Director, Climate and Energy, Data Centers

Trellis Group; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 102,700 - 122,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid health insurance

403(b) retirement plan with generous match

Flexible work arrangements

Job summary

A sustainability-focused nonprofit is seeking a Director to support businesses and policymakers in reducing energy and water demand driven by data centers. This full-time role, based in Boston or remote within the U.S., requires expertise in sustainability and data centers. The successful candidate will manage diverse initiatives, engage stakeholders, and contribute to policy advocacy. Benefits include a competitive salary of $102,700 – $122,000 and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in relevant fields, especially data centers.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects.
• Experience in non-profit and sustainability is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support businesses, investors, and policymakers on energy and water sustainability.
• Build relationships with funders for data center initiatives.
• Supervise staff and contribute to overall program success.

Skills

Sustainability issues expertise

Strong communication skills

Relationship management

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Salesforce

Job description

About Ceres

Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit organization leading the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. Through our powerful networks and advocacy, we tackle the world’s biggest sustainability challenges, including climate change, water scarcity and pollution, and human rights abuses.

For more information about Ceres, please visit our website www.ceres.org.

Here at Ceres, we value integrity, equity, belonging, compassion, and respect. We demonstrate those values through how we communicate and collaborate with our colleagues and external partners; and embody them in our decision making and advocacy efforts to create a more just and sustainable future.

About the Climate and Energy Team

The Climate and Energy (C&E) team works to decarbonize the highest emitting sectors of the U.S. economy, including electric power, oil and gas, steel, and transportation. This sectoral approach involves direct engagement with investors and companies to advance sustainable solutions, transition current business practices to mitigate the worst impacts of the climate crisis and create a more just and equitable world.

About You

You are passionate about sustainability. You are highly motivated and detail oriented, with an ability to plan and deliver projects both collaboratively and independently. You are a skilled communicator with an aptitude for considering diverse perspectives and creating shared understanding among stakeholders.

About the Role

The Director will support businesses, investors, and policymakers in identifying the economic and community risks and opportunities related to rapid growth in energy and water demand driven in part by data centers. The Director collaborates with teams across the organization working on company and investor engagement and public policy.

This is a full-time exempt position reporting to the Senior Director, Electric Power and supports work related to data centers across Ceres’ programs and networks, in particular, the Ceres Policy and Water teams. The Electric Power team is part of the Climate and Energy Program at Ceres. The role is remote (within the contiguous 48 states) or may be based in our Boston, MA or San Francisco, CA office. The candidate must be flexible to work with employees in all US time zones.

Specific duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Providing deep subject matter expertise on sustainability issues related to data centers and their value chain to inform research and company and investor engagements.
• Building an integrated approach to Ceres’ efforts around sustainable data center growth across Ceres’ Programs (Climate & Energy, Water, Food & Forest, Accelerator) and Networks (Investor Network, Company Network, and Policy Network) with the collaboration of Program Directors.
• Organizing and facilitating cross-team internal meetings around sustainable data center growth.
• Building relationships with current and potential funders, including by partnering with the Development Team on grant proposals or engagements with donors to raise funds to support data center work. Developing approaches to better articulate the business case for efficiency, clean energy, water/wastewater management, and strong community benefits in data centers and supporting the Program teams as they execute this work.
• Contributing to the development of new areas of impact for Ceres’ Electric Power work including load growth from other sectors including heavy industry, heating, and transportation.
• Tracking, analyzing, and verifying results in close coordination with the Organizational Strategy, Planning, and Results (OSPR) team.
• As organizational needs arise, and upon successful internal readiness evaluation by the communications and marketing team and relevant program leaders, this person may be called upon to serve as a public spokesperson for external speaking and media engagements and/or as a lead or contributing author for thought leadership. Duties could include managing editorial projects from start to finish, leading and/or supporting message and content development for reports, briefs, and op-eds and media materials, as well as managing consultants and partners.
• Supporting investors that are engaging on these issues.
• Ensuring Ceres’ data center work addresses issues of Just Transition (JT) and advances emerging JT best practices for the sector.
• Supervising employees, co-ops, consultants, and interns, as needed, to include training, conducting performance reviews, and providing guidance and support with professional development.
• Traveling, as needed, to engage with funders, companies, investors, and stakeholders.
• Researching, writing, and editing climate, electricity, and water related communications including contributions to website, newsletter, reports and other publications in collaboration with respective program team communications lead.
• Other tasks or projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate experience required.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of full-time related work experience required; direct experience working in the data center industry required; direct experience working in the electric power and on corporate water stewardship is highly preferred. Experience working in the non-profit sector and on sustainability issues is preferred.
• Understanding of business and financial sector capabilities, methods, and practices for achieving positive sustainability outcomes preferred.
• Demonstration of Ceres' values of integrity, equity and belonging, collaboration, compassion and respect, and pragmatic advocacy.
• Demonstrated ability to bring a nuanced advocacy perspective to both analysis and corporate engagement and to make clear recommendations for actions and next steps.
• Strong experience with fundraising, outreach, relationship management, and partnership development.
• Sound judgment, sensitivity to diverse constituencies, excellent interpersonal skills, strong initiative, and motivation.
• Experience supervising staff, including the ability to provide training and support staff development.
• Ability to work as part of a team and to take a collaborative approach.
• Strong presentation, verbal communication, and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage multiple complex projects simultaneously. Planning expertise and delivering projects on deadlines and within time and resource budgets.
• Highly proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint. Knowledge of or willingness to be trained on specific Ceres’ applications necessary for success. Familiarity with Salesforce, Bloomberg and other applications highly preferred.
• Interest in being part of a diverse workforce and advocacy-focused not-for-profit organization coupled with a desire to support Ceres' commitment to Inclusion & Equity. Experience working with diverse constituents and making everyone feel valued and respected, a plus.
• Willingness to travel as needed.

Compensation and Benefits

The hiring salary is $102,700 – $122,000 with competitive benefits (Pay Grade 18). Ceres offers fantastic benefits including opportunities for hybrid and remote work; 80%, 82% or 85% (depending on your coverage election) employer paid health insurance and 85% employer paid dental insurance; a 403(b) retirement plan with a generous match that starts on day one; generous allowances for commuter and work from home expenses; flexible spending accounts to set aside money on a pre-tax basis for eligible expenses; 10 holidays, generous vacation, and additional paid time off including week-long summer and winter breaks, summer Fridays, and sick, personal, and parental leave.

Ceres Culture

Everyone has a role to play in the movement towards a more just and sustainable world.

At Ceres, we are committed to intentionally and carefully curating, engaging, and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. We endeavor to create a supportive environment that sparks innovation, fosters respect, and allows Ceres employees, in all roles at all levels, to come together equally to be fulfilled, successful, and to thrive.

Ceres is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from all qualified candidates, and we do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, age, religion, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military or veteran status, disability, or any factors prohibited by applicable law.

If you have questions related to the above statement or need a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact our ADA Coordinator at [e-mail]. Please note, this email address is for ADA inquiries only.

To Apply

We encourage all applicants to review our website to familiarize themselves with Ceres before applying: www.ceres.org. Please submit a resume and cover letter through our online application. Professional references may be requested during the selection process.