Director - US

About us

Pollination is a specialist climate change investment and advisory firm, accelerating the transition to a net zero, nature positive future.

Our people are the key to unlocking change. Brought together from across industries, we are global leaders in finance, investment, technology, business, law and policy.

We combine our diverse expertise to connect dots and see around corners where others can't. With strong relationships at the highest levels of government and the private sector, we shift barriers and catalyse transformative partnerships.

Our clients span governments, businesses and public and private capital. Using our broad experience, we help navigate the climate transition, and design and invest in breakthrough ideas that deliver financial returns.

The opportunity

We are currently inviting applications from Directors based in both Washington and Chicago to join our scaling US team and be part of an exciting phase of growth.

Our Directors advise corporates, financial institutions, governments and development finance institutions on all aspects of the transition to net zero and building climate resilience.

You will bring your own deep climate change expertise and insight - whether in carbon markets, transition or physical risk, clean energy, corporate climate strategy, investment, advocacy, governance, policy, market design, and/or other closely related fields - to help our clients address some of the most pressing and challenging problems in the world.

Pollination's advisory approach is hands-on.

Directors are responsible for:

• Managing client engagements, closely guided by an Executive Director and a Managing Director
• Managing the delivery of advisory projects, assisting clients to identify their needs and designing problem solving approaches capable of resolving their most challenging issues
• Designing, owning and delivering polished results, including designing and undertaking analysis, and producing pitches, decks, reports, models and research material
• Helping Executive Directors, Managing Directors and clients manage the internal engagement and response to project work and findings
• Assisting with administration and monitoring for a pipeline of possible new projects
• Managing staff, including on individual projects and across their careers at Pollination
• Developing problem solving strategies for clients or sector groups, including developing Pollination IP and thought leadership

Must have

• Solid career to date experience in strategy, policy, law, sustainability, finance, economics or a closely related field, along with significant subject matter expertise in climate change or sustainability-related fields
• Ability to project manage the delivery of major work streams, from the design of the work stream through managing multiple resources, and to delivery
• Strong collaboration and teamwork skills, with the ability to work with a distributed global team across various levels of seniority, including the ability to seek and integrate input from special advisors and internal experts
• Ability to work to strong deadlines and to manage prioritisation and stakeholder expectations across multiple competing priorities and projects
• Ability to author and produce polished and commercial communications, including reports, slide decks, models, pitches and research material
• Well-developed independent analytical skills, potentially including financial and economic modelling, financial analysis, market reviews or benchmarking, forecasting, investment analysis, systems analysis or legal analysis

Highly desirable

• Experience in the advisory context, either via market advisory or private advisory work, including supporting clients to undertake targeted problem solving and implement specific project outcomes or findings
• Ability to work with comfortably and confidently senior clients in a commercial context
• Ability to develop problem solving approaches and frameworks and deliver these frameworks in a commercial context
• Ability to manage change in an organisation, including by seeking and generating buy-in, building culture and supporting stakeholders to engage with the program of work at hand.
• The successful candidate is likely to have an advanced university qualifications in economics, finance, business, science, technology, engineering, mathematics or a closely related field, and significant relevant experience in in-house strategy, management consulting or finance
• Experience in strategy, finance, economics, or a closely related field, along with significant subject matter expertise in climate change or sustainability-related fields, such as: transition and climate finance, sustainability strategy, climate risk and opportunity analysis

Qualities

• A strong entrepreneurial mindset, with the ability to thrive and be self-directed in a very fast-paced growth environment
• Highly collaborative working style, with comfort working in working environments defined by shared ownership of projects and flat decision-making structures
• Strong commercial focus and literacy, with a sensitivity for the commercial concerns of clients

You'll love this role if…

You thrive in a fast-moving, fluid environment and have exceptional attention to detail. You are adaptable and proactive, calm under pressure and a great communicator - able to prioritise and effectively manage the needs of diverse stakeholders. You have a ferocious intellectual curiosity, an appetite for solving complex problems and are comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty. You are excited to work in a purpose-driven organisation and share our ambition and commitment to tackle the climate crisis. This is a permanent, full-time role with the flexibility to work outside of standard office hours when necessary.

Applying with Pollination

Pollination is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. We encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application. We will then work with you to identify the best way to assist you through the recruitment process.