Director - UW Climate Impacts Group

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives
on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees
offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and
dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.
UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits,
professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an
environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic
pursuits and natural beauty.
The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group (CIG)
supports the development of climate resilience by advancing
understanding of climate risks & enabling science-based action
to manage those risks. Since 1995, the Climate Impacts Group has
linked cutting edge scientific research with innovative approaches
to community engagement to produce exceptional research products,
develop strong relationships among resource managers, planners, and
policy makers in the region and build regional capacity for
addressing climatic variability and change. The Climate Impacts
Group is a member organization of EarthLab.
EarthLab is a visionary institute that pushes boundaries to
address our most pressing environmental challenges, with a focus on
climate and its intersection with social justice. EarthLab does
this by connecting faculty, students and researchers at the
University of Washington to community collaborators in businesses,
non-profits, public agencies, Tribal nations and others to
co-produce actionable research that generates solutions and
strategies for local and global impact. EarthLab's vision, an
equitable, just and sustainable world where people and planet
thrive, supports one of the University's biggest goals. As a
Carnegie-classified Community Engagement University, the UW aspires
to be the #1 university in the world as measured by impact.
EarthLab is inspired by and committed to this challenge.
Diversity Equity and Inclusion:
EarthLab and the Climate Impacts Group acknowledge the systemic
racism that exists in the environmental sector and within
environmentalism. We believe every member on our team enriches our
diversity by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and
engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design
and deliver solutions. We are seeking candidates who are committed
to creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive work environment
where all voices are considered and valued.
Director, Climate Impacts Group:
The Director is responsible for planning and directing the
activities of the Climate Impacts Group. The CIG has a
collaborative working environment and the Director will coordinate
a team of principal investigators who are responsible for their own
research agendas, and who share in developing and implementing the
vision and strategy of the CIG. The Director will provide strategic
leadership and direction for the Group's research, education and
stakeholder engagement efforts aimed at improving societal and
ecological resilience to climate variability and change. They will
be a key external face/voice of the Climate Impacts Group, and, by
extension, EarthLab, the College of the Environment and the UW.
They will be a regional/national thought-leader on connecting
science and decision making, in general, and for building climate
resilience, in particular.
The CIG staff has worked collectively to express our intention
around working with and supporting communities historically
excluded from the environmental and climate change spaces. The
Climate Impacts Group commits to prioritizing inclusion and justice
for all people in our work on climate adaptation, with the aim of
decreasing oppression in our organization, our field and our
communities. Given our country's history of slavery and continued
violence and discrimination against Black people, violent land
seizure and genocide against Indigenous peoples, and the
disproportionate impacts of climate change and environmental
hazards on Black, Indigenous and other people of color, we commit
to addressing the enduring impacts of colonialism and white
supremacy in our work. We are seeking a leader who can help us
operationalize, implement and realize this intention in our ongoing
work with communities as well as decision makers, resource
managers, and others who are in positions of relative power.
While the CIG has 17 employees, this position directly
supervises 6 positions including the Deputy Director, three
Research Scientists, one Environmental Outreach Specialist and one
administrative position.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Strategic Leadership:
• Establish the vision and build support inside and outside the
UW for CIG's efforts to connect science with climate-resilience
action through partnership and collaboration.

• Broaden & deepen diversity, equity, inclusion and
justice-focused efforts and continue to expand impact.

• Oversee all aspects of the organization and identify, propose and
lead new strategies/initiatives with wide reach and impact.

• Ensure effective alignment, and mutual benefit, between the
Climate Impacts Group and EarthLab, the College of the Environment
and relevant UW centers and programs (e.g., Center for Health and
the Global Environment, Program on Climate Change).

• Work in coalition with other organizations to build capacity for
climate resilience and vulnerability efforts regionally and
nationally.
Research and Engagement:
• Work collaboratively with the CIG team to set the direction
for research, education and outreach on an actionable climate
science agenda.

• Conceive, plan and oversee novel approaches to co-production of
knowledge on climate vulnerability and resilience.

• Serve as the lead-PI for large research efforts involving
multiple co-PIs within and beyond the CIG, such as the Northwest
Climate Resilience Collaborative.
External Partnerships:
• Develop and maintain an engagement plan that supports
relationships with key public, private, non-profit and/or tribal
partners.

• Build greater visibility for the CIG's work and reputation
through participation in relevant regional, national and/or
international networks and events.
Fundraising and Donor Stewardship:
• Work closely with EarthLab and the College of the Environment
Advancement and Administrative teams to develop and steward diverse
sources of grant and non-grant support from private, federal,
state, foundation and other sources.

• This work will also entail working directly with the UW state and
federal relations team.
Internal Management:
• Provide mentorship and facilitate professional development for
Climate Impacts Group staff throughout the organization.

• Support the Deputy Director in efforts to ensure financial and
operational health and the strategic use of core resources to
deliver on grants and contracts.

• Guide all PIs and supervisors in conducting efficient, equitable,
transparent, inclusive, and strategic operations.

• Lead in an empathetic way that prioritizes DEIJ (Diversity,
Equity, Inclusion and Justice), supports teamwork, enhances trust,
builds collaboration and results in a motivated workforce. Hire,
supervise, evaluate, develop and mentor CIG senior staff (Lead PIs
and CIG Deputy Director).
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
• Ph.D. or terminal professional degree or foreign equivalent in
a climate adaptation-relevant discipline*

• 9 years' experience leading a complex organization towards
enhanced research, services, and programs relevant to climate
resilience work*

• Experience advancing justice, inclusion and equity at an
individual and organizational level.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum
qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a
license/certification/registration.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
• Recognized as an expert in applied collaborative
interdisciplinary research and stakeholder engagement connecting
science and decision making in support of societal responses to
climate change.

• Ability to manage a demanding workflow with competing deadlines,
solve problems, resolve stress and conflict, initiate timely
responses to changes in the political and institutional
environment, and exercise sound judgment and decision-making
authority using tact and diplomacy.

• Evidence of advanced oral, written and interpersonal
communication skills in engaging with diverse audiences,
collaborators and staff.

• Demonstrated effectiveness as a collaborator, mentor, team
builder, supervisor, and program manager.

• Proven track record of securing grant and non-grant
funding.

• Demonstrated success building partnerships and working
collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external
constituencies (e.g., communities, industry, academia, tribes,
NGOs, and all levels of governmental agencies and
institutions).
DESIRED:
• Extensive knowledge of Washington state's and the greater
Northwest's climate-resilience related resources, issues and
stakeholders.

• General knowledge of Northwest treaty tribes, tribal issues
(particularly as relates to climate impacts and adaptation) and
practices for effective partnership with tribal nations.

• Working knowledge of state and federal legislative processes.
Other aspects of this position

• While the CIG Director position is not a tenured faculty
position, we are open to the possibility of a non-tenured faculty
appointment for the Director.

• We encourage applications from people who do not have a
traditional academic background, including experience in NGOs,
consulting, and government.
Application Process:

The application process for UW positions may include completion of
a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information
that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may
include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any
assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as
soon as you select "Apply to this position". Once you begin an
assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not
complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time
you access your "My Jobs" page. If you select to take it later, it
will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready.
Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you
will not be considered for this position until all required
assessments have been completed.
Applicants considered for this position will be required to
disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or
current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their
current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required
under Washington state law. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Keywords: Director of Research, Location: Seattle, WA - 98105