Initiative Director, Japan

Position Summary

The Initiative Director, Japan will lead strategic grantmaking to achieve policy wins that help Japan meet its climate goals. This role will work with Climate Imperative’s leadership team to align the strategy with the organization’s values and theory of change. The individual will also work with a diverse group of partners, from grassroots advocates to high-level policymakers and aligned philanthropies, both within Japan and with its trading partners.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy

• Identify the near-term opportunities to support policymakers and advocates in Japan to accelerate an ambitious and affordable clean energy transition
• Assess whether there are opportunities to inspire bolder ambition in Japan
• Draw on successes and setbacks from efforts in other geographies to help inform the strategy in Japan
• Share lessons learned from Japan’s experience with partners in other geographies

Campaign Coordination & Coalition-Building

• In collaboration with potential and existing grantees and other stakeholders, determine how to rapidly accelerate the clean energy transition in Japan
• Ensure that justice and equity and an economic transition strategy for affected workers are carefully considered in the design, implementation, and impact of the initiative
• Build a concise and metric-driven campaign strategy to win, in consultation with partners
• Ensure we and our partners have a clear understanding of how to win in each decision-making venue

Grantmaking & Convening

• Develop a strong understanding of existing philanthropic investments in Japan, including funder priorities and the grantee landscape
• Identify the grantees who can execute the initiative strategy, and develop a portfolio of grants so they can lead this initiative to success
• Regularly convene grantee and funding partners to ensure strong coordination, track progress, repair problems, expand, contract or phase down elements of the initiative, as necessary
• Report, without bias, on progress and stalls to the Board of Directors
• Serve as a thought leader to the broader philanthropic and NGO community on strategy and grantmaking
• Lead on the grantee relationship through regular check-ins
• Serve as a leader and resource for other Climate Imperative staff

Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience leading initiatives to achieve policy change at a broad scale in geographies including Japan
• Strong preference for candidates who are based in Japan with the ability to work locally
• Global philanthropic or grantmaking experience
• Expertise in the clean energy landscape and the global fossil fuel industry
• Strong knowledge of the policy landscape in Japan and a working understanding of its main trading partners and regional dynamics
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Managerial skills to oversee progress across a diverse set of grantees, meeting grantmaking goals, timelines, and other benchmarks
• Develop strategies that consider and synthesize multiple perspectives into a coherent big-picture strategy and workable plan
• Ability to track regional efforts and see opportunities for leverage and scaled impact
• A deep commitment to equity and inclusion reflected in prior campaigns
• Ability to engage and inspire others while effectively communicating complex ideas and information verbally and in writing
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally
• Deep interest, passion, and commitment to reducing climate change
• Ability to prioritize and be flexible in a fast-paced, constantly evolving, and collaborative environment
• Bilingual in English and Japanese, with strong communication skills; both written and spoken, in both languages

SALARY

We provide a salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. The target salary range is ¥22.0 million–¥25 million. Equity is incredibly important to the organization, and a pay audit for equity is completed annually.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This role is done primarily in an office environment.

An employee must be able to satisfy the following physical requirements with or without a reasonable accommodation.

• Remain in a stationary position (at a desk) for at least 75% of the day
• Use hand and fingers to type
• Frequently communicate via phone or video and email and must be able to communicate using those methods

Climate Imperative requires all employees to come together in person two to three times per year.

Benefits

For candidates based outside the U.S., employment, payroll, and benefits are administered through our Employer of Record (EOR) partner in the relevant country, who serves as the legal employer for local compliance purposes. Regardless of location, all team members are fully integrated into Climate Imperative, with day-to-day work, responsibilities, and management carried out within Climate Imperative.

Benefits vary by country based on local requirements and EOR-administered plans. We strive to offer a strong and equitable benefits package across geographies. Examples of benefits offered include:

• Up to 100% of premium paid for medical, dental, and vision
• Carrot fertility and family planning benefits
• Annual professional development budget
• Internet, cell phone data, and health & wellness reimbursement
• An innovative, collaborative, and welcoming work culture

OUR COMMITMENT

Climate Imperative is committed to diversity, equity, & inclusion and to a transparent recruitment process that fosters belonging. Our goal is to hire and advance people regardless of race, gender, ability, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, military service, medical condition, and any other protected characteristic under local, state, or federal law. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.

We are committed to an accessible employee experience. If at any time you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact [email protected].

About Us

Climate change is governed by physical facts—about carbon sources, accumulation, impacts, and timing, and more importantly, about solutions that work. These facts must inform strategy: they show that avoiding dangerous climate change is only possible through strong policy to cut carbon, promptly, in the biggest countries. To address these issues, Climate Imperative was founded to provide resources to the field of climate policy in this decisive decade.

Climate Imperative is a 501(c)(3) public charity focused on solving the climate crisis at speed and scale by providing funding, technical support, and expertise to win the world's most significant emissions reduction policy decisions this decade.

Climate Imperative operates from two office locations in San Francisco, CA and Washington, DC. Employees based in those areas work from the office one to three days per week. We support a hybrid work environment and bring the full team together in person one to two times per year for organization-wide collaboration.