Opportunity

Second Nature is a leading non-profit organization at the nexus of higher education and climate action. The Climate Policy Fellow will be responsible for collecting data and conducting research on higher education projects that take advantage of direct pay provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) across the US, layering these projects together with other data sources (e.g., legislative districts), and producing marketing and communications collateral to translate these results to a broad audience. The Fellow’s work will support an infrastructure for decision-maker outreach, storytelling, visual geo-spatial mapping, and direct higher education engagement on these projects.

This exciting role will be valuable in supporting higher education institutions in understanding relevant climate policies and advancing advocacy opportunities as appropriate. The position will report to the Director of Communications and Marketing and work closely with the Climate Policy Manager and Senior Director, Programs. This will be an excellent opportunity to advance the candidate’s communications, policy/advocacy, and research expertise while creating resources to serve the climate action work undertaken by higher education institutions.

Responsibilities:

• Create a national-scale, searchable database, and map for higher education-related IRA direct pay projects layered with and filtered by other related data sources
• Create additional educational tools and resources to inform campuses on federal climate policy, with a particular emphasis on the IRA
• Participate and provide support for Second Nature’s IRA Community of Practice and Academics for Climate Advocacy Working Group
• Explore opportunities to coordinate with federal/state agencies and nonprofits in support of higher education climate action
• Conduct climate policy research and analysis in support of Second Nature’s advocacy goals and efforts
• Support Second Nature’s commitment to ensuring equitable experiences, strengthening inclusion acumen, and promoting a culture of inclusivity, belonging, and justice
• Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time.

Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree in political science and/or 2 years experience in associated policy research or work experience. Bachelor’s degree and graduate work are a plus
• Intermediate or advanced knowledge of mapping products such as ArcGIS and Tableau
• Demonstrated understanding of climate policy and/or demonstrated ability to translate data to inform policy
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to organize and track progress
• Group and meeting facilitation skills are a plus

Preferred:

• Knowledge or experience working with higher education institutions on climate-related programs/initiatives
• Previous experience developing searchable and multi-layer mapping products with ArcGIS, Tableau, or similar products
• Demonstrated experience and comfort collaborating with various constituencies (e.g., technical experts, faculty, staff, policymakers, peers, and other stakeholders)
• Collaboration skills are highly valued, whether through work experience or student projects
• Ability to research and analyze complex issues and information, accurately summarize and draw conclusions from that information, make recommendations, and communicate the information to others in a clear way.