Program Associate, Climate Reserve

Aspen Global Change Institute; Basalt (CO); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) employer match

PTO

Parental leave

Flexible scheduling

Wellness benefits

Professional development

Job summary

Aspen Global Change Institute (AGCI) is seeking up to two Program Associates for Climate Reserve. The roles sit at the intersection of strategy, operations, and coalition building, with exposure to portfolio strategy and external relations.

Candidates should be curious, highly organized, and comfortable in a fast-paced environment. The positions offer remote work within the United States, requiring 4–6 years of relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree (Master’s valued).

Qualifications

• 4–6 years of professional experience in climate science, climate policy, environmental non-profits or related fields.
• Bachelor’s degree required; a Master’s degree can count toward experience.
• Experience supporting cross-functional teams, managing complex projects, or working in multi-stakeholder coalitions.

Responsibilities

• Cross-Functional Strategy & Portfolio Support: conduct rapid research and map climate vulnerabilities and policy shifts.
• Advancement, External Relations & Strategic Communications: draft donor reports, proposals, and briefs.
• Network Management, Learning & Event Logistics: support cohorts, plan convenings, and document insights.
• Operations, Systems & Team Coordination: provide project management and maintain knowledge systems.

Skills

Climate science

Climate policy

Non-profit experience

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree valued

Tools

Salesforce

Notion

Asana

Airtable

Google Workspace

Slack

Job description

ABOUT AGCI

Aspen Global Change Institute (AGCI) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to advance global change science and solutions. AGCI seeks to improve understanding of human and Earth systems, catalyze solutions at speed and scale, and nurture integrated communities across research and practice. We convene events, conduct research, provide advice to decision-makers, and develop innovative initiatives, including re-granting and fiscal sponsorships, for implementation through a wide network of partners. Running through AGCI’s DNA is a strong institutional commitment to excellence in science that is actionable and accessible. For more information visit agci.org.

AGCI was founded in 1989 and is a Colorado-based 501(c)(3) organization that supports staff and partners working to implement a mission that is international in scope yet grounded in local contexts and problem domains. As an "Institute Without Walls," AGCI staff and consultants are based in a variety of locations across the United States.

ABOUT CLIMATE RESERVE

Effective climate action depends on a human grid: the people, networks, and institutions who collect technical climate knowledge and translate it into solutions. For decades, the public sector has provided invaluable resources to the work of measuring, forecasting, and responding to climate change’s impacts. But this work is increasingly becoming a target of hostility, leaving the future of that support in serious doubt.

The global endeavor to understand climate change’s effects and explore solutions is at risk. Our human grid is more fragile than we realized. We cannot afford to sit back and watch as it erodes. Climate Reserve is building a strategic backstop for our human grid. We have built a powerhouse coalition of partner organizations and experts to advance two reinforcing aims: rescue and reinvention.

Since launching in 2025, Climate Reserve has mobilized over $3 million for 27 placements, embedding high-value federal climate expertise within 21 academic, NGO, and community partners. These placements have catalyzed more than $2 million in additional committed and in-kind support from subnational and other actors, while creating coordination infrastructure that didn’t exist before. Alongside our rescue efforts, Climate Reserve has assembled a coalition of 40+ science, policy, and frontline coordination leaders. This coalition boasts extraordinary expertise, cultivated through decades of collective experience with a wide range of government agencies, universities, NGOs, advocacy groups, and more.

An initiative of the Aspen Global Change Institute, Climate Reserve is building its lean, six-person management team to steward this work over the coming years, supported by a network of consultants and coalition partners. Together, this team shapes strategy, recruits and places talent across career stages and disciplines, builds partnerships with advisors and host institutions, manages grantmaking, and strengthens coalition learning to deliver on Climate Reserve’s vision.

THE POSITION

Location: The position can be remote anywhere within the continental United States.

Travel Requirements: up to 3-5 trips within the U.S.; and up to 1-2 trips overseas per year.

Position Title: Program Associate*, Climate Reserve

Climate Reserve is seeking up to two dynamic, versatile, and analytical professionals to join our management team as Program Associates. Sitting at the intersection of strategy, operations, and coalition building, these roles offer a unique opportunity to help shape and scale a strategic backstop and connector for the climate decision support ecosystem.

Working directly with the Executive Director and collaborating across Climate Reserve’s three existing workstreams—Portfolio Strategy, Advancement & External Relations, and Network Management & Learning—the Associates will serve as vital cross-functional utility players. They will provide high-level research, operational execution, and strategic communications support, as well as project management across our growing rescue and reinvention portfolio.

These positions are ideal for curious, highly organized, and adaptive team players with 4–6 years of professional experience who possess an understanding of climate science, climate policy, and subnational decision-support ecosystems. Candidates should thrive in an agile environment, excel at translating complex inputs into actionable strategy, and enjoy moving fluidly between high-level analysis and day-to-day operational execution.

*The exact title will depend on the candidate’s level of experience.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Cross-Functional Strategy & Portfolio Support

• Conduct rapid-response research and landscape mapping to analyze climate science vulnerabilities, federal/subnational policy shifts, and emerging talent opportunities across the climate decision-support ecosystem.
• Support the Portfolio & Strategy Lead in tracking placements and monitoring portfolio metrics and OKRs across host institutions.
• Help synthesize technical information across climate decision-support domains (e.g., climate modeling, adaptation, environmental justice, data infrastructure) into clear internal briefs and strategic direction papers.

Advancement, External Relations & Strategic Communications

• Support the Advancement & External Relations Lead in drafting donor reports, fundraising proposals, pitch decks, and briefing packets for institutional philanthropic partners and other stakeholders.
• Contribute to strategic communications efforts by drafting blog posts, web copy, background briefings for external engagements, and coalition updates.
• Research prospective funders, track donor engagement cycles, and prepare read-ahead materials for high-level partner meetings.

Network Management, Learning & Event Logistics

• Support the Network Management & Learning Lead to support fellow cohorts, coordinate learning sessions, and synthesize insights from coalition working groups.
• Assist in planning, executing, and documenting key convenings, virtual workshops, and working group discussions across our partner network.
• Help capture and organize shared resources, blueprints, and best practices to strengthen Climate Reserve’s community of practice.

Operations, Systems & Team Coordination

• Provide robust project management support across ad-hoc initiatives, ensuring cross-functional projects stay on schedule and deliverables are met.
• Maintain and optimize team knowledge management systems, CRM tracking (e.g., Salesforce), and coalition databases.
• Coordinate internal management workflows, agenda preparation, and administrative logistics to support team alignment and operational efficiency.

Experience and Background

• 4–6 years of professional experience in climate science, climate policy, environmental non-profits or consultancies, philanthropic strategy, or public service.
• Bachelor’s degree required; a Master’s degree in climate science, environmental policy, public administration, or a related field is strongly valued and may count toward years of experience.
• Demonstrated familiarity with climate decision-support ecosystems, including climate modeling, regional adaptation, federal science infrastructure, and subnational climate action.
• Prior experience supporting cross-functional teams, managing complex projects, or working within multi-stakeholder coalitions.

Technical & Operational Competencies

• Strong research and synthesis capabilities: ability to digest technical climate data, policy briefs, and qualitative feedback, translating them into succinct, high-level summaries and actionable strategy options.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills, with experience drafting varied content ranging from grant proposals and executive memos to web copy and presentation decks.
• Highly organized with demonstrated project management skills; fluent in digital collaboration tools (Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, Asana/Airtable) and data systems (Salesforce or similar CRMs).
• Ability to juggle competing priorities seamlessly, moving between research, operational execution, donor stewardship, and network logistics with high attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the diplomacy and tact required to engage comfortably with fellows, coalition members, advisors, and external partners,

Mindset and Attributes

• Deep commitment to public service values, scientific integrity, equity, and accelerating climate action.
• Proactive, self-directed, and comfortable navigating ambiguity in a fast-growing, dynamic initiative.
• A collaborative team player who brings intellectual curiosity, high situational awareness, humility, and humor to a remote, tight-knit team environment.
• Equity-driven, collaborative, and comfortable working across complex, multi-stakeholder systems.

The start date could begin as early as November 1. AGCI operates a physical, primary office in Basalt, Colorado, with staff working from other states as part of its “Institute Without Walls” approach. Remote work within the United States is permitted in this role.

Compensation: Anticipated hiring range is $70,00-95,000. This hiring range is based on the general US market - this range may be adjusted based on an individual candidate's geographic location. AGCI offers a generous benefits package, including organization-paid employee and dependent medical/dental/vision insurance, life insurance, disability, 401(k) with up to 10% employer contributions, PTO, paid parental leave, flexible scheduling, wellness benefits, and professional development opportunities.

Aspen Global Change Institute is committed to providing an equal employment opportunity for all applicants and to ensuring a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We welcome people of all identities, backgrounds, and experiences to apply.

Our employment decisions are based on our organizational needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, family or parental status, disability, age, national origin, or any other protected status.