Chief Communications and Marketing Officer

About Waverley Street Foundation (Waverley):

Waverley Street Foundation (Waverley) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting farmers, students, Indigenous peoples, advocates, and many others working on climate change solutions in the places they call home. Waverley believes in the power of campaigns to address and shift minds around global climate change and, we are adopting a campaign mindset where we look to empower people and communities to ensure that their governments adopt and implement climate friendly policies.

Waverley Street Foundation has a mission to cultivate a more healthy, just and joyful world where communities are key to unlocking climate solutions. Unlike other philanthropies, Waverley has committed to spend down its $3B endowment by 2035 to have impactful change during this critical window of time to address the impacts of climate change. The ambitious decision to spend down empowers the Foundation to support not only sensible and pragmatic solutions but also make daring bets leading to breakthroughs that can alter the trajectory of the climate crisis and unlock a new and better future for humanity.  

Waverley strives to do things differently, and to be entrepreneurial and innovative in our grantmaking approach. Waverley partners around the world are advancing climate efforts grounded in the day-to-day lives of people and communities, that build on foundations of equity and justice, and that respond to the growing challenges of those living on the frontlines of climate change. The Foundation is especially eager to partner with communities that are already enduring severe impacts of climate change and that deserve a central voice in solutions. Waverley centers representation, diversity, equity, and inclusion in all facets of its work.

Our U.S. based work centers national efforts in California, Arizona and New Mexico.  Waverley is supporting community-led initiatives that build energy resilience and promote sustainable farming practices, to create systemic change across the U.S. states and inspire climate action worldwide. Our international program works in the Global South with a focus on five countries: Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Indonesia and India. Waverley focuses on these initiatives to strengthen core food and energy systems that provide economic and health benefits for communities while also reducing emissions, enhancing soil health, and boosting renewable energy solutions. 

Waverley does its work in deep collaboration with field experts and advisors, as it is essential that the Foundation’s strategy is developed not in conference rooms but out in the world, informed by the lived experiences and innovative ideas of the people most directly impacted by the problems the Foundation seeks to address. Specifically, Waverley convenes experts from a variety of disciplines who are close to communities to learn from their experiences and consider their solutions. 

The role: Chief Communications and Marketing Officer (CCMO)

The CCMO reports to the President and joins a lean leadership team at a young foundation with a global vision. The CCMO will design, build and execute all aspects of an organizational communications strategy that is universally understandable and resonant across a diverse set of audiences. Working closely with the President, Managing Director & Chief of Staff, senior leadership team (including program) and with input from the board and support from the communications and marketing team, the CCMO will define and adapt a unique, changemaking campaign strategy that is new and different in the climate change space. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Build and lead the communications, brand marketing and campaign strategy including but not limited to a foundation/brand communications plan development and implementation, program communications strategy and grantee capacity support, campaign strategy and field building.

• Stand up, build and lead a world-class communications team of employees and consultants that will support Waverley’s communications and campaign strategy.

• Develop and adapt a strategy communications plan with supporting communication and marketing strategies, social media, content, tactics, and messaging for Waverley that is universally understandable and resonant across a diverse set of audiences including but not limited to foundation staff, the Waverley board, current and potential grant partners, media, influencers and policymakers.

• Collaborate and build communications capacity for Waverley grantees.

• Identify and deploy communications tools and strategies to change mindsets and shift power through focused campaigns to reduce carbon pollution and lift up community priorities.

• Identify, source or build strategic communications entities who can drive narratives across diverse audiences.

• Drive effective collaboration with our partners to create shared assets, test models, propagate cutting-edge practices, and incubate specialized capabilities to support campaigns and targeted communities.

• Lead global media efforts across the world to secure high-impact and innovative coverage, across mediums, that will further the work, celebrate and honor the people doing the work, and build momentum for the transition to a carbon free environment. 

 Professional Experience includes: 

• 20+ years of communications and marketing experience including at least five years of senior/executive leadership experience.

• Proven experience building communications plans, capacity, teams, campaigns and acting as a change agent for communications within an organization.

• Experience working alongside a visionary leader to unpack or bring ideas alive is strongly preferred along with experience turning the ideas into reality.

• Strong team leader who has built teams before with positive results and a culture of empowerment.

• Demonstrable understanding of how to implement a global communications strategy with continued metrics for analysis.

• Experience must include working directly in the Global South or possessing a strong knowledge of the Global South and how to create strategic communications campaigns to reach influential audiences in the region or with ability to effect the region.

• Has directed $50M+ paid media campaigns, have built a network of multi-disciplinary media relationships.

• Strong understanding of how to translate grassroots efforts into global media campaigns.

• Brings knowledge and interest about/in philanthropy, and a partnership mindset. Has a network of contacts across influential networks including but not limited to corporations, global philanthropy and government. 

Key Attributes for this position: 

• You thrive in high-tempo, high-pressure and mission-driven environments and will be no stranger to chaos.

• You are proud of the accomplishments of the people that you have worked with and will come with a large network of possible partners and collaborators. 

• You are excited about elevating the work of grassroots activists in order to further build a movement for change. 

• You are a team-builder who looks forward to working with partners in other foundations, to exploring and developing the talents of our grantees and taking advantage of a roster of global consultants in order to achieve narrative and cultural change.

• You are a thinker and a doer. No task is too small or too big. 

• Able to synthesize information and distill complex ideas into clear, concise, and actionable forms. 

• Proven track record within complex, multi-stakeholder projects/organizations. 

• Skilled at building strong relationships and cultivating diverse networks. 

Key Attributes for Success at Waverley Street Foundation:

• Passionate about advancing equitable and transformative solutions to the climate crisis.

• Have an entrepreneurial mindset, able to scale the function up from design to maturity.

• Humble and open to differing views and perspectives. 

• Intellectually curious and current on new technology, tactics and tools in their field. 

• Comfortable with a radical approach to diversity.

• Creative in breaking down barriers to getting things done, while always operating with unassailable integrity. 

• Strong mentality of service to the field effort. 

• Low drama, good humor and joie de vivre. 

Compensation, benefits, work environment and relocation:

Salary and benefits: This position offers a salary range of $437,000-$523,000.  The exact offer will be determined by a variety of factors such as the candidate’s individual skills, qualifications, and experience relative to the requirements of the role.  In addition to salary, this position includes a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) plan with employer match, paid time off, and other perks. 

Work environment and travel: Staff work on site at least three days per week.  Domestic and overseas travel is expected in this role.

Relocation: Candidates must be able to work in the office at least three days a week and be based within a reasonable community distance to San Francisco.  Waverley offers a generous relocation package to non-local candidates but will not consider remote or weekly travel (candidates must already live or move to the San Francisco area).  We are not seeking remote candidates.

To apply: 

Please apply at: https://chaloner.com/searches/#!/088357b7-7074-4f17-b40e-befbe6181cda/detail