Director of Federal Policy and Partnerships

About Elemental Excelerator

Elemental Excelerator is a nonprofit investor dedicated to scaling climate solutions for deep community impact. With a 14-year track record, we invest in companies pioneering essential solutions to pressing climate challenges, making neighborhoods and homes cleaner, healthier, and safer. We've invested in over 160 climate companies to date and successfully stewarded $180 million in government and philanthropic resources, leveraging our expertise to de-risk technologies and attract additional investment. Core to our work supporting innovation and entrepreneurs, and essential to our five-year strategy, is the central role of social equity and community impact in the implementation of climate technologies. 

We are a dedicated, passionate and diverse team that thrives in a fast-paced environment driven by a shared desire to maximize impact. At Elemental, where we are constantly pushing the edge of innovation, we find ourselves at an exciting inflection point - with more federal funding into climate solutions and philanthropic engagement than ever before, we will be steadily growing our team to meet the moment. Join us at Elemental Excelerator and be part of the next phase of our journey. 

About the Policy Lab

In 2021, Elemental launched its Policy Lab to advance results-focused policy solutions at the nexus of climate tech innovation and social impact. The Policy Lab brings together policymakers, technology entrepreneurs, investors, and community leaders in collective action to motivate change where it is needed most. We do so by creating the building blocks for effective policy design and implementation—model policies and programs, toolkits, case studies, frameworks, and hands-on support—because it’s how solutions are deployed that ultimately delivers on the promise of policy and technology.

About the Role
Elemental is seeking a passionate self-starter to serve as the Director of Federal Policy and Partnerships for our Policy Lab. This position will report to Elemental’s Managing Director of Policy and is responsible for delivering on the organization’s federal policy agenda, managing government affairs and building partnerships to support climate solutions with deep community impact. The Director of Federal Policy and Partnerships will directly engage and mobilize administration officials, policymakers, government partners, and policy influencers while connecting them to real world case studies and findings from the Elemental portfolio, policy fellows, and community partners. The Director works across multiple teams within the Elemental ecosystem including Portfolio, Equity and Access, Partnerships, Communications and Engagement to coordinate and accomplish policy and government affairs goals, further Elemental’s leadership, and deliver value to our portfolio companies and partners. The Director will also work directly with Elemental’s CEO and COO to support engagement with key policy leaders in DC.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead Elemental’s Federal Policy Agenda
  • Work with key partners to support implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and other key federal climate programs,
  • Work with key partners to identify new policies or reforms needed to scale commercializing climate technology solutions and support financial and technology innovation, and
  • Design and lead policy events in DC elevating progress of climate solutions in the field and Elemental’s role as a catalytic investor.
• Support Elemental’s Government Affairs and Federal Funding
• Deepen relationships and establish regular cadence with key congressional offices, federal agencies, and the administration,
• Work with Elemental’s Growth team to support annual appropriations requests, government grant applications, and other related activities, and
• Monitor and assess potential federal funding opportunities applicable to Elemental’s programs.
• Deliver Policy Insight to Portfolio Companies
• Ensure that Policy Coaches, Elemental team members, and portfolio companies are informed of federal funding, incentives, and other opportunities,
• Provide policy insight and coaching to portfolio companies engaging in federal advocacy or accessing federal resources, and
• Design opportunities (e.g. roundtables, advocacy days, and other events) for portfolio companies to elevate their work and impact through congressional, agency, and field event opportunities.
• Advance Key Organizational Partnerships
• Serve as lead for Elemental with key policy partners engaged in federal advocacy,
• Maintain and expand partnerships with other investors and national organizations leading on climate and equity policy initiatives, and
• Facilitate regular gatherings and events that serve to elevate Elemental’s national profile and maintain a partner network.
• Other Responsibilities
  • • Serve as liaison for select Elemental Policy Fellows working on related federal policy issues, and
    • Lift up policy insights and narratives from Elemental’s work and amplify via op-eds, social media posts, and various communication platforms.

About You

The role requires excellent collaboration and communication skills, strong workflow management, careful reading of trends and attention to detail, a joy in being flexible and adaptable, and the ability to see opportunities and quickly implement strategies in an evolving policy landscape.

You could be a great addition to our team if you are:

• Passionate about the intersection of climate technology, policy and social equity in underserved or underrepresented communities
• Have experience designing and implementing climate policy initiatives and programs, specifically in partnership with climate technology companies, corporate partners, and community organizations
• Energized by connecting agendas across partnerships, building networks, and engaging with diverse decision-makers across a wide spectrum
• A creative opportunist who is deeply strategic as well as flexible and can adjust in the moment to pursue key goals
• An excellent listener and interested in prioritizing organizational mission and partnerships above individual recognition
• Understand the need to advance pragmatic climate solutions, while maintaining ambition and grit for building the enabling infrastructure to see them succeed at large scale

Qualifications

(Even if you don’t meet 100% of qualifications, we still encourage you to apply!)

Desired Skills:

• Deep experience convening partnership efforts and working in the federal policy ecosystem, especially in the congressional and federal agency arena
• An extensive network of policy, business, and non-profit leaders, especially in the climate solution space
• Excellent leadership and people management skills
• High emotional intelligence and ability to build interpersonal relationships, including among remote team and staff
• Experience and knowledge of equity, justice, and community engagement issues and principles related to climate solutions
• Strong project management, organization, and detail orientation skills
• Flexible, creative, and comfortable in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Standout Skills:

• Worked in or studied climate and sustainability fields previously
• Worked in the climate tech start up or investment field
• Worked in government relations and/or communications field

Compensation & Benefits

This is a full-time "at-will" position working at least 40 hours per week.

The salary range for this role is $106,400 - $191,000, which is based on market data and the organization's compensation philosophy. Also, please note that while we strive to benchmark against for-profit companies and try to be as competitive as possible, we are a non-profit. Our offer will be within the range as required by certain state laws and individual salary offers will depend on and may vary with location, relevant education, knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer comprehensive employee benefits, including a professional development stipend and three weeks paid time off (more details here).

Location

We will consider candidates located in or willing to relocate to the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia) area. Elemental staff have flexibility around remote work depending on position, but general staff minimum requirement is to work in the office at least 1 day a week. This leadership position in a key geographic area may require more time working in person in the office with the DC team.

Other Details

We will accept and review applications on a rolling basis. Although all applications will be considered, we may be unable to respond to all inquiries. Please note that we do read cover letters, so we advise spending adequate time on them to share your relevant stories and experiences with us. We also ask that you refrain from using tools like Chat GPT and keep the cover letter to 1-2 pages long.                                                        

Elemental is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and has a strong commitment to diversity. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Candidates from the following groups are especially encouraged to apply: Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities; people who have disabilities; veterans, and people from low-income backgrounds.

Elemental is also committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs, and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws.