The Climate Policy Specialist is NSAC’s foremost agricultural climate expert, serving as lead staff for the Climate Change Subcommittee, leading policy and strategy for selected issue areas – including serving as primary point of contact on climate and energy-related cross-cutting issues – and representing NSAC and its positions to policymakers. However, NSAC’s climate change work is carried out by a collaborative cohort of policy and grassroots staff and involves a wide array of organizational Coalition members in addition to external movement allies. The Climate Policy Specialist, in conjunction with the NSAC policy team and NSAC member organizations, will establish and maintain key channels internally and externally to coordinate strategy, information-sharing, and campaign actions. The Climate Policy Specialist collaborates with all members of the NSAC team, and applies an equity lens to all work in support of NSAC’s commitment to advance racial equity both within organizational and coalitional internal processes and through external campaigns and policy goals.

Agricultural Climate Policy and Strategy Development - 45%

• Guide and inform NSAC’s overall approach to addressing the climate crisis through federal policy.

• Lead the research and development of occasional climate-related policy position papers to articulate NSAC's position, including on new or emerging issues.

• Assemble and collaborate in the drafting of policy materials, including legislative text, report language, testimony, rulemaking comment letters, and program analysis, among others.

• Research and stay abreast of developments in agriculture climate science, as well as public policy perspectives, options, threats, and opportunities.

• Speak on behalf of and represent NSAC at meetings, conferences, and other events.

• Contribute regular blog posts that strategically advance NSAC’s advocacy by establishing fact-based narratives, elevating issues in media, and sharing essential information with stakeholders.

• Develop and maintain relationships with media and offer comments as appropriate to further NSAC’s advocacy, in coordination with the communications team and Policy Director.

• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with other national organizations, and ensure adequate NSAC representation on our key working coalitions.

Climate Policy Advocacy and Implementation - 30%

• Advocate NSAC priorities and positions to Congressional and administrative decision-makers, including deciding on strategic approaches and conducting meetings to build relationships with relevant decision-makers and their staff.

• Track and analyze federal legislation and agency actions related to the issues and programs in your portfolio, including program RFAs, awards, usage, budget, and impacts.

• Support NSAC’s annual budget and appropriations work for the programs within your portfolio.

• Work with NSAC members and the Grassroots Team to plan and execute grassroots action campaigns, strategies, and alerts on the policy priorities within your portfolio, and in conjunction with NSAC’s Conservation, Energy and Environment Committee (CEE).

• Collaborate with other members of the policy team to share intelligence and coordinate on meetings and other actions, particularly in your role as staff point on cross-cutting issues, such as tracking agency MMRV efforts related to GHG mitigation and carbon sequestration, agricultural carbon markets, and some EPA agriculture-related issues.

• Serve on advisory boards, commissions, and other similar bodies when appropriate to advance NSAC’s advocacy agenda, including participation in relevant agency meetings and Congressional hearings and briefings.

• Assist NSAC member organizations in meeting and communicating directly with their congressional delegations and with administrative decision-makers, including staffing fly-ins, in conjunction with the Grassroots Team.

Issue Committee Management - 15%

• Serve as primary staff to help coalition members who participate in the Climate Change Subcommittee (and other sub/committees as necessary) develop and implement specific policy priority campaigns, plan for and learn about emerging issues, and stay abreast of sign-on and backburner issues.

• Work with Racial Justice Committee liaisons, committee co-chairs, and the NSAC policy team to actively apply a racial equity lens to NSAC’s policy work, including during the annual priority setting process.

• Work with co-chairs and liaisons to cultivate an inclusive and respectful community that welcomes participation by all members, encourages authentic connection, endeavors to achieve consensus decisions, and emphasizes alignment with NSAC’s community agreements and values.

Organizational Support - 10%

• Provide input to grant proposals and grant reports and evaluations.

• Participate in recurring full team or policy team meetings, and other ad hoc meetings as needed.

• Participate in racial affinity caucusing (staff and coalition).

• Assist as needed with organizing and facilitating NSAC meetings, including taking turns rotating facilitation of monthly equity lunch discussions and helping plan our biannual coalition meetings.

Salary and Benefits

NSAC offers a competitive non-profit salary, dependent on qualifications and experience, $72 - 90,000.
 

Desired Qualifications

This is not an entry level position. The ideal candidate will have at least 3-5 years of climate policy or advocacy experience and possess strong organizational and analytical skills, excellent attention to detail, and a demonstrated interest in advancing equitable and resilient farm and food systems. We strongly encourage interested candidates to apply if they meet at least 75% of the qualifications. We also strongly encourage applications from people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, people with non traditional academic backgrounds, LGBTQ people, or those who are members of other marginalized communities.

Visit our application page for further details.