Senior Manager, Special Projects

BrightPlus3; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 107,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative organization is seeking a Senior Manager for Special Projects to lead and manage complex initiatives that advance a just and climate-resilient world. This dynamic role requires a strategic thinker with strong project management skills to oversee planning, execution, and communication across diverse teams and partners. The successful candidate will enhance organizational effectiveness, facilitate collaboration, and ensure project objectives are met efficiently. Join a forward-thinking team dedicated to making a positive impact on global environmental issues while working in a hybrid setting that values diversity and inclusion.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of project management experience, preferably in environmental or philanthropic sectors.
• Proven ability to manage complex projects with tight deadlines and multiple stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead organization-wide project management efforts, ensuring effective planning and execution.
• Facilitate internal communications and support leadership messaging.

Skills

Project Management

Communication Skills

Emotional Intelligence

Organizational Skills

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Google Suite

Asana

Job description

The Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA) is a collaborative of foundations seeking to amplify the power of people and the potential of forests for a just and climate resilient world (the Alliance). The CLUA member foundations are the ClimateWorks Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Good Energies Foundation, and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies also awards grants in alignment with the CLUA strategy. By bringing together our resources and diverse expertise, CLUA supports policies, practices, and partnerships that halt and reverse forest loss, advance sustainable land use and development, and secure the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous and forest communities. For more, please visit climateandlandusealliance.org.

Position Description

The Senior Manager, Special Projects will report to the Special Assistant to the Executive Director and lead and manage complex projects that advance CLUA's mission. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong project management skills to oversee project planning, execution, and ongoing communication. The Senior Manager, Special Projects, will collaborate with staff, members of the Alliance, and external partners to ensure project objectives are met effectively and efficiently.

As the Senior Manager, Special Projects, your primary responsibilities will be to:

• Lead organization-wide project management efforts, ensuring effective planning, coordination, and execution of key initiatives, including retreats, cross-functional projects, and Alliance-wide coordination.
• Support the development of team and alliance-wide retreats including work with retreat committee, external facilitators, and ED.
• Develop and implement structured processes to track progress, streamline workflows, and improve accountability across projects.
• Facilitate internal communications, including drafting organizational updates, supporting leadership messaging, and ensuring clear and timely dissemination of information.
• Work closely with the Leadership Team to identify and address bottlenecks in decision-making and execution, proposing solutions to enhance efficiency.
• Support organizational planning efforts, ensuring follow-up on critical discussions, action items, and organizational priorities.
• Take ownership of specific delegated projects and tasks, empowering teams by using tools that enhance organizational effectiveness.

Location

This position is hybrid, based in the San Francisco Bay area. The Senior Project Manager must be able to regularly participate in meetings, remotely or in-person, outside of typical working hours to ensure coordination at times suitable for the diverse geography and travel schedules of the SMT and other colleagues. The position will require work across multiple time zones (including team calls at 6am PST), and in close collaboration with colleagues in the United States Pacific and Eastern time zones, Europe, Indonesia, and Latin America. Frequent travel within and outside of the United States may be required.

Preferred Experience & Competencies

Applicants will ideally have many of the following competencies and some of the following experience:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
• Minimum of 5 years of project management experience, preferably (though not necessarily) in the environmental, human rights, or philanthropic sectors
• Proven ability to manage complex projects with tight deadlines and multiple stakeholders
• Excellent organizational and project leadership skills
• Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong emotional intelligence, with the ability to facilitate relationship building across the Alliance
• Proficiency in Google suite is critical, and experience with Asana or similar project management software is a plus
• Experience working in international contexts would be helpful (especially, non-profit and/or philanthropic)
• Proficiency in additional languages, such as Spanish, Portuguese, or Bahasa Indonesia is a plus

Compensation:$107,500 - $142,500, per year (for candidates residing in the major metropolitan Bay Area).

Equal Opportunity and Access

Equal employment opportunity is a fundamental principle at the Climate and Land Use Alliance, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law. The Climate and Land Use Alliance does not discriminate against formerly incarcerated individuals.

Application Process

All interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. CLUA values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and identities to apply. CLUA will complete an initial review of applications received byMay 11, 2025and on a rolling basis thereafter until the position is filled. To be considered, please apply online and submit a cover letter and resume in English.