Position Overview

The UN Foundation hosts the American leadership on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiative, which is aimed at growing collective action on the SDGs in communities across the United States. This effort works closely with SDG leaders in different sectors, networks, and communities to lower the barriers to entry on the SDGs, build bridges between efforts, raise awareness about existing work, and serve as a resource hub that lifts up best practices and generates new research. It delivers new research on the state of the SDGs in the United States, communications and storytelling to showcase and elevate different forms of SDG leadership, and policy analysis to help animate action from the local to federal level.

The Director of the initiative will have the opportunity to shape the next generation of this initiative and grow the domestic foundations needed to achieve the SDGs by 2030. The Director, U.S. SDGs, will lead all aspects of the project, working in close collaboration with UNF’s Policy and SDG leads and with a network of partners throughout the country. This includes cultivating new partnerships; supporting existing SDG work and identifying gaps in U.S. SDG efforts and knowledge. Build the coalitions and resources needed to fill them. The year 2023 will include a particular focus on how to galvanize efforts domestically as we mark the halfway point to 2030. This could include research on best practices and success, new tools and resources, sector or community-specific convenings, communications efforts, and work to understand and target gaps in SDG awareness and adoption, among other possibilities.

This position is based in Washington DC (preferred) or remote in the U.S.

Essential Functions

• Provides leadership and strategic oversight of the day-to-day functions of the American Leadership on the SDGs initiative, including relationships with external stakeholders and key research and implementation partners, including the Brooking Institution
• Develops and implements strategy to grow the initiative, including identifying specific knowledge and data gaps, scalable SDG solutions, and catalytic opportunities as the world near the SDG halfway point
• Develops and leads initiative’s research agenda, working closely with partners including the Brookings Institute, and communications activities, including its resource library, newsletter, polling, and communications series
• Develops and organizes convenings for the initiative that bring together SDG leaders across sectors and geographies, including its flagship event at the UN General Assembly
• Manages and grows initiative partnerships across government, civil society, philanthropies, and academia and leads the initiative’s engagement with policymakers
• Leads the initiative’s relationships with donors and develops its fundraising strategy. Delivers against agreements and leads on donor reporting
• Administers program budget and tracks performance against established goals, develops program work plan and strategy
• Other duties as assigned

Selection Criteria

• Bachelor’s degree required or relevant equivalent experience. Master’s degree preferred
• At least 10 years of experience working on sustainable development
• Knowledge of and experience working on and/or researching the SDGs required. Experience with localizing and sector-specific SDG work preferred
• Proven project management skills with an ability to lead projects with multiple facets and competing deadlines and develop them from conceptualization to fruition
• Nuanced understanding of the domestic political landscape and its intersections with the SDGs.
• Strong partnership management and skilled in coalition building
• Advocacy-minded with the ability to identify and shape compelling narratives
• Comfortable with defining research agendas and guiding research from a team of analytical partners
• Proven ability to research and write on a variety of issues related to sustainable development.
• Strong fundraising skills and experience in grant management and reporting
• Successful experience working across offices and with a team of professionals in a fast-paced environment
• Acute eye for detail and superb organizational skills
• Exceptional oral and written communications skills
• Self-starter and flexible

Benefits & Compensation

For full-time, benefit eligible employees, UNF offers an excellent range of benefits, including:

• a choice between two health plans through UnitedHealthcare (PPO or HDHP with HSA)
• dental insurance
• vision insurance
• flexible spending accounts
• 403b retirement savings plan with a generous matching contribution
• group term and supplemental life insurance
• short-term disability
• long-term disability
• health club discounts
• commuter subsidy
• back-up care
• employee assistance program

Additionally, all benefit eligible employees have 12 paid holidays, 20 vacation days, 10 sick days, 3 personal days, and 8 weeks of family leave care.

The United Nations Foundation is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative-action employer. The United Nations Foundation provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

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