Why are so many concerned about climate change, but so few make it a priority?

How can we get the average person to really care about climate change? A person who has a million other things on their mind, a never-ending to-do list, a family to raise, a job to go to, and a very busy life to live--how do we get _that _person to care to the degree it takes to demand action?

If getting to the bottom of these complex questions sounds like something you’d like to do for a living, we at Potential Energy may have a great opportunity for you!

Potential Energy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit coalition that brings together America’s leading advertising, creative, analytic, and media agencies to shift the narrative on climate change. Together, we are using the power of marketing to develop new narratives, engage new audiences, and build demand for a better, cleaner, more prosperous world. You can see examples of our work ++here++ and you can get a taste of our insights ++here++.

We believe solving climate change is a human problem, not a political one, and to get to the right answers we need a better understanding of humans. That’s where you come in! This role focuses on conducting a wide variety of research to more deeply understand people, and then apply that research to inspire and inform creative concepts and communication platforms.

You’d have four primary responsibilities:

• **Design and manage qualitative research. **You will run our “always on” qualitative research--a 60-person panel of moderate moms who tell us about their lives, give us feedback on our creative, and inspire our next round of work. You’ll also have free reign to suggest innovative qualitative research ideas that would further deepen our understanding.
• **Conduct secondary research. **We want to be informed by the best minds in behavioral science, change theory, the psychology of persuasion, and the climate change sector. So when we have a big research question (one we’ve been thinking about a lot lately: what combination of factual understanding and emotional appeal best leads to lasting persuasion?), we want to be guided by the leading thinkers on that topic. So you would be in charge of secondary research that helps us “get smart” on how to change hearts and minds.
• **Package insights to inform others. **We learn a _lot _at Potential Energy, and one of our ambitions is to leave the world better informed than we found it. So part of your role will be packaging up all of our insights so that everyone from high-profile politicians to local pastors know how to talk about climate change in a way that makes people care. You’ll write our newsletter, website copy, annual report, communication memos, and bring your own ideas on the right way to get our message out.
• **Guide creative work. **Ultimately, our insights inform creative campaigns. Your role will be the “voice of the customer,” making sure all the communication we come out with squarely appeals to the values and priorities of our target audience.

Qualifications:

Potential Energy is a small, flexible non-profit. We have the feel of a start-up with the impact of an org that’s been around for ages! It’s a fantastic place to work and we’re going to be building this role together, shaping it based on what’s working, what you’re good at, and how we can have the greatest impact on the world! So there is not a concrete set of qualifications that we’re looking for. With that said, the right person will be …

• **Passionately curious about people. **You are our qualitative research lead! The complexity of humanity should intrigue you, conversations with people completely unlike yourself should enliven you. People, fundamentally, should fascinate you.
• **A great writer! **You’ll be packaging up our insights for public consumption, so you need that elusive ability to spin a phrase, pull out the interesting data point, find the hook, and keep readers engaged.
• **A voracious reader! **For our secondary research, you’ll be reading books about pop psychology and academic papers on theories of persuasion. You should love learning and maybe even get irrationally excited when you stumble across that perfectly applicable insight!
• Have some experience in the world of insights. Maybe you’ve managed focus groups in the past, or have experience translating complex research into compelling prose. Maybe you’re a journalist or an academic, maybe you come from politics, maybe you come from advertising. There are so many backgrounds that could have relevance for our work, but if you’re curious about people, passionate about climate change, and driven by results, this role could be a great fit.

Thanks so much for taking the time to explore this opportunity.

Full-time, Exempt, 40 hours/week

Potential Energy is a project of Windward Fund, a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. Windward is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. Windward’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.