Managing Director, Stanford Center for Just Environmental Futures

This position has been deemed critical by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean’s Office and is exempt from the hiring pause.

This position is based on Stanford’s main campus with consideration given to the option for a hybrid work schedule (partially onsite and offsite), subject to operational need. Interested candidates must include a resume and cover letter to be considered for this position. 

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment VISA. 

About Us 
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (SDSS) strives to create a future when humans and nature thrive in concert and in perpetuity. The school is made up of a three-part structure to drive global impact: Our academic departments and programs educate students and create new knowledge across areas of research that are crucial for advancing the long-term prosperity of the planet and people; Institutes bridge scholarship at Stanford and beyond, bringing multiple viewpoints to bear on urgent challenges; the Sustainability Accelerator drives new policy and technology solutions through a worldwide network of partners who work with our teams to develop solutions at a global scale. The school is dedicated to creating and supporting a community with the richness of experience and background needed to generate solutions that benefit all people, particularly those most affected by environmental damage and climate change.

For more information on the school, click here.

The new Sustainable Societies Initiative (SSI) draws together researchers from across the University to address a central challenge in sustainability – how do we accomplish the social, economic, cultural transformations needed to create societies that are truly sustainable? These complex, integrated, human-centered challenges require deep engagement with key actors – governments, business, civil society, and diverse communities – to develop research that will yield the insights and pathways needed to enable and propel transformation. They require a readiness to address the many different dimensions – political, institutional, behavioral, technological, historical as well as environmental and ecological – that are important to success, and to use an integrative social-environmental systems approach in doing so.

The new Stanford Center for Just Environmental Futures, situated within SSI, will serve as the intellectual and cultural hub for interdisciplinary communities of faculty, staff, and students focused on equitable and sustainable futures. The Center will advance this work through field-shaping research, education, and impact initiatives that seek to understand, repair, and prevent societal harms caused by environmental degradation, climate change, unequal access to the benefits of biodiversity, and histories of marginalization. Through four core activities—the Scholarship Network, the Research-Practice Hub, Transformative Learning Initiatives, and the Arts & Culture Program—the Stanford Center for Just Environmental Futures will define and deepen the university’s role in advancing the fields of environmental justice and climate justice, with local to global benefit.

The Managing Director (MD) will manage all aspects of Center development, implementation and evaluation, including setting strategy and direction in collaboration with the Faculty Director; hiring and managing staff in collaboration with the SSI team; and building strong partnerships within and outside of Stanford. The position will report to the Center Faculty Director (FD) with dotted line reporting to the staff lead for the Sustainable Societies Initiative.

Your Responsibilities will include: 

• Design, develop, and oversee implementation of the Center programs. Devise and implement vision, strategy, goals, and resource development in partnership with the faculty director. 
   
• Shape development of research and education programs. Guide strategic and financial decisions with the  faculty director and SSI  senior management. 
   
• Design and launch first priorities including Center launch, annual conference, and the Scholarship Network activities. Partner with other campus entities to design and launch the Research-Practice Hub, Arts & Culture Program, and Transformative Learning Initiative.
   
• Represent the Center to the broader university, external community, and other stakeholders. Provide expert consultation related to program development, funding opportunities, or other specialty areas.
   
• Partner with the faculty director to create and implement the Center governance structure and affiliated faculty community.
   
• Assess entity/program efficacy in accordance with Doerr School requirements. 
   
• Hire and supervise staff team and students commensurate with Center programmatic growth and long-range financial planning.
   
• Develop outreach strategy related to program communications, development, partnerships and fundraising/funding. Develop and oversee strategic financial planning and sustainability for the program/entity; monitor performance and ensure appropriate controls, maintain annual budget for Center.
   
• Co-develop fundraising strategy, identify external funding opportunities and write proposals and research grants.
   
• Collaborate with SSI and SDSS leadership to ensure smooth operation of grant administration, staffing, development of new programs, and other needs.

* - The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.