Founded in 2022, we are an emerging philanthropic organization dedicated to addressing climate change and increasing climate resilience both nationally and in the Western United States. With a focus on research, advocacy, and partnership, we use c3 and c4 dollars to fund organizations and initiatives in four program areas: Climate Solutions in Agriculture, Colorado River Resilience, Climate-Smart Buildings, and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). CBR works very closely with our sister organizations, Conscience Bay Company, which owns and manages a real-estate portfolio in the Colorado Front Range; and Western States Ranches, which is a working cattle ranch spanning 200,000 acres along Colorado’s Western Slope.

Position Overview: We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Program Officer to join our team at CBR. This role will oversee a portfolio of work related to two of our program areas: Climate Solutions in Agriculture, and Colorado River Resilience. Within these impact areas, programmatic work covers a range of topics at the federal and state levels including agriculture, ranching, Colorado River water policy, and land use. This role will also support collaboration with a working cattle ranch, Western States Ranches, on field research related to water conservation, soil health, enteric methane, and other areas. Because we are a small and nimble team, the role may provide occasional support in our other program areas: Climate-Smart Buildings and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), as needed. The position will be based out of our Boulder, Colorado office, and candidates should be prepared to work in the office during the workweek. Key responsibilities include:

Grantmaking:

• Develop and manage a portfolio of grantees across two program areas: Climate Solutions in Agriculture and Colorado River Resilience.
• Provide support to grantees in writing proposals, implementing projects, monitoring milestones, and reporting.
• Develop grantmaking budgets, track expenses, and report on grantee progress to CBR management and partners.
• Provide support to field research initiatives in collaboration with our working cattle ranch, Western States Ranches, by coordinating with ranch staff, grantees, and external partners.
• Provide occasional support to grantees in our other program areas: Climate-Smart Buildings and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), as needed.

Communications:

• Work closely with partners and grantees to gather success stories, images, data, and research findings to craft meaningful narratives.
• Manage contracts with communications consultants to write op-eds, develop videos, and amplify strategic messages to advance our goals.
• Ensure CBR-funded research is communicated clearly and consistently to stakeholders in order to advance innovation and shape policy.
• Prepare and deliver reports on the impact of our work internally and externally.
• Advance efforts to establish a unique voice for CBR, pushing policy-makers and partners to advance climate solutions at the federal and state levels

Partnerships

• Cultivate relationships with industry experts, academic institutions, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other relevant stakeholders to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Represent CBR at conferences, workshops, and other events to share research findings and enhance CBR’s profile within the agriculture and climate solutions community.
• Develop partnerships with other funders to align strategy and amplify impact of shared grantees.

Policy

• Work with grantees to identify opportunities to influence policy at the confluence of agriculture, water, land use, climate change, and ranching at the federal and state levels.
• Work with federal and state lobbyists to ensure CBR is informed of relevant policy developments, and create opportunities to shape policy in line with our strategy.
• Build working coalitions with organizations in the areas of agriculture, ranching, conservation, and climate advocacy in order to help shape policy.
• Stay informed on Farm Bill negotiations and identify opportunities to influence policies that are beneficial to the climate, the Colorado River, and cattle ranching in the Western United States.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, or other equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in philanthropy, conservation, climate policy or related fields.
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and oversee complex projects from conception to completion.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to convey policy and scientific concepts to diverse audiences.
• Strong networking and relationship-building abilities, with a demonstrated capacity to collaborate with individuals and organizations across a wide range of cultural, geographic, and political identities.
• Ability to travel on occasion within Colorado and nationally to attend conferences, meet with partners, or engage with policy-makers.

Desired Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in a relevant field.
• Previous experience in grant management, including oversight of grantees and project monitoring.<l/i>
• Experience working in a rural community setting on issues related to conservation, agriculture, renewable energy, local economic sustainability, or related issues.
• Experience in livestock management, particularly in the context of rangeland cattle ranching, with an understanding of the intersection between agriculture, climate change, land use, and water.
• Experience designing and managing field research initiatives, including data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Some knowledge of climate solutions in the built environment and carbon dioxide removal (CDR).
• Fluency in federal and state policy related to climate change, Colorado River, Farm Bill, agriculture, land use, and related fields.
• Please note: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals are more likely to self-select out of opportunities if they don’t meet all of the written job requirements. We encourage anyone to apply who believes they have the skills and drive necessary to succeed in this role.

Position Details:

• Compensation: $125,000 – $160,000; Starting salary will be based on candidate
  experience and qualifications.
• Benefits: Medical, dental, vision insurance; 401(k) retirement plan; paid time off.
• Job Classification: Full-Time; Exempt.

To Apply: Send resume and cover letter to: info@cbay.org

Conscience Bay Research provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, termination, or any other condition of employment. Conscience Bay is in compliance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment.