Director, Corporate Decarbonization

Position description

About the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES): Our mission is to secure a safe and stable climate by accelerating the transition to a thriving, just, and resilient low-carbon economy. We are widely recognized as an influential voice on climate issues, a trusted convener, and a credible source of expertise and analysis. We work closely with international climate negotiators; federal, state, and local policymakers; executives of Fortune 500 businesses; and a wide range of other stakeholders to advance strong policy and action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy, and strengthen resilience to climate impacts. C2ES is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization.

Our organizational values: We are ambitious and practical, advancing effective solutions that push the boundaries of the achievable. We are open-minded and inclusive, seeking out and considering a wide range of voices, views, and approaches. We are people-focused, dedicated to improving human well-being and recognizing that respect and empathy are central to success. We are one team, working collaboratively, communicating openly, making ourselves accessible to each other, and treating one another with kindness and respect.

Position Summary

The Director, Corporate Decarbonization will lead C2ES’s engagement with the private sector and investor community to accelerate corporate progress toward net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Director will lead work with companies — including members of the Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC) — to advance progress on their climate commitments and transition plans. The Director will also oversee and support work with asset owners and asset managers, and other institutional investors on systems-level investing and the transition to a net zero emissions economy. This is an externally-facing, high-impact leadership role that requires technical rigor, political acumen, and sophisticated stakeholder management. The role reports to the Vice President, Business Engagement, will manage a direct report and several consultants, and will work across C2ES with other teams, including the Climate Resilience, Policy & Advocacy, Communications, and Development teams.

Qualifications

Key Responsibilities 

Corporate Engagement: 

• Serve as C2ES’s lead on corporate decarbonization and net zero transition implementation and engage directly with BELC member companies on implementing their climate goals and net zero transition plans, conducting regular structured engagements and convenings to understand the progress companies are making, barriers, and opportunities to overcome barriers. 
• Work closely with the VP, Business Engagement to design program strategy and tactics to help companies overcome barriers to progress in developing and implementing transition plans. 
• Grow and maintain expertise in standards and frameworks on corporate climate leadership and evolving best practices in corporate emissions accounting and disclosure. 
• Lead analysis of corporate GHG emissions data and progress towards climate goals and transition plans. Manage consultants conducting primary analysis.  
• Conduct assessments and/or manage consultants to conduct assessments of climate transition investments within private equity portfolios. 
• Engage the broader ecosystem of actors — including standard-setters, industry coalitions, and NGO coalitions— to help companies navigate and use the tools, mechanisms, and partnerships needed to make progress against their climate goals. 
• Develop C2ES feedback on the evolving voluntary and regulatory landscape around GHG disclosure and climate-related financial risk and translate implications for companies. 
• Identify where market mechanisms — including energy attribute certificates, voluntary carbon markets, and supply chain decarbonization pathways — can support corporate net zero progress, and work with other C2ES programs to engage companies on their use. 
• Collaborate across C2ES program teams — including on climate resilience, policy, and international workstreams — to ensure integrated, coherent organizational positioning on corporate climate action. 
• Manage or support additional projects as needed. 

Investor Engagement and Stewardship 

• Working closely with expert staff, lead C2ES’s strategy for engaging large asset owners, asset managers, and investor networks committed to improving net zero transition among portfolio companies.  
• Lead the team to build broad support for systems-level and universal ownership investment approaches — engaging institutional investors on the macroeconomic case for economy-wide decarbonization and supporting their efforts to align capital allocation with a clean energy transition.  

Broader Communications & Thought Leadership 

• Lead development of C2ES’s communications strategy on corporate decarbonization progress, working with the communications team and Vice President, Business Engagement to develop products and convenings that engage and educate key stakeholders, including policymakers, investors, and peer companies. 
• Author and/or lead development of reports, policy briefs, blog posts, and other publications that position C2ES as a thought leader on corporate climate leadership and net zero transition planning. 
• Develop presentations, talking points for senior leadership, and other materials on corporate decarbonization and net zero transition planning and implementation. 
• Represent C2ES at conferences, roundtables, and stakeholder convenings, serving as an authoritative external voice on corporate net zero transition. 
• Support C2ES events, including workshops and meetings involving the Business Environmental Leadership Council, NGOs, government agencies, media groups, and academic institutions. 

Enterprise Leadership 

• Manage and mentor a small team, providing strategic direction, professional development support, and day-to-day guidance. Manage several external consultants as part of the team.  
• Contribute to fundraising efforts by helping the VP for Business Engagement and Development team develop concept notes and support grant proposals, donor reports, and partnership proposals related to corporate decarbonization and net zero transition implementation. 
• As a senior C2ES staff member, contribute to the organization’s strategic planning, direction, and development objective, the strengthening of internal capacity and core competencies, and contribute to a positive organizational culture, including by participating in regular events such as all-staff meetings and meetings of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Council, and by seeking to model the organization's values 

Qualifications 

Required 

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience in corporate climate, sustainability, energy, or related fields, with a demonstrated track record of senior-level stakeholder engagement. 
• Excellent skills in developing program strategy across multiple workstreams and managing the full lifecycle of a multi-year project. 
• Demonstrated experience scaling projects and/or programs to achieve greater outcomes. 
• Demonstrated experience convening stakeholders to achieve common ground. 
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and political acumen — ability to build trust and credibility across corporate, investor, policy, and civil society communities with diplomacy and strategic judgment;  
• Systems-thinking, including the ability to see connections between stakeholder groups and opportunities to amplify and scale outcomes 
• Strong technical understanding of corporate decarbonization best practices, including efforts to reduce Scope 1 emissions, corporate use of renewable energy to reduce Scope 2 emissions, supplier engagement efforts to address Scope 3 emissions.   
• Good knowledge and awareness of corporate GHG accounting, target-setting frameworks, and net zero transition planning, including the GHG Protocol, SBTi, ISSB, and voluntary and regulatory disclosure standards. 
• Demonstrated experience managing a team, including hiring, professional development, and performance management. 
• Strong blend of technical expertise and communication skills — able to translate complex subject matter for executive and non-specialist audiences and represent C2ES positions compellingly in external settings. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience overseeing the development of polished external-facing publications, policy briefs, and stakeholder materials. 
• Humility, collegiality, a sense of humor, and a deep spirit of collaboration. 
• Ability to Travel: some U.S. travel required, up to 15 percent. 
• Bachelor's degree in a related field.  

Preferred 

• Experience working at or closely with a business council, trade association, investor network, or climate-focused nonprofit or experience working at a company with engagement with external stakeholders.  
• Understanding of the institutional investor action on climate, and the role of universal ownership and systems-level investing frameworks. 
• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., environmental policy, finance, business, or engineering). 

Position Status: New Vacancy 

Employment Status: Full time, benefits-eligible; exempt from overtime. 

Reporting to: Vice President, Business Engagement. 

Starting Salary Range: $127,000-158,000; C2ES offers a competitive benefits package. 

Location: C2ES operates a hybrid work environment from our main office in Washington, DC. Remote staff are expected to attend all-staff weeks in Washington (currently held four times per year) and to be in the main office as required for the job. Staff local to DMV area are expected to be in office at least three days per week.  Preference will be given to applicants based in the Washington, DC area. However, C2ES will also consider remote applicants for this position. 

Candidates must have right to work in the United States. 

To Apply: When submitting your application, please include an updated resume, cover letter, and a writing sample. C2ES will begin reviewing applications the week of April 27, 2026. 

Benefits Offered: 

• Health Insurance. C2ES offers 80% of premiums for a specific platinum-level health insurance reference plan, the dollar value of which may be applied to any platinum-level plan offered to us on the DC Health Link marketplace. The remainder of the premiums for the plan chosen by the employee will be deducted pretax from the employee’s paycheck. 
• Dental Insurance. C2ES covers 100% of the dental premiums. 
• Vision Insurance: Employee covers the total cost of this plan. 
• Long Term Disability and Short-Term Disability.  
• DC Paid Family Leave (employes working in the DC office) 
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA). 
• Group Life insurance and Voluntary Life insurance. 
• Leave Time: New employees start accumulating 3 weeks' vacation per year. 
• Sick time: up to 10 days per year. 
• Personal Leave: Up to Two personal days per year. 
• Parental Leave 
• FMLA Leave 
• Holidays: C2ES observes 13 holidays during the year. Additionally, the organization closes in the last week of year. 
• Hybrid and flexible environment. 

We are fully committed to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. We believe we will only be effective in developing and advocating climate solutions if we have a diverse range of voices and perspectives represented within C2ES, in our work, and among our partners. C2ES is committed to creating and growing a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our organization and among the stakeholders we collaborate with and convene. By fostering this culture, we can enhance our work and amplify our impact. We encourage individuals of all races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, sexual identities, and abilities to apply for this position. For more on C2ES’s DEIJ policy, visit: https://www.c2es.org/about/diversity-equity-inclusion-and-justice/ 

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Application instructions

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