We’re Hiring a TCTAC Co-Director

Communities—in particular Indigenous and tribal communities around the world—have been leading and working in the environmental justice field for decades, but this particular TCTAC model of environmental justice centers is a brand new EPA program.

Great question! One of the first things our team will be working on once we’ve hired the other two Co-Directors is how to share decision-making power among our team and organizations, and it will be something we co-create with those two new hires. With regards to the EPA, our application was very detailed in how we plan to operate the TCTAC, so we expect that model to run independently with the EPA’s blessing. There are definitely some aspects of this that we’ll need to figure out along the way, too. To learn more about EPA’s framing of TCTACs within larger environmental justice investments, watch their Environmental and Climate Justice Communities Grant Programs.

It’s not a dealbreaker! We’re open to diverse and alternative experiences, so please address those experiences and how they’ve helped you gain the skills necessary for the job in your application materials. With that said, this isn’t an entry-level position, as the Co-Director will need to take on some serious responsibilities and juggle complex problems over the course of this five-year program.

We have! Our accepted proposal to the EPA included several metrics we hope to achieve in the next five years, and we’ll share that with selected candidates.

We’ll begin reviewing applications on May 22nd and hope to move the interview process forward pretty quickly after that. We anticipate two rounds of interviews in June and are hoping to extend an offer sometime mid- to late June. We understand that folks need time to transition out of old jobs (and may want to take some time off in between them), but we’re hopeful we can have someone joining the team in July or early August.

Lynny here – thanks for the question! I believe in a shared leadership approach, which involves sharing power, responsibility, and decision-making among co-directors (and partners) for a more inclusive and equitable center. I try to bring an optimistic and collaborative spirit to leadership by celebrating strengths, honest communication, and relationship building. A successful applicant can lead in lots of different ways but should value shared leadership and be willing to co-create that vision together. 

Some complementary project skills could include research design, program evaluation, data visualization, storytelling, and the ability to speak another language.

We don’t anticipate any other direct hires to WP at this time, though some of our partners on the TCTAC may be hiring for positions. For example, PSU will be hiring another co-director soon. We also anticipate hiring contractors during the course of the project (such as website design or energy justice consulting). If you sign up for our TCTAC updates, we’ll keep you in the loop!

We’re really looking for someone who can complement our current skill set and bring new skills and talents to the team. We don’t currently have staff who are dedicated to data visualization, measuring and reporting outcomes, or storytelling (among a myriad of other things!), but these are a few key elements that the TCTAC will need to be successful, which is why they’re highlighted in the posting.

Yes! We’ll share that link on the WP website as soon as it’s up, so be sure to sign up for our mailing list if you’d like to know once it’s posted.

WP has put a lot of work into our training and onboarding process over the last couple of years, and we’ve got a supportive process that includes:

• A custom 30-60-90 day plan to help structure your first few months at WP;
• Specific trainings for our internal software systems, including Asana and Slack;
• Required HR trainings for all employees;
• A newly revised employee handbook;
• An internal knowledge base;
• 1:1 support from your supervisor and peer supports through program and project team meetings;
• Annual goal-setting and review meetings;
• Etc.

Because this position will be working closely with external partners, there will also be plenty of intentional time dedicated to building relationships across organizations, planning program-level strategies, and developing personal development and program goals.

The EPA funding that’s being used to create the TCTAC ends after five years, but we’ve got a braided funding structure that means employees often move between projects and funding. We’re hoping that whomever joins the team will want to stay on with us and continue doing similar work but under other funding opportunities.

That’s a great question, and it’s something we’re still trying to figure out. Because we’ve designed a shared leadership model between three Co-Directors, it will really depend on who we hire for the remaining two Co-Director positions and what specific skills, talents, and passions they bring to the work.

Our collaborative leadership model guides how Willamette Partnership helps our partners move from shared intention to joint action. We use this model to help people solve problems in a way that builds community, whether we’re helping communities build a green schoolyard, plan for climate change in a coastal community, or protect their drinking water. Learn more about our collaborative model here.

Nope!

We pride ourselves on a healthy work/life balance and actively discourage employees from working more than 40 hours/week. Sometimes it will inevitably happen (ex. extended travel days), but employees are encouraged to flex time to recover if they’ve had to work long hours in a pay period. We’ve all got families and needs outside of work, so we also encourage employees to flex time during the week if they need to step away for a couple of hours for errands, appointments, child pick-ups, etc. We typically work Monday through Friday, 8:00-ish to 5:00-ish.

We’re usually more in the “manager” position on projects than the “doer” position, but there’s still a lot of doing to be had in the facilitation/TA providing/writing/scheduling/coordinating/meeting world! The TCTAC is designed as a TA center to help communities “do”, so it will likely be light on implementation work, but heavy on supporting communities and leaders who are doing the implementation work.

Since the region for the TCTAC includes all of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Idaho, we’re anticipating a significant amount of regional travel for this position (~6 weeks/year), along with regular day trips to nearby communities. These may include:

• Annual summits with our Community Advisory Board;
• Statewide meetings with community organizers and leaders in each state;
• Visits to project sites;
• Conferences;
• Etc.
  

It’s also likely that there will be some meetings in Washington, D.C. with national EPA staff over the five years.

WP regularly gathers and evaluates compensation data comparable to our organization. We consider market and economic fluctuations and try to keep our salary ranges within a range that is competitive with other organizations in our industry and region. We also strive to be transparent with all staff as to how salaries and overall compensation increases are determined and administered within the organization. Willamette Partnership strictly adheres to the Oregon Equal Pay Act.

Willamette Partnership offers group medical/vision, dental, life/disability, flex spending, and group retirement plans. Medical (Kaiser Permanente) and Dental (Guardian) plans are covered at 90% by WP for both Employee and all dependents (spouse, domestic partner, children) with a 10% contribution by Employees. Life and disability is covered at 100% by WP. The company contributes up to a max of 4% on our 401K plan.

Travel associated with this position is comparable in time commitment to other WP program positions, although it is more likely to be regional- rather than state-level travel. As a result, WP’s existing salary structure is designed to accommodate this level of travel. We also offer a work environment that recognizes the needs and schedules of a whole human. We understand that personal and family obligations will require you to adjust your schedule from time to time and we try to accommodate those needs as much as possible while still meeting the needs of the communities we serve.