Executive Director

About this position

JOB POSTING: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IRON & EARTH

OVERVIEW

Date posted: January 12, 2021

Closing date: February 14, 2021. Applicant intake is ongoing until position is filled.

Job type: Permanent full-time staff position

Start date: April/May or earlier if possible. A later start date could also be negotiated. 

Base salary: $90,000 - $100,000 annually

Benefits: Benefits package available after three months

Location: Remote with some travel expectations post-Covid

ABOUT IRON & EARTH

Iron & Earth formed around the lunchroom tables of the Canadian oilsands during an oil price crash which resulted in over 100,000 oilpatch employees losing their jobs between 2015 and 2017. We realized that our trade skills were transferable to the renewable energy industry and recognized the urgency of diversifying into these technologies. So, in Spring 2016 we launched Iron & Earth to create a better future for ourselves, our coworkers, and the planet. Since then, we have built a base of nearly 1000 fossil fuel industry worker members and have carried out a wide range of innovative initiatives.

Our overarching intention is to help create an environmentally and socially prosperous planet. Our vision is that fossil fuel industry and Indigenous workers will play a leading role in building the policy and infrastructure required to reach global climate targets. Our top-level goal is to help ensure a prosperous transition towards global carbon neutrality by 2050. Our mission is to empower fossil fuel industry and Indigenous workers to build and implement climate solutions.

We carry out our unique purpose through our regional chapters, national advocacy campaigns, upskilling programs, climate mitigation projects, technology platforms and community-building events. Learn more about our work at ironandearth.org.

ABOUT THE JOB 

We are hiring a new Executive Director to take our organization to new heights. Iron & Earth is poised for growth and we require an exceptional leader who can effectively scale our organization’s initiatives.

The Executive Director’s core mission is to maximize Iron & Earth’s positive impact towards our purpose, pillars and values. 

The Executive Director provides oversight, overall management, planning, vision and leadership for Iron & Earth’s initiatives. Key activity areas include strategic planning, fundraising, financial management, team building, constituency and stakeholder engagement, communications, governance and project management. The Executive Director employs an empowering approach when collaborating with team members to nurture an environment of shared responsibility and accountability. 

In 2021, the Executive Director will provide leadership for multiple exciting initiatives:

1. Support our new National Chapter Director to strengthen and expand our chapters across the country 

2. Finalize and implement the Renewable Skills Initiative which will include the delivery of four sustainable energy training programs in 2021

3. Work alongside and support the new CEO to launch Iron & Earth Industries as a social enterprise to scale the delivery of our training programs and generate revenue for our nonprofit activities

4. Work with our new National Chapter Director to carry out the Prosperous Transition Campaign, which includes interviewing hundreds of workers, releasing a report on workers’ climate action policies, and winning key policy implementation

5. Work alongside our Director of Innovation & Energy Policy to carry out the RenuWell project, which will include completing a pilot project to utilize brownfield sites for solar energy projects (multi-stakeholder initiative)

6. Support our National Chapter Director to host a ribbon-cutting celebration for the 365 Greenhouse Project led by our east coast chapter

7. Support a project team to develop Iron & Earth’s new Climate Career Portal, a platform for connecting workers in transition with the resources, training and employment opportunities they need

8. Lead the development of Iron & Earth’s new 1-Day Net-Zero Pathways program that will support fossil fuel industry workers and stakeholders to understand and position themselves in the various pathways towards the net-zero economy

Additional ongoing Executive Director responsibilities:

• Deliver, measure and report on the positive impact of our initiatives for our constituency

• Secure funding to ensure resources are in place to safeguard the resilience and ensure scalability of the organization

• Effectively manage, and report on, the organization's finances and resources

• Develop and implement strategies to effectively scale Iron & Earth’s existing portfolio of initiatives, and where practical, develop new innovative initiatives to further expand the reach and positive impact of Iron & Earth

• Continually build and strengthen the Iron & Earth team, ensuring that the right people are in the right roles and that they are supported  to achieve their full potential

• Grow our media coverage, act as a spokesperson for Iron & Earth at key events and with news media, and further build our network of worker spokespeople 

• Engage with decision-makers and elected officials to advocate for Iron & Earth’s policy priorities

• Engage with stakeholders to establish strategic partnerships and support the implementation of mutually beneficial initiatives

Iron & Earth is also currently hiring a CEO to launch a social enterprise (Iron & Earth Industries) to deliver our climate career training programs and renewable energy projects. The relationship between the CEO and Executive Director positions will be horizontal, as they will each be responsible for unique organizational entities. 

REQUIRED APPLICANT QUALIFICATIONS 

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in the fossil fuel industry (oil, natural gas or coal), whether it be a white or blue-collar background

• 1+ year of demonstrated commitment to building and implementing climate solutions

• 5+ years of senior leadership experience

• Demonstrated capabilities and actions that equip you to lead a not-for-profit organization

Demonstrated ability to

• Design and lead innovative initiatives to solve complex problems

• Lead teams and foster growth in team members 

• Secure funding and manage finances  for major initiatives

• Communicate effectively and powerfully

• Carry out the mission, objectives, and activities of Iron & Earth

• Thrive in a remote work environment

Vision and values

• A transformative vision for the transitional role of fossil fuel industry and Indigenous workers in building the net-zero economy

• Personal values aligned with the mission, goals and philosophy of our organization

• A dedication to Indigenous wellbeing, reconciliation, and decolonization

• Enthusiasm about contributing to a work environment that is committed to the ongoing process of taking decolonial and anti-racist approaches to our work

You have a deep understanding of

• The energy industry and political landscape in Canada

• Issues related to Indigenous rights and title and the impacts of the energy sector on the culture, territories, and economies of Indigenous communities

• Public policy implementation required to ensure a prosperous transition

• The importance of worker and community organizing during the current energy transition

• The funding landscape across Canada

HOW TO APPLY

If you meet the requirements, please:

• Email your resume and cover letter in a single PDF to info@ironandearth.org

• In your cover letter, please tell us about how your experience in the fossil fuel industry inspires you to support workers to build and implement climate solutions. Please also describe the skills and experience you would bring to the mission, objectives, and activities of this position. 

We will consider applications on a rolling basis, and therefore early applications are encouraged.

We thank all applicants in advance for their interest in our organization and for taking the time to apply; however, only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. 

We recognize that the new economy must be grounded in a recognition of Indigenous peoples’ right to be self-determining over their lands and resources, in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and strive to contribute to building a new economy that reflects this principle. We especially encourage and welcome Indigenous candidates to apply for this role. 

Thank you for your interest!