Executive Director

The Carbon Capture Coalition seeks an Executive Director—a newly created position—to lead and work alongside our Coalition team of staff and consultants, governance board, and industry, labor and NGO members to fulfill our mission of fostering economywide deployment of carbon management—carbon capture, removal, transport, use and storage—to meet midcentury climate goals, foster domestic energy and industrial production, support and expand a high-wage jobs base and improve the environmental health of and economic benefits to affected communities.  

OVERVIEW

Established in 2011, the Coalition has grown to become a leading advocate for federal carbon management policies, with a membership comprising more than 90 industry, energy, and technology companies; energy and industrial labor unions; and conservation, environmental, and energy policy organizations. The Coalition’s diverse membership operates on a consensus basis. Its members have forged unprecedented common ground in U.S. energy and climate policy and achieved groundbreaking bipartisan legislative success.  

The Coalition is convened and staffed by the Great Plains Institute (GPI), and the successful candidate will be employed by GPI. The individual will be based in Washington, DC. Some overnight travel is required. 

Reporting to GPI’s Vice President for Carbon Management and advised by the Coalition’s governance board, the Executive Director will help the Coalition expand on its significant policy accomplishments to build a more mature organization capable of delivering on its long-term vision for achieving economywide deployment of carbon management required to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Specifically, this person will oversee the ongoing development, refinement, and execution of the Coalition’s programmatic, financial, membership, and fundraising strategies and operations. This new role requires close partnership and coordination with the GPI VP for Carbon Management, Coalition staff and governance board, and Coalition members and partners, aligning work across the Coalition to advance the consensus positions set forth in its federal policy blueprint.

These past several years have witnessed considerable progress on Coalition members’ shared legislative agenda. The landmark reform and expansion of the federal Section 45Q tax credit for geologic storage and beneficial use of carbon captured from industrial facilities and power plants in 2018 was a signature accomplishment. In late 2020, Congress passed a two-year extension of the federal 45Q tax credit, the cornerstone federal policy for carbon management deployment, and historic increases in funding authorizations for carbon management research, development and commercial demonstration. This progress laid the groundwork for further significant action on the legislative front in 2021, with enactment of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The infrastructure law incorporates several of the Coalition’s top priorities, delivering $12.1 billion for carbon management technologies and infrastructure over the next five years, including funding for pilots, commercial demonstrations, and the Storing CO2 and Lowering Emissions (SCALE) Act to build out CO2 transport and storage infrastructure.  

Finally, the Coalition advocated intensively for transformative enhancements to the 45Q tax credit to expand and accelerate deployment of carbon capture, direct air capture and carbon utilization projects, and these measures were included in bipartisan legislation this Congress and most recently incorporated into the pending budget reconciliation package. Passage and enactment of these bipartisan tax provisions this year is now the Coalition’s highest priority. 

Looking ahead, the Executive Director will help shape and execute Coalition engagement to accomplish further legislative objectives, as well as to ensure effective implementation of new federal programs and investments, so that this historic progress on federal policy translates on the ground into commercial deployment of carbon management technologies and infrastructure at climate scale. 

The ideal candidate will embody an important and unusual combination of leadership skills and will serve as a primary advocate and results-oriented leader for Coalition positions and priorities. A strong advocate and diplomat, this person must simultaneously strategize, negotiate, and advocate with and on behalf of a diverse membership and wide-ranging set of external stakeholders—interests that often do not work together in other contexts—to advance the mission of the Coalition. 

The salary range is $155,000-175,000, commensurate with experience. Benefits include health plan, 401(k) retirement plan, LTD, STD, life, vision, dental, medical, and dependent care FSA, HSA, paid time off, and a communication stipend. The position is an exempt salaried position. 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Lead the Coalition in a manner that supports and guides the Coalition’s mission and consensus-based priorities as laid out in the Coalition’s federal policy blueprint. 
• Report to GPI’s VP for Carbon Management and work closely with the Coalition’s governance board in developing and executing policy, programmatic, communications, membership, and fundraising strategy and decisions. 
• Serve as a primary spokesperson for the Coalition, engaging members and partners, policymakers, the media, constituency groups and the broader public. 
• Oversee annual planning and strategic priorities, annual budget, program oversight and operations, staffing, contract management, internal communications, member relations, and external communications and engagement. 
• Oversee policy analysis and research and provide strategic input to reports, recommendations, letters to policymakers, and other Coalition work products. 
• Coordinate with the Coalition’s legislative team, membership, and partners to perform education and outreach to Congress, the Administration and key constituency groups to support policy and other goals. 
• Supervise and collaborate with Coalition staff and consultants. 
• Oversee member recruitment, philanthropic and member fundraising, and other strategic activities to enhance the Coalition’s capacity, budget planning and impact. 
• Establish and maintain relationships with internal and external partners to strategically enhance the Coalition’s mission. 
• Oversee marketing and other communications efforts. 
• Plan and staff governance board meetings, serving in an ex-officio capacity. 
• Carry out other duties as assigned by the GPI VP for Carbon Management. 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS  

• A politically pragmatic and astute leader with a track record of accomplishment in public policy development and advocacy, notably including a personal commitment and meaningful experience with bipartisan engagement and collaboration. 
• Proven coalition-building, consensus-building and negotiation skills and a demonstrated ability both to communicate and collaborate effectively with diverse individuals and organizations with differing interests and positions (including those with whom one may personally disagree), as well as to forge meaningful consensus for public policy action.  
• Successful experience building strategic relationships with individuals and organizations of influence, including policymakers, programmatic partners, stakeholders and funders. 
• Previous success managing, collaborating with, recruiting and retaining a diverse team of staff and consultants. 
• Strong management and organizational abilities, including strategy development, setting clear priorities and deliverables, delegating tasks and responsibilities, time and deadline management, guiding program development and investment in people and systems, and keen analytic, organizational, and problem-solving skills. 
• Excellent communications skills, including writing, presentations, and public speaking. 
• Experience successfully engaging with the media. 
• Program development experience and results, including philanthropic and corporate fundraising, board development, and marketing/branding. 
• Financial management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision making and reporting. 
• Commitment to the mission and goals of the Carbon Capture Coalition in the realm of carbon management policy and technology and infrastructure deployment. 
• Bachelor’s Degree in addition to relevant proven skills and experience. 
• A working understanding of environmental justice and just transition principles. 
• Prior experience with climate, energy and/or environmental issues preferred. 

Salary Description: $155,000-175,000, commensurate with experience

ABOUT THE CARBON CAPTURE COALITION  

The Carbon Capture Coalition brings together over 90 energy, industrial and technology companies, energy and industrial sector labor unions and conservation, environmental, and clean energy organizations. This unprecedented partnership is rooted in bipartisan, consensus-based policymaking and dedicated to fostering economywide commercial deployment of carbon capture, transport, use and storage as an essential strategy for meeting midcentury climate goals, supporting domestic energy and industrial production, protecting and creating high-wage jobs and providing environmental and economic benefits to affected communities. Signature accomplishments of the Coalition and its partners include the 2018 congressional passage of the landmark bipartisan reform and expansion of the federal Section 45Q tax credit for geologic storage and beneficial use of carbon captured from industrial facilities and power plants, along with the historic carbon management investments included in the bipartisan 2021 Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act.  

ABOUT THE GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE 

The Coalition is convened by the Great Plains Institute (GPI), and the successful candidate will be a GPI employee, subject to its mission, policies and practices. The Great Plains Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer, is committed to building a diverse staff and welcomes a wide diversity of applicants. 

The Great Plains Institute is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other any other status protected under federal, state, or local law. GPI is committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace for all.