Climate Urgency Research Director

Climate Power is hiring a full-time Climate Urgency Research Director in Fort Washington, MD. The role involves leading research on extreme weather impacts, federal agency actions, and the home insurance industry. Responsibilities include developing research strategies, managing a Senior Research Associate, producing actionable research, and collaborating with various teams. Candidates should have 7 years of relevant experience in political research and strong communication skills.
Type of Position Full-time, exempt, regular

Team Research

Reports To Deputy Managing Director of Research

About This Role

Climate Power is seeking to add a Director of Climate Urgency Research to our research department to generate actionable research focused on extreme weather impacts, actions by the administration and relevant federal agencies (FEMA, NOAA, NWS), the home insurance industry, and other applicable topics. The Climate Urgency Research Director is expected to be a leader on research strategy for the Climate Urgency campaign and to represent the Research team within the campaign vertical.

Primary Responsibilities

Work with the Deputy Managing Director of Research to develop and execute overall departmental strategy for the Climate Urgency campaign and opposition research strategy focused on relevant agency heads and key administration officials.Represent the department in organization-wide Climate Urgency campaign meetings and planning.Monitor developments in the issue area by relevant federal agencies, including FEMA, NOAA, NWS, and USFS. Develop an opposition research strategy focused on relevant agency heads and key administration officials. Manage and train a Senior Research Associate, directing day-to-day tasks and managing contributions to long-term research projects. Work across the organization, including directly with the Climate Urgency campaign, to manage research-driven projects in the issue area.Oversee the Senior Research Associate's tracking and reporting on business news from the home insurance industry, including financial filings and earnings calls. Collaborate with partners on opposition research items and manage consultants' relevant work in the issue area. Generate actionable research that can be used in communications materials, media pitches, and campaign tactics to hold powerful interests and individuals accountable.Produce polling and ad backups in their issue area on short deadlines, conduct fact-checks, and approve applicable content in outbound materials.Work with the Research Deputy Managing Director and Communications team to pitch research findings to media outlets.Draft reports, fact sheets, backgrounders and other Climate Urgency research and communications materials, and engage in rapid response work.
Additional responsibilities may be assigned as need and capacity dictates.

Essential Qualifications

7 years of relevant prior work experience in political research, which may include working for a campaign or issue advocacy organization. Relevant work experience may include, but is not limited to:Opposition research at a campaign, campaign committee, or PACWorking on energy/climate policy or corporate accountability issues in a political, advocacy, or policymaking environment ORWorking as an analyst or journalist covering extreme weather or climate change.3 years of people and/or project management experience; demonstrated success in leading departments and diverse teams and managing complex projects.Demonstrated experience with opposition research and development of hard-hitting original research.Must be able to work independently, but also collaboratively with diverse groups of people, communities, and partners.Excellent written and verbal communication skills.Strong organizational skills and a demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and manage competing priorities with minimal direct supervision.Strong news judgment and knowledge of the political media landscape.Strong familiarity with research tools, including LexisNexis, public records, and campaign finance filings.Strong proficiency in Google Workspace and Airtable preferred.Interest in climate justice is a plus!
If you do not meet all of the requirements and believe you are a good fit, we encourage you to apply, but be sure to uplift all experience that aligns with both our essential and desired qualifications.

Salary & Benefits Package

Climate Power offers a competitive compensation package, including salaries that are commensurate with and directly tied to years of experience. Climate Power believes years of experience are a foundational element of equitable pay, and the primary metric used to determine one's salary. The full salary range for this role is listed below, with a given set of years correlating to a fixed 'step' or placement within a salary range. Salaries are otherwise non-negotiable, and not impacted by merit-based performance evaluations or other flexible and/or subjective factors.

Step 1

Step2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

Years

7<>8

8<>9

9<>10

10<>12

12<>14

14<>16

16<>18

18<>21

21+

Annual Salary

$120,499

$123,376

$126,253

$129,130

$132,007

$134,885

$137,762

$140,639

$143,516

Climate Power also offers a competitive benefits package, including the following:

Medical, Dental, and Vision insurances 100% paid for employee 50% for their dependentsUnlimited Paid Time off, including every other Friday and extended summer, fall, and winter breaks401(k) with 5% matchEducation Assistance, including student loan repayment programSabbatical LeaveEmployee Assistance ProgramMonthly Tech AllowanceCell Phone StipendWork From Home Stipend, for home office furnitureTreat Yourself Funds
The terms of your benefits and any applicable waiting period(s) are governed by relevant plan documents and any and all applicable policies, and are subject to change or discontinuation by the organization.

Location & Hours of Operations

Climate Power is a remote-first organization based in Washington, DC. This position can be located anywhere in the United States, but must be able to work Monday - Friday 9 am - 6 pm EST, plus weekends and evenings as the work dictates. Occasional travel is required as needed, typically 3-4 times per year.

Our Hiring Timeline and Process

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis and will continue to interview until the position is filled (posting will remain up until position filled).

An ideal start date would be before or by July 6, 2026.

Our interview process generally involves 2-3 rounds of interviews, ranging in length from 30-60 minutes. All interviews will be conducted via Google Meet or Zoom. Successful candidates that move forward in the hiring process, will be invited to complete a skills assessment activity (for which they will receive compensation) and will undergo a vetting process, including reference and background check.