Project Manager, Corporate Partnerships

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a leading national nonprofit organization, links science, economics, law and innovative partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems.  Our Corporate Partnerships Program works with leading companies - McDonald's, FedEx, DuPont, and KKR - to protect human health and the environment by reducing the lifecycle environmental impacts of products and services and incorporating environmental considerations into business culture and decision-making. 

EDF pioneered the NGO/corporate partnership model and over the past twenty years has helped businesses across the country take bold moves to adopt green practices and technologies that also improve their bottom line.  Our projects are designed to achieve significant environmental results, generate business benefits for our corporate partners, and create new industry-wide best practices.  For more information on our work and examples of past and current partnerships, click here. 

Position Overview: 

The Project Manager will play a significant role in the development and execution of our corporate partnership projects.  Primary responsibilities will be project development, partner recruitment and project management.  The Project Manager will develop recommendations and concrete action steps based on rigorous economic, financial, technical and environmental analysis, using advanced knowledge of corporate strategy, operations, and environmental management. 

Project outcomes must be practically and technically sound from a business and operational perspective, and yet aggressively address environmental concerns.  Moreover, the recommendations must be adaptable to other businesses operating in the same or related industries. 

Responsibilities: 

More specifically, the Project Manager will:

• As part of the KKR-Green Portfolio project team, help develop the tools and resources needed to measure and improve the environmental performance of companies in private equity portfolios and develop strategies to make strong environmental management the norm for this industry.
• Identify and develop relationships with companies in target industries with the aim of gathering information, establishing project parameters and rationale, and recruiting partners;
• Coordinate or perform environmental, business, and market research to generate and evaluate innovative strategies for minimizing the environmental impacts associated with partner company operations, and the potential business impacts of those strategies;
• Manage and support corporate partnerships by developing workplans and timetables, negotiating project agreements and scopes of work, identifying and procuring necessary resources, and managing project work and deliverables;
• Communicate project results to EDF staff, corporate partners, businesses, the media and other stakeholders through reports, press conferences, presentations, and other methods;
• Develop and executing fundraising strategies to support EDF's corporate partnerships; and
• Act as an overall team player in the development of a vibrant and entrepreneurial program.

Qualifications:

We are seeking an individual with direct experience in the business and environmental sectors with a relevant graduate-level education. In addition, the general qualifications for this position are:

• Masters degree in business administration (MBA), or an advanced degree in environmental studies, public administration or economics where relevant business experience is also present;
• Experience working on the business implications of environmental issues;
• A working knowledge of the current theory and practice of corporate environmental management;
• A broad understanding of environmental issues including the basic statutory and regulatory structure in the US and lifecycle assessment;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to work with colleagues and partners of varied backgrounds and experience;
• Strong analytical skills and experience in performing rigorous analysis in support of highly visible work;
• An ability to work both independently and as a member of small teams in a fast-paced, dynamic and creative environment; and
• Proficient in the use of IBM PCs and the Microsoft Office suite of software (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) desired.

Compensation:  Commensurate with experience.

Location: The preference for this position is in our Washington, DC office but candidates in Boston, MA will be considered.

To Apply: 

Interested applicants should forward their cover letter, resume and salary requirements.

Environmental Defense Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer.