NeighborWorks® Umpqua
Director of Climate Resilience 

NeighborWorks Umpqua (NWU) is a rural focused community development corporation working in Southern Oregon. We work to promote opportunity for all by developing, owning, and providing access to quality housing that is affordable, increasing access to capital to build household wealth, assets and expand homeownership, improve financial resilience, and support community-based economic development efforts.NWU was founded over 30 years ago to develop quality affordable rental housing in response to a market that was not producing housing the community needed. Over the years, we have continued to develop housing, expanding into other areas of community development in response to gaps in the market. We have an established real estate development department that has a steady pipeline of projects and continues to explore additional opportunities. As this grows, we are looking to add talented, dedicated, diverse, and forward-thinking team members.We are currently looking for a Director of Climate Resilience which is a visionary and dynamic leadership role responsible for overseeing a comprehensive service portfolio focused on single-family home sustainability and climate resilience. With a strong emphasis on social determinants of health, the Director will lead home repair and energy efficiency upgrades, ensuring long-term sustainability of single-family housing in our community. This position will play a key role in shaping energy and climate resilience policy and strategy within the organization, including acting as our organization’s “Energy Champion”. The Director of Climate Resilience will also advise on climate resilience strategies to improve quality-of-life and financial performance within our for-rent portfolio, and participate in strategies to ensure climate resilience as we engage in new construction of all types. Essential Duties and Responsibilities This organization believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to our success. That contribution should not be limited by the assigned responsibilities. Therefore, this position description is designed to outline primary duties, qualifications, and job scope, but not limit the incumbent nor the organization to just the work identified. It is our expectation that each employee will offer their services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure the success of our endeavors.The essential functions include, but are not limited to the following: 

• Develop and Implement Strategic Initiatives: Craft and execute forward-thinking vision for home repair, energy efficiency, and climate resilience, and climate justice programs that align with our organizational mission and values. Create collaborative connections across departments to solidify a comprehensive organization-wide climate resilience strategy. 
• Lead Home Repair Programs: Lead existing home repair initiatives, identifying and expanding opportunities to enhance impact and reach. 
• Team Leadership: Directly supervise and inspire a high-performing team, fostering a culture characterized by innovation, collaboration, and commitment to equity. Cultivate an inclusive environment for all employees, supportive of organizational mission and values. 

• Grant Project Development: Collaborate with the Resource Development Officer and CEO to conceptualize grant projects, formulate work plans, and develop program budgets.
• Grant Application Process: Work closely with the Resource Development Officer to apply for grant funding, ensuring data informed, robust and compelling applications.
• Obligation fulfilment: Monitor performance and meet all grant and contractual program obligations. Ensure accurate and thorough reporting.
• Contract Negotiation: Negotiate contracts with federal, state, and other entities.

• Community Relationships: Build and nurture strong relationships with external stakeholders including government agencies, government officials, homeowners, and community organizations to ensure our initiatives are responsive to community needs and opportunities.
• Advocacy: Engage in advocacy efforts promoting climate resilience, climate justice, and energy efficiency with the goal of influencing policy and attracting resources to serve our rural and marginalized communities.
• Outreach Strategy: Develop and implement a comprehensive outreach strategy to effectively market our programs across our service areas, with a particular emphasis on underserved marginalized communities.
• Collaborative Leadership: Participate in regional coalition building and collaborative development. Lead regional collaborative initiatives.

• Inclusive Policies: Develop and uphold equitable and consistent policies and procedures based on desired outcomes.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities

• Use applicable software effectively.
• Work closely with the finance department to ensure appropriate compliance and reporting.
• Create a customer service culture that achieves the following:
  • Program applicants are counseled on barriers to eligibility for participation steps are suggested that they can take to remedy their eligibility.
  • Support staff help participants during the implementation phase to (1) encourage maximum participation, (2) resolve individual and group related problems, and (3) provide information on labor-saving and record keeping devices.
  • Participants are coached towards goal setting and pursuing future energy efficiency or wealth building opportunities.
  • Participants feel empowered to pursue future energy efficiency or wealth building opportunities.
• Maintains records as required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Experience working directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. 
• A positive attitude with a growth mindset.
• Demonstrates skill in understanding of cultural differences.
• Experience in program design.
• Demonstrable writing and math skills.
• Excellent communication and organization skills.
• Demonstrates support of a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-oppression.
• Attention to detail.
• Proven experience as a team leader.
• Familiarity with office management procedures and basic accounting principles.
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office.
• Associate degree or higher in a relevant field of study.
• Demonstrated leadership in centering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Justice in program design, implementation, and decision-making with a track record of partnering with diverse community leaders and community-based organizations..
• Bilingual in English/Spanish or other languages is preferred.

Core Competencies

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitment, integrity, social impact dedication.
• Emotional intelligence, Situational awareness, diplomacy, strategic thinking, adaptability, and mentorship. 
• Proactive communication, relationship building, and growth mindset.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk, sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include those required for reading, writing, and typing. This position will be working primarily indoors and some of the time in an outdoor environment for events or clean up. From this movement, the employee will encounter varying temperatures. The noise level is low in the office environment.

Note

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.Benefits: Contribution to Medical, vision, and Dental coverage; Paid Life insurance and AD&D insurance, Identity theft insurance, 401k match contribution, Leave policy includes Federal Holidays, Vacation and Sick. 
Our commitment to an inclusive workplace
NeighborWorks Umpqua is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We celebrate the unique differences of our employees because that is what drives curiosity, innovation, and the success of our organization. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information, political affiliation, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. See our website for our DEI statement https://www.nwumpqua.org/about/dei