Climate Resilient Communities Director of Programs

ABOUT CRC

In the Bay Area, as throughout the world, under-resourced communities are disproportionately

vulnerable to climate change impacts. Since 2016, Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) has

been on the ground, learning the specific needs of residents in diverse, under-resourced

communities in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven (Menlo Park), and North Fair Oaks. We have now

expanded to San Bruno, and South San Francisco in San Mateo County. Additionally, we’ve

begun building social movement infrastructure in Santa Clara County in the Alviso and East San

Jose neighborhoods. CRC’s on the ground, community organizing cultivates environmental

awareness while giving local residents a voice in proactive resilience planning and adaptation

initiatives. By building stronger alliances between residents, schools, local government programs

and community-based organizations, our work builds social infrastructure and community

resilience against climate related stresses such as sea-level rise, displacement, and economic

instability.

CRC’s work is guided by community leaders through our Climate Change Community Teams

composed of frontline residents in each neighborhood we work in. CRC partners with these teams

to meet community-identified needs through programs that advance youth education and

leadership development, provide vital home safety repairs and energy efficiency improvements,

and directly address community-led climate adaptation priorities like distributing air purifiers.

CRC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a strong record of transparency and community

oversight. Through this opportunity you will have a unique opportunity to interact with and learn

from experienced movement and community leaders and contribute to building climate resilience

in a way that centers and empowers the voices of working families and frontline residents.

PURPOSE

The Director of Programs is a senior leadership position responsible for overseeing and managing

the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Resilient Homes and Resilient

Adaptation programs within our organization. This role requires a combination of strategic

planning, project management, team leadership, policy analysis, and stakeholder engagement

skills.

This position reports to the Executive Director (ED) and is a member of the four-person executive

team composed of the ED, Chief of Staff, and Director of Outreach and Education.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Programmatic: (30%)

● Develop and implement strategies that will maximize the synergies among program areas.

● Create procedures, deadlines, and milestones to monitor a program's progress.

● Develop, approve, and monitor program budgets; track grant deliverables and spenddown.

● Evaluate programs and project leaders for efficiency and accomplishments.

● Make changes and improvements to programs to align with the strategic plan and

maximize impact as measured by CRC’s core metrics.

● Coordinate with program managers and other stakeholders to create detailed program

implementation plans with deadlines, milestones, processes, and risk mitigation protocols.

Strategic: (30%)

● Research and plan programs based on the organization's strategic objectives, provide

strategic guidance from the programmatic perspective into overall organizational strategy.

● Establish clear goals for programs, secure or allocate the resources to achieve them.

● Hire and supervise new program managers for projects, oversee associate level hiring.

● Foster and maintain relationships with funding partners, stakeholders, and organizational

partners, including government representatives, nonprofit partners and NGOs.

● Create processes for monitoring performance and collaborating with program teams to

improve program delivery and maximize effectiveness.

Leadership: (30%)

● Cultivate new and strengthen existing relationships with vendors with the goal of ensuring

sufficient space and resources, and access to services for program implementation.

● Hire and supervise program managers as direct reports and program associates indirectly.

● Monitor program performance and collaborate with program teams.

● Provide operational and technical reports on performance to the leadership and Board.

● Apply change, risk, and resource management principles when needed.

● Work with leadership to set strategic goals and objectives for programs.

● Resolve problems between program teams and other internal or external stakeholders.

Policy Analysis and Research: (10%)

● Serve as the lead researcher and advocate for the organization on all environmental justice

policies and proposals impacting our communities including state and local initiatives

across a wide array of topics

● Represent CRC in advocacy efforts as directed by the Executive Director

● Lead CRC’s involvement in local, regional, and statewide coalitions related to

environmental justice initiatives

● Author and approve public comment letters and engage with elected officials on

environmental justice policy priorities

Desired Qualifications

● 5 years of proven experience as a program director or other managerial position

● Outstanding understanding of project/program management techniques and methods

● Successful management and procurement of grants

● Excellent knowledge of performance evaluation techniques and key metrics

● Thorough knowledge of data analysis, reporting and budgeting

● Working knowledge of MS office and program management software (e.g. Basecamp, MS

Project etc.)

● Excellent organizational and leadership skills

● An analytical mindset with great problem-solving abilities

● Excellent communication skills

● BSc/BA diploma in management or a relevant field; MSc/MA is a plus

● Experience with policy advocacy from an environmental justice perspective

COMPENSATION

This is a full-time, (40 hours a week) non-exempt position in Palo Alto, CA. Your schedule may

vary based on need and may include evening and weekend hours. Exact salary will depend on

qualifications, but will be in the range of $95,000 to $115,500. CRC strives to provide equitable

and competitive compensation for all of its employees.

Benefits include health insurance (100% employer-funded for employees, 50% funded for

dependents), access to a 403B retirement plan with 3% company match, a flexible work schedule,

generous holiday and paid leave policies (5 weeks PTO), and a highly collegial work

environment. Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on climate change. Professional growth

opportunities available.

APPLY

Applicants should submit a substantive and thoughtful cover letter describing their interest in the

position and making the case for the relevance of their experience. The cover letter and resume

should be submitted together to this google form. Applications missing a cover letter or resume

will not be considered. Applications will be accepted through August 7, 2026.

CRC does not discriminate in employment because of age, gender, race, national origin, or sexual

orientation. We strive to engage, celebrate, and reflect the rich diversity of the communities we

serve. We value inclusion and equity in our programs, leadership, and hiring practices.