Director, Campaigns
New York, NY / San Francisco, CA
Earthjustice is the nation's leading environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, preserve magnificent places and wildlife, advance clean energy, and combat climate change. We are here because the Earth needs a good lawyer.
Driven by a passion for justice, inclusion, partnership, and excellence, our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected.
The Director, Campaigns (Director) leads the design and execution of Earthjustice's fundraising campaigns, including its next transformational, multi-year $1B+ comprehensive campaign in support of Earthjustice and its sister organizations, Earthjustice Action and Earthjustice International. The Director sets campaign vision and strategy and translates organizational priorities into coordinated, enterprise-wide fundraising efforts that advance mission and revenue goals.
As a member of the Development Leadership Team (DLT), the Director plays a central role in shaping departmental strategy, aligning campaign priorities across programs and fundraising teams, and ensuring readiness for complex, multi-phase campaigns. They strengthen planning and decision-making practices and put systems and accountability measures in place to deliver intended results. The Director also serves as a key advisor to senior leadership, integrating campaign priorities into broader organizational planning and operations.
The Director oversees the Campaigns program and collaborates closely with internal and external partners to build momentum, drive execution, and ensure accountability across all phases of the campaign lifecycle. This includes leading and developing a high-performing team; coordinating enterprise-wide campaign workstreams; managing leading advisory firms; and supporting engagement of trustees, volunteers, and senior leaders. The Director anticipates and addresses risks, maintains focus across competing priorities, and ensures campaigns remain on track to achieve ambitious goals.
This is a supervisory position.
The Campaigns Director is a full-time (37.5 hours/week) role with a remote or hybrid work arrangement based in San Francisco or New York (other locations negotiable).
This position requires travel for events, planning meetings, and retreats and includes occasional evening and weekend work. A valid U.S. driver's license is required.
Responsibilities
Campaign Vision & Strategy (30%)
* In partnership with senior leadership, define and lead multi-year campaigns aligned with organizational priorities; translate vision into clear cases for support with defined funding opportunities and measurable goals.
* Design campaign structure, including feasibility, goal setting, phasing, pacing, and integrated planning across revenue streams; ensure organizational readiness at each stage.
* Manage and direct external advisors/consultants to strengthen messaging and support campaign planning and execution; set and track goals, milestones, and performance, adapting approach based on progress and external conditions.
Revenue Performance & Evaluation (20%)
* Drive pathways to achieve campaign revenue goals, including forecasting and gap analyses; partner with DLT to advance top-tier gift strategies and ensure alignment between organizational goals.
* Partner with frontline fundraisers, senior leadership, and trustees to cultivate, steward, solicit, and close complex gifts, equipping them with clear, compelling narratives; directly manage select relationships as needed.
* Ensure systems support effective planning, tracking, and reporting; partner with evaluation team to monitor performance, identify trends, and inform decisions on strategy, resources, and structure.
Volunteer Leadership & External Engagement (20%)
* Lead recruitment and engagement strategies for volunteer campaign leadership; Partner with DLT, senior leadership, and frontline fundraisers to align campaign leadership, trustees, and volunteers around clear goals, roles, and expectations; activate volunteer leaders as effective ambassadors and fundraisers, ensuring strong coordination with fundraising teams; foster a collaborative and high-performing culture that sustains focus and momentum over a multi-year campaign.
* Represent Earthjustice in external forums and convenings; build and maintain relationships with peers and field leaders to stay current on sector trends and ensure leading practices inform program design.
* Build relationships with external advisors and partners to expand reach, open new funding opportunities, and strengthen campaign visibility.
Development Leadership (10%)
* Serve as an active member of the DLT, contributing to department-wide vision, goals, planning, and systems; communicate key updates and priorities to the Campaigns team.
* Strengthen cross-team and cross-department collaboration and shared ownership of campaign outcomes; identify risks and lead problem-solving to keep campaigns on track.
* Help shape and support strong operating norms across Development, including clear roles, decision-making, and accountability to enable effective execution.
Management (20%):
* Build and lead a high-performing campaign team, ensuring clarity of roles, strong coordination across functions, and ongoing staff development.
* Uphold Earthjustice's mission and values by fostering a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative work environment, providing clear direction and feedback, and promoting a culture of learning for all team members.
* Oversee relevant administrative, budgeting, and personnel management of direct reports, ensuring that all organizational policies and standards are met.
Ongoing Learning
* Actively pursue professional development and contribute to a culture of learning by building skills and sharing knowledge.
Qualifications
* Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred as well as 10+ years of nonprofit fundraising experience, including leadership of large-scale, multi-year campaigns; 5+ years building and leading high-performing teams.
* Proven success securing complex, high-value gifts, including cultivating, soliciting, and closing gifts with sophisticated donors.
* Demonstrated ability to lead complex, multi-year initiatives, aligning cross-functional teams and stakeholders to deliver ambitious revenue and organizational goals.
* Exceptional leadership and influence skills, with the ability to translate organizational priorities into clear, compelling campaign strategies and drive alignment at all levels.
* Strong execution and project management skills, with the ability to manage teams, multiple workstreams, and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
* Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to distill complex priorities into clear, persuasive strategies and materials.
* Experience with campaign planning tools, CRM systems, and data-driven decision-making to track performance and inform strategy.
* Strong emotional intelligence and cultural competence; committed to continuous learning and growth; and brings flexibility and a sense of humor to a collaborative, mission driven work environment.
* Working knowledge of fundraising best practices and current trends in charitable giving; exercises sound judgment, discretion, and an ethical approach to fundraising; proficiency in Microsoft Office, with experience using donor databases and project management, budgeting, and reporting tools.
* Demonstrated commitment to Earthjustice's values of Justice, Excellence, Inclusion, and Partnership.
* Skill in leading diverse teams with emotional intelligence and cultural competence; fosters growth through mentorship, effective communication, and constructive feedback while hiring and developing team talents to align with organizational needs.
Salary & Benefits
We offer a competitive salary and excellent, comprehensive benefits. We also offer a casual and congenial work environment.
Salaries at Earthjustice are determined by working location and are commensurate with the experience required.
The annual salary range for this role in San Francisco, CA or New York is $196,700 – $218,600.
The annual salary range for this role in other locations will vary $167,300 – $207,700.
How to Apply
Earthjustice has retained the services of ThinkingAhead Executive Firm for this search. Please submit a resume and expression of interest to Chris Spagnola (cspagnola@thinkingahead.com) and Jessica Martinez (jmartinez@thinkingahead.com) to be considered.
Application link: https://earthjustice.org/job/director-campaigns