Director, Company Network, Financial Services

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies, and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future.

For more information about Ceres, please visit our web site (www.ceres.org).

Here at Ceres, we value integrity, equity, belonging, compassion, and respect. We demonstrate those values through how we communicate and collaborate with our colleagues and external partners; and embody them in our decision making and advocacy efforts to create a more just and sustainable future.

About the Company Network

The Company Network team works with members of the Ceres Company Network to integrate sustainability into corporate decision-making, challenge traditional business practices and collaborate towards systems-level change as outlined in the Ceres Roadmap 2030. The company network team works across a variety of sectors with many of the largest companies in the Fortune 500. For more information on the Company Network, please visit: https://www.ceres.org/networks/ceres-company-network.

About the Role

This Director is responsible for overseeing Ceres’ strategy for accelerating sustainability leadership in the banking sector, including guiding the complex financial sector member company relationships across the Ceres Roadmap 2030 priorities of stabilizing the climate, protecting water and natural resources, and building a just and inclusive economy. Additional responsibilities include supervising colleagues and helping to refine and implement the Company Network’s strategy and Ceres’ Theory of Change.

This role reports to the Company Network Program Director and is a full-time position that can be performed remotely or from the Boston, MA office or San Francisco, CA offices. Candidates must be flexible to work with employees in all US time zones.

Specific duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Guide cross-programmatic banking strategy, in collaboration with Ceres teams, including the Accelerator, Investor Network, and Policy teams, to lead outreach to support bank engagement strategy planning and implementation.
• As organizational needs arise, and upon successful internal readiness evaluation by the communications and marketing team and relevant program leaders, this person may be called upon to serve as a public spokesperson for external speaking and media engagements and/or as a lead or contributing author for thought leadership. Duties could include managing editorial projects from start to finish, leading and/or supporting message and content development for reports, briefs, and op-eds and media materials, as well as managing consultants and partners.
• Serve as the strategic advisor for a portfolio of Ceres Company Network members in the banking sector, providing expert guidance on their sustainable business strategies, assessing and tracking their performance against the expectations of the Ceres Roadmap 2030, and customizing annual engagement plans to drive company progress and leadership.
• Develop and guide the execution of annual programmatic goals for advancing sustainability leadership within the banking sector portfolio and support strategic planning and performance for the Company Network.
• Develop briefings or presentations for members of the Ceres leadership team in support of their engagement with companies, investors, or other external audiences.
• Partner on developing external communications and engagement opportunities (workshops, webinars, multi-media communications) to bring Ceres expertise to the corporate, investor, and advocacy communities.
• Have a detailed understanding of and communicate Company Network’s and all Ceres’ program work, and Ceres’ Theory of Change.
• Contribute to the collaborative environment of the Ceres Company Network Team through guidance and mentorship, ongoing training, and direct supervision, as necessary, of new and existing team members.
• Grow network reach and revenue through identification and cultivation of prospect members and development of fee-for-service project opportunities with companies within and beyond the Network.
• Assist in the planning and execution of Ceres events and panels at external events.
• Ensure that key data on programmatic progress and interactions with relevant partners are tracked in Ceres' Salesforce database, in line with the organization's Program-related Data Tracking & Reporting Policy. Provide quarterly narrative updates on progress against program goals for both internal and grant-reporting purposes.
• Contribute to fundraising proposals to support designated project or program work; attend funder meetings and serve as liaison with funders.
• Demonstrate inclusivity when fostering relationships with external or internal constituents, such as Ceres staff, funders, donors, vendors, members and stakeholders. This can also include management of external consultants.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or commensurate experience required.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of full-time related experience required.
• Experience in or with the US financial sector required; direct experience in banks is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of, or experience with, both environmental and social sustainability issues, particularly understanding of the role of business, the investment community, and/or NGOs highly preferred. Specific sustainability-related experience with the banking sector preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to bring a nuanced advocacy perspective to both analysis and corporate engagement and to make clear, actionable recommendations for actions and next steps.
• Understanding of corporations including corporate reporting and business strategy tools.
• Experience in the North American context is required; an understanding of the broader international context for sustainability is a plus.
• Effective facilitation skills with the ability to bring divergent ideas to a productive conclusion.
• Excellent research and problem-solving capabilities and highly developed written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with keen attention to detail.
• Sound judgment, a high degree of integrity and professionalism, with an ability to maintain discretion, diplomacy, and courtesy in all contacts.
• Passion for accelerating and expanding the adoption of sustainable business practices and solutions to build a healthy global economy.
• Demonstrated ability to be an advocate for change.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and other database applications.
• Familiarity with Salesforce, Bloomberg and other applications highly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to support Ceres’ Commitment to Inclusion and Equity
• Willingness to travel as needed.