2025-208 Director, Climate Science

Position Summary

The analytical and strategic Director, Climate Science is responsible for providing expertise, direction, and guidance among Ocean Conservancy, the larger ocean conservation community, and scientific experts to raise visibility of ocean-climate science and ocean-based climate solutions, with a special focus on a responsible research agenda for marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR).

The Director, Climate Science will drive initiatives, coordinate partner efforts, and develop external voices in support of evidence for ocean-climate action and raising the profile of climate change impacts on the ocean. The Director, Climate Science will ensure that materials and topics from Ocean Conservancy related to climate change science and solutions are factual and informed by relevant, respected, and recent science or other ways of knowing, including Indigenous knowledge and other non-western, traditional forms of knowledge. As a collaborative leader, the Director, Climate Science will work closely with the Senior Director, Climate Policy and Chief Scientist and in partnership with the Communications, Government Relations, Development, and other Ocean Conservancy programs, as well as external partners.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Climate Policy, the Director, Climate Science serves as a member of the Climate Core Team, Clean Ocean Energy Team, and Marine Biodiversity and Climate Science Team. The Director, Climate Science will also work closely with other scientists in the organization to exchange knowledge and provide program support.

The Director, Climate Science will have the following primary responsibilities:

• Lead on providing science support, advice, and strategic insight into Ocean Conservancy’s efforts to advance ocean-based mitigation solutions, including responsible offshore wind and other marine renewable energy; end offshore oil and gas; reduce shipping emissions; and advance a responsible research agenda for mCDR (roughly 40% of time and effort will focus on mCDR).
• Represent Ocean Conservancy in collaborative efforts to raise awareness about the connections between climate change and the ocean by:

• helping to develop strong, consistent communication strategies and materials;
• participating in the creation of new knowledge; and
• disseminating evidence-based messages independently and in collaboration with highly effective communication team members in both the U.S. and abroad.

Required Skills/Qualifications/Experience

The ideal candidate will possess many of the experiences and qualifications described below but need not possess them all for consideration:

• Five to 10 years of professional experience in ocean-climate science and/or policy background in marine or climate science research.
• Extensive knowledge, training, and expertise in mCDR and/or the marine carbon cycle.
• Demonstrated ability to lead coalitions or collaborative efforts with other departments, organizations and/or stakeholders.
• Superior written and oral science communication skills, including the capacity to communicate complex and technical topics compellingly to a variety of audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize technical information to support decision-making.
• Familiarity with public policy, communications, conservation, and the non-profit sector is preferred.
• Ability to work independently at a high level and respond rapidly to advocacy, science, and communications opportunities.
• Highly collaborative with an appreciation of the benefit of a multi-disciplinary team approach.
• Strong attention to detail and adherence to deadlines and deliverables.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team or independently.
• Willingness to travel, including internationally, for collaboration, media events, and conferences.
• Established record in peer-reviewed publications.
• Additional language skills beyond English highly valued.
• Strong passion for Ocean Conservancy’s mission, values, and commitment to ocean justice.

TRAVEL

Approximately 5-10% of your time will be spent traveling.

LOCATION

Ocean Conservancy follows a hybrid work structure. The preferred location for this position is the Washington, DC metro area, including MD and VA. Other states include AK, CA, FL, OR, TX, WA and WV.

Compensation

Ocean Conservancy is committed to equity in its pay practices and posts expected hiring ranges for each of its positions. The expected base salary range is $101,210 to $148,844. Compensation will be commensurate with the candidate’s specialty skills, years of experience, location, and unique background. We would welcome the opportunity to connect with potential candidates whose salary requirements may be outside of the expected hiring range.

How To Apply

Bonsai Leadership Group has been exclusively retained for this search. For consideration, submit your resume and a cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest by applying here. Candidates will be evaluated on a rolling basis. If you are a person with a disability and need help applying, please contact the recruiter at [email protected].

Equal Opportunity Employer

Ocean Conservancy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

We encourage applicants who have a diverse level and range of relevant skills and experiences to apply. A 100% match is not required. We want to support employees’ career growth and in return, our employees help Ocean Conservancy grow into a stronger, more inclusive organization.

If you are a person with a disability and need help applying, please contact us at [email protected].