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Program Overview:

In Summer 2023, the Bezos Earth Fund (the Earth Fund) launched Greening America's Cities (GAC), a new, multi-year $400M initiative to invest primarily in community-led environmental justice organizations through 2030. In 2023, $50M was granted to 24 community based organizations and 6 national partners who provide technical assistance and support in the following US cities and their surrounding counties: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Wilmington. In every city, a Regional Partner Network of USDN will collaborate with local governments, serve as a resource to community grantees, and make connections across the five municipalities and their partners. Learn more about the Earth Fund Greening America's Cities initiative and the community grantees in the City of Chicago here .

Position Overview:

The Government Liaison position is a unique opportunity for a person with passion for and commitment to sustainability and environmental justice, demonstrated excellence around the nexus of local government and community-building and engagement, and is excited to contribute creatively and strategically to the overarching mission and vision of the Greening America's Cities initiative. This position will report to the Special Project Manager at USDN and the Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer at City of Chicago's Department of Environment.

The Government Liaison will serve in a coordination role working with and alongside City of Chicago's Department of Environment and USDN in service of the Greening America's Cities initiative. The Liaison will assist and support the City of Chicago's Department of Environment to advance the work of the GAC community based organizations as they design and build more green spaces in the communities they serve. This position will liaise with local, state, and federal government entities to expedite support for these community-based organizations, including, e.g, ensuring policies are in place to protect and preserve the community's green spaces, increase access to them, and connect with peers in other Greening America's Cities to share best practices and exchange resources. This role will work closely with the Earth Fund Community Fellow to establish quarterly goals and priorities based on the needs expressed by the GAC cohort.

Responsibilities :

_Program Management & Delivery _

• Serve as the primary liaison and relationship manager on behalf of the City of Chicago's Department of Environment and other local government jurisdictions as relevant, to support the current Earth Fund GAC grantees, and create a fertile environment for other community based organizations.
• Facilitate technical assistance support to the City of Chicago Department of Environment and community-based organization grantees through USDN staff and technical partners to ensure effective delivery aligned with grantee needs and goals of the initiative.
• Organize regular meetings and trainings that would include local government and community based organizations responsive to the needs identified in partnership with the Earth Fund Community Fellow.
• Attend in person meetings and convenings, representing the City of Chicago Department of Environment as needed.
• Facilitate community engagement on behalf of the City of Chicago Department of Environment at local, county, state, and national levels in support of current and future project delivery.

Program Strategy & Development

• Collaborate with the Earth Fund Community Fellow to develop a shared vision for success of the GAC initiative.
• Build systems to ensure active information sharing between the grantees in Chicago and across the other GAC cities, identifying where possible common areas of interest for cutting edge implementation, policy options and/or collaborative problem solving.
• Commits to engaging in peer learning opportunities and to share lessons learned with the Network.

Communications and Relationship Building

• Work alongside the City of Chicago Department of Environment and the Earth Fund Community Fellow to document progress and communicate successes and lessons learned, potentially including marketing support and amplification for greening projects and community-led dialogues with USDN and the Great Lakes Climate Adaptation Network, the Regional Partner Network serving the City of Chicago.
• Contribute to written briefs, blogs, interviews, videos, and other educational materials that USDN and Great Lakes Climate Adaptation Network may develop to broadly share and influence field knowledge.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Focus

• Cultivate and maintain professional competency in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). EDI is a central goal, fundamental value, and required competency for the practice of sustainability. USDN staff cultivate EDI skills and competencies through personal practice and training.
• Emphasize USDN's adopted EDI principles in the design and delivery of programming and throughout the performance of job responsibilities. The position will advance EDI principles as a characteristic of responsible governance, where all levels of government have a fiscal and moral responsibility to address the long-term implications that inequity has on prosperity, health, and safety of residents.
• Identify and respond to EDI challenges that members are experiencing.
• Commitment to social justice and anti-racist principles.

Position Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Three to five years experience delivering results with community stakeholders (or similar sector), and experience working with diverse community-based organizations, community leaders, government agencies, and associated stakeholders.
• A well-developed network of relationships and deep understanding of the City of Chicago's environmental and climate justice and/or greening ecosystems, and knowledge of Chicago communities and their needs.
• Experience working within or in close collaboration with local governments and understanding of city processes and systems
• Willingness to travel nationally several times a year.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Demonstrated skills in facilitation, relationship building, partnership management and collaborative planning/delivery, especially with diverse community stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple complex programs and projects and multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently and with partners in a collaborative and dynamic environment.
• Ability to interface with members from varying urban greening, urban agriculture, and environmental justice backgrounds
• High level of communication skills - interpersonal, written and verbal - and strong relationship-development skills.
• Proven project management skills – from conception to design to implementation - and demonstrated capacity for strategic thinking and problem solving.
• Commitment to and experience with collaboration, teamwork and personal growth.
• Strong orientation and commitment to racial equity, equitable results, and community voice.

Terms of Employment

• Job Classification: Regular, Full-time, Exempt, Term-Limited
• Work Location: Hybrid based in Chicago, IL
• Salary: $100,000 - 115,000
• Term: This is a term-limited, grant funded position through June 30, 2026
• Benefits : USDN offers a robust benefits package, including 100% employer covered health, dental, disability, and life insurance, flexible leave policy, generous paid leave, and 401(k) program.
• Reports to: This position will report to the Deputy Chief Sustainability Officer at City of Chicago's Department of Environment and the Special Project Manager at USDN.

How to Apply: We accept applications through an online application program (Breezy). When you apply you will be prompted to provide your contact information, to copy and paste your cover letter into a text field, and to upload your resume as an attachment. When you upload your resume it would greatly help our hiring committee if you would upload a copy of your resume and cover letter in one document. You will also be invited to complete a demographic questionnaire. Your responses to the questionnaire are kept separately from your application and help us to monitor and improve our recruitment and outreach efforts to ensure we are reaching a wide diversity of candidates. If you do not wish to provide responses, please select the option, 'prefer not to answer.' Should you require accommodations through the application process, please let us know.

Closing Date: Monday, August 5, 2024 at 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time

Urban Sustainability Directors Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strongly encourage applications from qualified people of all gender expressions and identities, sexual orientations, racialized communities, Indigenous persons, veterans and persons with disabilities.

About the Partners

The City of Chicago Department of Environment is a leader of innovative environmental initiatives, and sustainability is embedded throughout the city's policies and practice. From the Chicago Climate Action Plan's broad leadership to the City's targeted energy efficiency investments, Chicago is integrating sustainability in the places residents work, live, learn, and play while preparing for a resilient future. Learn more about the City of Chicago Department of Environment here.

The Great Lakes Climate Adaptation Network is a regional network of local government staff and partners that actively work together to identify and act on the unique climate adaptation challenges of the Great Lakes region. GLCAN builds capacity for community resiliency efforts by focusing on sharing information on and finding solutions to the unique challenges faced by the region. Building upon a core network of member cities and counties, GLCAN explores partnerships with other organizations that are working on Great Lakes climate challenges and promotes connections among cities, counties, nonprofits, foundations, and universities. Formed in 2015 as a partner network of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, GLCAN is a member-driven peer network that integrates leading cities and counties across the Great Lakes region to address issues of community sustainability. Learn more about the Great Lakes Climate Adaptation Network here.

Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) supports local governments to implement bold change in pursuit of equitable and sustainable communities by building the capacity of local governments to act, scaling promising practices and solutions. The heart of USDN's work is a network of local government sustainability professionals from over 250 cities and counties across the United States and Canada dedicated to creating a healthy environment, advancing racial equity, and building thriving and resilient communities. USDN believes that a diverse, inclusive, and equity-centered climate movement is essential to achieving our ambitious goals for just, resilient, carbon neutral communities.

Learn more about the Bezos Earth Fund and the Greening America's Cities initiative here .