Director, Investor Engagement, Water
Organization
Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit organization leading the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. Through our powerful networks and advocacy, we tackle the world’s biggest sustainability challenges, including climate change, water scarcity and pollution, and human rights abuses.
For more information about Ceres, please visit our website (www.ceres.org).
Description & Responsibilities
Ceres’ Water Program promotes capital market solutions to the global water crisis by accelerating private sector leadership on sustainable water management, through cutting-edge research, investor mobilization and advocacy. Ultimately our work is about changing the way the world’s largest economic actors value and manage water.
The Director, Investor Engagement, Water will play a pivotal role in Ceres’ efforts to work with institutional investors to drive corporate action to address the most severe and systemic risks to freshwater resources around the globe. We are searching for candidates with a strong understanding of sustainability i.e., environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues; experience in developing and implementing a multi-stakeholder campaign; an understanding of investors’ corporate engagement strategies (proxy resolutions, dialogues, collective engagements); and strong meeting facilitation and relationship management skills. This Director will coordinate closely with Ceres’ Investor Network and its members including state treasurers, pension funds, foundations, large asset managers, socially responsible asset managers, and religious institutional investors, among others. This position is full-time and reports to the Program Director of the Water team.
Specific duties include, but are not limited to the following:
- Provide strategic oversight and manage Ceres’ Valuing Water Initiative, a global effort to mobilize investor leaders to drive corporate action on water stewardship.
- Oversee campaigns for mobilizing investors to engage with companies on their exposure to water risk.
- Facilitate investor-led company dialogues and multi-stakeholder meetings.
- Provide strategic oversight of Ceres’ Investor Water Hub, a working group of 140 investors with $40 trillion in assets under management.
- Manage relationships with institutional investors, banks, partner NGOs and other stakeholders.
- Liaise with Ceres’ Company Network and Investor Network to ensure coordination across the programs and compliance with organizational goals and objectives.
- Support investor-centric research, benchmarking, and case studies related to water and ESG analysis.
- Develop and execute annual programmatic goals and Ceres’ organizational strategy for advancing work with institutional investors and banks around water risk, as well as support strategic planning for the overall Ceres Water team. This includes development of annual work plans and providing quarterly reporting on work plan progress.
- Supervise at least two staff members including hiring and training new staff, conducting regular reviews, and providing guidance and support with professional development.
- Manage and advance relationships with current and potential Water Program funders.
- Actively participate in crafting fundraising proposals with Development and meeting with funders to support program work.
- Represent Ceres at conferences, seminars, press conferences and senior-level meetings as spokesperson for project or program work.
- Assist with planning of water-related programming for the Ceres annual conference program and other events.
- Support the implementation and development of Water Program management systems.
- In partnership with the Program Director, manage day-to-day project activities including creation and monitoring of annual budget.
Qualifications
- At least 10 years of relevant experience in roles of progressive responsibility.
- Three years of management and strategy development experience.
- Experience in developing and managing campaigns involving diverse constituencies and facilitating stakeholder discussions.
- Strong meeting facilitation and verbal communication skills.
- Experience working with institutional investors on ESG issues and understanding of the trends in ESG integration and responsible investing, a plus. .
- An understanding of the various roles and activities of institutional investment funds, firms, and investors.
- Experience developing and managing progress against goals and budgets.
- Strong team player and comfort working in a team-based atmosphere.
- Years of experience cultivating effective supervisory relationships across gender identity, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic background with direct reports.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver specific projects and initiatives independently and leading a team, while managing multiple priorities.
- Interest in supporting’ Ceres’ work to integrate justice, equity and inclusion in our programmatic work.
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team, in a dynamic environment.
- Sound judgment, sensitivity to different categories of stakeholders, excellent interpersonal skills, strong initiative and motivation.
- Effective meeting facilitation and presentation style and excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Interest in being part of a diverse workforce and willingness to support Ceres’ Commitment to Inclusion and Equity.
- Proficient with Microsoft suite, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, e-mail and general computer applications.
- Willingness to travel, including internationally, as needed to accomplish duties noted above.
How to Apply
We encourage all applicants to review our website to familiarize themselves with Ceres before applying: www.ceres.org. Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter. Please apply through the Ceres website, https://www.ceres.org/about-us/career-opportunities.
Ceres is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against any individual based on race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military or veteran status, disability, or any factors prohibited by applicable law.
