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Environment Program Director

The Environment Program at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is dedicated to addressing the climate crisis and preserving biodiversity while supporting the well-being of communities across the globe. The program provides grants that advance ambitious climate action and protect the natural ecosystems of the North American West in ways that help the members of all affected communities to flourish. In 2024, the Environment Program awarded 289 grants totaling more than $240.9 million to 180 organizations in support of these goals.

The Program's grantmaking is guided by two core strategies :

• Climate Initiative : The Climate Initiative is a cornerstone of the Hewlett Foundation's Environment Program, focused on addressing the global climate crisis by supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. The strategy prioritizes key regionsincluding the United States, China, India, and Europethat are critical to achieving international climate targets. Future strategies could include expansion to other geographic areas. Grants are awarded to organizations that impact public policy, mobilize climate finance, and drive innovation in clean technologies, with the overarching goal of limiting global temperature rise to well below 2C above preindustrial levels. The initiative emphasizes collaboration among governments, industries, and civil society to ensure that climate solutions are inclusive, equitable, and grounded in science. It also supports multilateral efforts to foster international cooperation, while investing in region-specific strategies that reflect local opportunities and contexts. By advancing policies that promote clean energy, industry, and sustainable transportation, the program seeks to enhance community well-being, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability on a global scale. Current program strategies prioritize crosscutting initiatives including investments to overcome barriers to electrification, workforce development, critical minerals, and climate finance and ongoing support for communications to bring critical climate information to the global community.
• Western Conservation : Since 1969, the Hewlett Foundation has supported efforts to conserve the lands and waters of the North American West, recognizing the region's ecological, cultural, and economic significance. The Western Conservation strategy is rooted in the belief that long-term environmental solutions are best achieved through inclusive, community-driven approaches that honor diverse perspectives and foster collaboration across differences. Focused on conserving landscapes and waterways that are vital to maintaining biodiversity, and ensuring sustainability for future generations, the program invests in partnerships that uphold Indigenous sovereignty, protect public lands, and ensure sustainable water management in the face of climate change. It engages a wide range of grantee partnersincluding Tribes, ranchers and landowners, hunters and anglers, conservation advocates, faith leaders, and scientiststhrough relationships built on trust, respect, and a shared commitment to stewardship. The strategy emphasizes safeguarding ecologically and culturally significant lands, restoring vital ecosystems, and advancing durable policy solutions to promote long-term environmental resilience and equitable access to nature.

Reporting to President Amber Miller, the Program Director will lead Hewlett's largest program area at a pivotal moment in our world. The next Program Director will collaborate closely with a visionary President, a strong leadership team, and a highly experienced group of programmatic staff to amplify the Environment Program's impact, ensuring that people, communities, and the planet can thrive. The Program Director will be a strategic and visionary leader with deep expertise in the fields of global climate change and conservation. They will be eager to accelerate the energy transition, bring experience in program evaluation and assessment, and believe strongly in philanthropy's role in shaping policy and in empowering grantees as a core strategy for impact.

Serving a term of eight years, the Program Director is responsible for managing and directing all program-related activities and grant decisions. The Program Director is a member of the foundation's senior staff and is responsible for selecting, implementing, and managing goals, strategies, and initiatives to achieve the program's objectives and the foundation's institutional goals. This person will be an eager collaborator when appropriate with other program directors and staff throughout the foundation.

The Program Director will provide a comprehensive, forward-looking vision for the Environment portfolio, staying true to Hewlett's commitment to current strategy areas, while bringing their own expertise, experience, and perspective to bear in shaping future directions.

Reports to :

President

Direct reports :

Environment Program Officers (5)

Environment Senior Administrative Coordinator

Environment Program Operations Manager

Other key relationships :

Environment Program Associates (5)

Embedded Grants, Legal, and Communications Partners

Program Directors

Chief Communications Officer and Senior Adviser to the President

Chief Financial Officer

Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Environment Program Legal Partner

Grantees and organizations operating in Environment Program area

Foundations and other funders operating in similar or adjacent fields

Thought leaders and policy makers

Key objectives :

Ensure the Environment Program remains true to its guiding principles and strategies, while also driving the development of innovative initiatives to promote its ongoing impact and influence as a leader in addressing climate change globally and in conservation efforts of the western United States.

Champion Hewlett's mission and the work of its grantees and partners and serve as an authentic and compelling internal and external spokesperson.

Build and sustain a culture of curiosity, candor, integrity, and mutual respect, fostering collaboration and accountability across the program.

Engage substantively with staff in the Environment Program, administrative staff from legal, communications, and grants management who are embedded with the Environment Program, and staff across the foundation's programmatic areas; identify distinctive ways to create impact through internal partnership and collaboration, providing leadership, counsel, and support for interdisciplinary initiatives.

Proactively develop and identify funding coalitions with a wide range of external partners, expanding the Environment Program's reach and catalyzing greater impact in the field.

Capitalize on the Environment Program's strengths, specifically its ability to attract, retain, and develop top talent, creating conditions that allow members of the team to do their best work.

Maintain a strong and successful relationship with Hewlett's President and serve as a key member of senior staff.

Develop relationships with other senior staff members and work collectively to advance institutional priorities.

Identify, anticipate, and develop strategies and / or programmatic priorities to address changes in the philanthropic sector, as well as the social, political, legal, and economic landscape, which may impact the Environment Program, its strategies, and its priorities in the near or long term.

Ideal experience :

At least 20 years of impactful senior-level experience in public policy, philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, and / or government; a proven record of strong leadership, management, and operational acumen.

Deep experience and subject matter expertise across multiple policy, technology, and institutional issues related to climate change and biodiversity conservation, including at the national and international level.

A demonstrated ability to recruit, manage, and empower internal talent, building a strong team to operate collaboratively and perform at the highest level of leadership, quality, trust, and effectiveness.

Experience serving as an inspiring and authentic leader, communicator, and relationship builder on behalf of an organization or cause; a track record of developing and deploying coalitions for collective action.

Clear and persuasive oral and written communicator to a range of audiences.

Demonstrated ability to develop and execute strategy, manage and align resources, use data, implement plans with fidelity, identify challenges and assess progress, and address gaps to achieve strong results.

Authentic demonstrated commitment to working across differences and ensuring that all team members are valued, and have the opportunity to succeed.

Evidenced success in supporting action and progress within an organization.

Experience or familiarity with philanthropy and the work of foundations and an understanding of how philanthropy can influence actions in policy and practice.

Intellectual agility and the ability to analyze, think critically, and work across geographies and cultures with grantee partners, government, private sector, nonprofit, movement, and community leaders.

Exceptional personal and professional integrity, judgement, and the highest work standards; brings flexibility, good humor, high energy, humility, and an unwavering commitment to Hewlett's Guiding Principles.

Graduate-level academic degree in a related field.

Critical leadership capabilities :

Strategic Leadership

Provides clear leadership and understanding of the Environment Program's priorities to contribute to the Foundation's mission, policies, strategies, operations, and evolving aspirations.

Anticipates future challenges and opportunities; illuminates and builds awareness of emerging priorities consistent with Hewlett's principles, systems, and approach; and works with the President, senior staff, and other partners to proactively adjust the Environment Program's direction accordingly.