
• In coordination with the SP team and USEF colleagues, work directly with funders and prospects to engage them in program areas of interest.
• Collaborate with the SP Communications team and other staff to create, edit, and maintain drafts of funder-facing collateral. 
• Collaborate with USEF leadership and the SP team to organize key funder events, briefings, forums, and meetings by creating invitation lists, drafting invitations, scheduling support, and tracking RSVPs.
• Serve or participate in cross-functional teams to improve and integrate the SP team into organizational processes, and implement new systems.
• Perform other relevant duties, as assigned.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Demonstrated relevant work experience, such as fundraising, partnerships, and relationship management in a nonprofit, foundation, or business setting.
• Demonstrated experience working with a diverse set of donors or partners. 
• Experience communicating and collaborating with people from a wide diversity of backgrounds and cultures, including high-profile individuals and institutions.
• Experience working on multiple projects concurrently, with diverse stakeholders, and managing multiple priorities. The ability to anticipate the needs of team members and colleagues, donors, and other external stakeholders is essential.
• Knowledge of climate change or clean energy issues is desired.
• A commitment to contributing meaningfully to a workplace where equity and inclusion are core values.
• Proven oral and written communications skills.
• Technical skills: Experience using Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook, preferably in a Mac environment. Familiarity with Google Drive, Docs, and Sheets, as well as Box. Experience using cloud-based relational database systems, such as Salesforce, is preferred.

SUPERVISION 

Reports to the Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships.

COMPENSATION This is a full-time position. The target salary for this position is $175,500 for a candidate based in the metro areas of San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Boston, or Sacramento, and $157,500 for candidates in other areas of the U.S. USEF provides a comprehensive benefits package, including competitive salary, medical, dental, vision, disability, and retirement benefits, as well as paid time off. 

OTHER REQUIREMENTS Ability to travel two to four times a year for three to four business days at a time. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to spend extended hours at the computer. This position requires moderate levels of domestic travel. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT  USEF is a remote-first work environment. This position may be based in any of USEF’s offices or may work remotely from anywhere in the U.S. The office environments include some shared workspace, some individual offices, and shared kitchen facilities, with moderate noise levels and a collegial atmosphere. On occasion, there are activities or events after work hours.