Campaign Project Manager, Mississippi River Delta Restoration

The goal of this coalition effort is, in short, to drive and support the restoration, protection and resilience of the nationally important Mississippi River Delta (MRD) system – the largest climate adaption and restoration effort in the world. This multi-faceted program deals with many challenges associated with restoring coastal wetlands on a working coast and aims both to restore natural system processes, and to create sustainable communities with improved infrastructure and robust economies. This work has enormous value to the people, economy and environment of the Delta, as well as the opportunity to provide key learnings for coastal areas around the country and the world.    .

Overall Function

The Campaign Project Manager is tasked with day-to-day management, coordination and organization of the Mississippi River Delta Restoration Campaign, reporting directly to the Campaign Director. He/she is responsible for making sure that the operational functions of the campaign – committee meetings, executive committee meetings, staff wide meetings, planning retreats, special substantive projects, reporting to funders – are organized, coordinated and implemented effectively across the  campaign. He/she will facilitate the meeting of deadlines and support the campaign leaders and staff in achieving the goals of the campaign and the processes necessary for the efficient and effective operation of the campaign. This position is specifically intended to enhance the effectiveness of the overall campaign by: ensuring integration of the campaign’s activities, and facilitating effective and efficient knowledge sharing, communication flows, and decision-making throughout the campaign. Assignments will be diverse, and vary in complexity due to the unique coalition mode of functioning; however responsibilities will include but are not limited to: 

• Managing, coordinating and supporting the campaign’s day-to-day operations and effectiveness, including communications, field, policy, science and outreach to decision-makers, and ensuring that all aspects of the campaign meet topline goals. 
• Working to identify and develop responses to potential opportunities and to threats to the campaign’s success.
• Assuring effective operation of each committee, including regularized meetings, functional agendas, distributed meeting notes, and follow ups.
• Assuring functional coordination among committees.
• Taking overall responsibility for development, coordination and completion of regular and timely reports to funders.
• Making recommendations to the Campaign Director relative to solving issues and challenges to the efficiency and effectiveness of the campaign.
• Working to implement agreed upon improvements to the efficiency and effectiveness of the campaign.

Key Responsibilities

Decision-making:

Under the supervision and broad direction of the Campaign Director, the Campaign Project Manager is accountable for campaign results and will be a significant contributor to the Campaign’s success. He/She independently and regularly recommends approaches and actions to the Campaign Director and Committee Chairs for completing projects and managing processes; such recommendations are expected to be generally correct.

The Campaign Project Manager is empowered to make decisions regarding day-to-day priorities and work activities within the context provided by the Executive Committee through the Campaign Director, with the Campaign director providing general time line and work assignments. He/She is expected to independently take proactive measures to improve campaign effectiveness, communications and operations and apply independent judgment to support the workload of various staff and committees and to search out appropriate courses of action within the context of policies and standards.

Decision-making requires the ability to apply knowledge to help solve moderately complicated problems requiring independent thinking, organizing and analyzing information, identifying and evaluating solutions from a range of alternatives, and applying technical standards, professional judgment and general precedents. This position uses judgment and experience to consult when and with whom appropriate to make decisions within the context of the overall Campaign work plan, and the Campaign guidelines, protocols, policies and procedures; and works with each of the coalition member NGOs to understand and help address their guidelines, protocols, policies and procedures.

Analysis and Problem-solving:

He/she will work with Campaign’s program support staff as well as Committee Chairs and Executive Committee, using the overall perspective of being a central campaign staff member to manage problems and identify potential problems, specifically helping to provide solutions that increase efficiency and effectiveness across the entire coalition.

By closely following current campaign activities and current events and available data and applying professional knowledge from education and experience, the Program Campaign Manager will identify and solve problems associated with the operation and effectiveness of the campaign.

He/She will apply knowledge and interpersonal skills to help solve moderately complicated problems requiring independent thinking. This will involve interpersonal communications and the utilization of supportive and “soft” power as well as continued focus on outcomes and accountability.

He/She will also solve routine problems independently, provide knowledgeable recommendations to interpret and solve moderately complicated problems, and make recommendations that are well reasoned and often accepted to solve more complex problems.

This position applies independent thinking and applies knowledge and people skills to help solve technical, administrative, and personnel challenges associated with organizing campaign-wide organization and function. The position applies independent judgment to identify appropriate course of action within the context of overall campaign efforts. He/She independently provides thoughtful, well-reasoned and actionable recommendations to Committee Chairs, Executive Committee, or Campaign Director for approaches to completing projects, managing processes and situations.

Management and Leadership: The Campaign Project Manager will take a leadership role across the campaign by constantly working with the Executive Team and Committee Chairs  to improve communications, efficiency and effectiveness, particularly regarding decision making among the leaders, and implementation of the overall work plan. He/she will also take responsibility for managing the central campaign budget which provides supplemental support for campaign operations.  From an overall perspective, He/she will be expected to model cooperative and supportive behavior, leading by example across the campaign. 

Qualifications

A highly organized, collaborative, and analytical self-starter with an academic or professional background in the environmental sector. Other qualifications for this position include:

• Bachelor’s Degree required.  
• Four to six years of experience with federal or state policy or political campaigns.
• Exceptional attention to detail and highly organized.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and proactively in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment, lead projects, meet multiple concurrent deadlines, organize time and evaluate priorities. 
• Demonstration of excellent analytical skills.
• Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication
• Excellent interpersonal skills  -- particularly tact and diplomacy skills (both verbal and written)
• Strong ethical standards
• An ability to help build and nurture teams and work well with colleagues and partners of varied backgrounds and experience which often operate remotely.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and communicate policy and program plans in detail with passion and knowledge.
• Comfortable with technology and software, including experience with MS Office/PowerPoint and Excel 

Reporting Structure

This position reports to the Director, MRD Campaign.