VP of Climate Programs & Impact Strategy

Rainier Climate LLC; Bellevue (WA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Vacation time

Paid holidays

Paid sick leave

401(k) match

Giving match

Professional development

Life insurance

Family building assistance

FSA options

Transportation stipend

Cell phone stipend

Identity protection

Job summary

Rainier Climate in Bellevue, WA, seeks its inaugural Vice President of Programs to lead cross-portfolio strategy, drive high-impact grantmaking, and mentor a growing team. This senior role requires translating broad strategy into disciplined execution across global portfolios and collaborating with the President and Cofounders.

You will oversee program execution, risk assessment, external partnerships, and learning to advance Rainier Climate’s mission at scale.

Qualifications

• At least 20 years of senior executive leadership experience in philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, or related fields.
• Global climate-sector experience preferred with ability to translate strategy into disciplined execution across multi-geography portfolios.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on leadership in a small, agile organization.
• Experience working with multiple types of capitals (financial, social, relational, human, intellectual, etc.).
• Strong analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills; synthesize complex information for diverse audiences.
• Proven track record mentoring high-performing program teams and guiding senior staff to strong execution.
• Experience leading cross-portfolio coordination and multi-geography collaboration.
• Financial acumen to oversee budgets and allocate resources efficiently.
• Commitment to Rainier Climate’s mission and values across global programs.
• Ability to drive learning and continuous improvement within teams.

Responsibilities

• Translate organization-wide strategy into ambitious portfolio plans across programs.
• Lead strategy development and refinement across portfolios to ensure measurable impact.
• Build effective cross-portfolio planning, knowledge exchange, and collaboration.
• Pair with Operations leadership to enable annual planning, impact assessment, and program management.
• Strengthen diligence, analysis, and assessment to ensure high-quality grant recommendations.
• Coach Program Directors and Associates to drive high-quality execution across portfolios.
• Manage external relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders.
• Oversee grantmaking budgets and ensure learning is captured to improve execution.
• Serve as a proxy for the President on program matters and guide senior staff.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, integrity, curiosity, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Executive leadership

Global climate experience

Strategy translation

Cross-geography collaboration

Budget management

Team mentoring

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Program planning

Job description

Rainier Climate in Bellevue, WA, seeks its inaugural Vice President of Programs to lead cross-portfolio strategy, drive high-impact grantmaking, and mentor a growing team. This senior role requires translating broad strategy into disciplined execution across global portfolios and collaborating with the President and Cofounders.

You will oversee program execution, risk assessment, external partnerships, and learning to advance Rainier Climate’s mission at scale.