Director, Climate Judiciary Project

The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) is known for its pioneering Judicial Education Program, and in particular the Climate Judiciary Project (CJP), which provides the information and training needed to meet judges’ need for basic familiarity with current climate science in order to keep pace with the climate issues emerging in courtrooms around the world.  The project conducts educational programs, produces resource materials, and fosters a better understanding of climate science and the law in the judicial community.

ELI is seeking a dedicated professional to serve as the CJP Director to lead the project team and, in partnership with the Vice President of Research and Policy (VP), the Project Founder, and the Director of Judicial Education, develop and implement its strategic vision and plan. The CJP Director conducts program development and fundraising, and is a thought leader in the climate law and policy community. The CJP Director works extensively with both the project leadership team as well as organizational leadership.

What Would You Be Doing Exactly?

As a part of ELI’s Research & Policy team, you would lead all aspects of the Climate Judiciary Project (CJP) including:

Plan and manage the implementation of CJP

• • Lead the CJP team and develop concrete project plans, including goals, objectives, activities, and key results.
  • In partnership with the Vice President of Research and Policy and the Project Founder, develop its strategic vision; and in collaboration with the President and others, develop the project’s fit with the rest of ELI projects and programs.
  • Develop and manage the project budget, including tracking and reporting actual expenditures versus budget.
  • With support of the CJP Senior Manager, manage implementation of project plans and meeting project goals, objectives, and key results.
  • Manage communication to and from the project team and integrating across ELI, building bridges that strengthen the project and the Institute and actively participating in connecting CJP’s work with ELI’s crosscutting priorities.
  • In collaboration with the Director of Communications, design and implement a CJP communications plan.
  • Define content of programming with leadership team (Vice President of Research and Policy, Project Founder, and Director of Judicial Education).
  • Lead the process for hiring project staff through established ELI procedures as positions become necessary and are approved, with special regard for building a diverse CJP team.
  • Ensure the project output contributes to achieving expected outcomes in agreed time, including advancing the climate science capacity of the judiciary through delivery of seminars, curriculum development and dissemination, training workshops, fundraising and other efforts to build engagement.

• Build and manage relationships and raise funds
  • Together with the leadership team of CJP, identify, recruit, and work with external advisory groups such as the curriculum advisory committee and an external advisory board of influential climate leaders to suggest content, connect to climate, science, and legal communities, identify resources, and raise funds.
  • Build relationships with members of the climate science community, legal scholars, judicial educators, and judges to involve them on volunteer or contractor basis in planning and execution of CJP programs.
  • With ELI Development staff and CJP leadership team, assume responsibility for continuing to raise funds for the project.  Help identify funding prospects, participate in cultivation and solicitation calls, write and submit proposals, and craft progress reports for funders.  Oversee stewardship of suite of funders and prospects.

• Provide thought leadership
  • Serve as thought leader within the climate and law community. Work with Vice President of Research & Policy, President, and other leaders organization-wide to set the strategic direction for ELI’s priorities related to climate issues.
  • Contribute to development of ELI strategy and priorities and support strategy development for climate-related programs.
  • Deliver talks, write articles, and cultivate media relations as part of total external relations plan for CJP.

• Evaluate effectiveness of program
  • Mainstream evaluation as an integral part of all development of the project.
  • Monitor, evaluate progress against plan, and assess learning processes throughout the project.  Work with contract assessment team to evaluate effectiveness of program against the articulated theory of change.  Report results to multiple internal and external stakeholders through metrics and evaluator’s reports.

The Climate Judiciary Project Director supervises the growing dedicated CJP staff including the Senior Manager and the Science Fellow and assigns tasks to other staff including attorneys, policy analysts, and Research Associates related to specific programs.

Domestic and international travel may be required on occasion.  The location, duration, and frequency of travel will depend on project activities.

What do you need to thrive in this role?

• Advanced degree in science, management, or law such as MA, JD, PhD, or MBA.
• 10-15 years’ experience, with at least five years in a management role.
• Requires knowledge, or capacity to acquire it quickly, in a broad range of climate science and climate-related litigation as well as a proven track record of managing multi-disciplinary projects. 
• Preference will be given to management experience in the fields of environmental law, public communication of climate science, or science education at the higher education level.

The Research & Policy division is collaborative by nature and the CJP Director must be able to interact in a professional manner with people from diverse racial, ethnic, political, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We employ antiracist practices and principles while striving to support ELI’s culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

Who is ELI?

The Environmental Law Institute brings science and policy together to make the law work for people, places, and the planet. We envision a healthy environment, prosperous economies, and vibrant communities founded on the rule of law. We foster just and practical law and policy solutions to spur environmental, economic, and social progress across the United States and around the world. 

What can you expect from ELI?

The annual salary for this position is $100,000 annually and is commensurate with experience. ELI’s total compensation includes excellent benefits including: 

• Health/Dental/Vision insurance 
• Flexible Spending Account 
• Employer-paid life insurance & disability insurance 
• Long Term Care insurance 
• Pre-tax transportation benefit 
• Fitness Incentive 
• 403(b) Retirement Savings Account with employer match 
• Paid time off

Ready to apply? Here’s how…

Submit an application package via ELI's online application system. Simply visit https://www.eli.org/employment to get started. Note that your submission must contain the following uploaded documents (Word or PDF format), as follows: 

• Cover letter  
• Current CV or resume  
• List of 3 references
• A writing sample

ELI will accept applications for this position until 11:59 pm EST, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. Applications will be reviewed, however, on a rolling basis and the post may be filled prior to the closing deadline. You must use ELI’s online application system; ELI cannot accept applications submitted by email, USPS or other shipping service, or hand delivery.

Please note that to ensure the health and safety of the ELI workforce, any offer of employment from ELI is contingent on candidates providing proof of full vaccination against COVID-19.  ELI management will consider requests for religious or medical exceptions, consistent with applicable law.   

ELI is an equal opportunity employer firmly committed to achieving an inclusive, diverse workforce that values every individual. We firmly believe that hiring individuals with varying perspectives and backgrounds contributes to our success as an organization, and we strive to create an environment that fosters inclusiveness. As such, minority candidates and candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.