Job description
Virginia Field Director, Campaigns Department
Location: Must reside in Virginia. Frequent in-state travel is required for field visits, campaign events and volunteer mobilization.
OVERVIEW
The climate emergency is the defining challenge of our time, demanding an urgent and transformative response. The window for small, incremental action has closed; the moment for bold, emergency-level action is now.
Action for the Climate Emergency (ACE) operates at the intersection of clean energy advocacy, strategic media, and civic participation to accelerate global decarbonization. Through cutting-edge media strategies, ACE combats climate disinformation, flattens the curve of clean energy opposition, increases diverse participation in our democracy, and inspires meaningful action. Our programs engage tens of millions of people annually, mobilizing audiences that traditional climate efforts often overlook.
ACE’s dynamic and diverse team thrives in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment, united by a shared commitment to addressing the climate crisis. As we expand to meet this critical moment, we seek talented individuals eager to make an impact.
JOB SUMMARY
The Virginia Field Director will lead and execute a high-impact youth organizing program centered around climate and renewable energy advocacy across the Commonwealth. This role is central to ACE and CEA’s 2025 strategic plan in Virginia, defining the political moment to build local youth power, advocate for renewable energy, and deliver decisive electoral victories in key state races.
The ideal candidate will have at least 6 years of organizing experience, with management of at least one statewide campaign required. The candidate is a seasoned organizer, strategic thinker and campaigner with a keen understanding of Virginia’s political landscape. They will be responsible for building a dynamic volunteer base, managing a high-performing field team and coordinating efforts to register, educate and mobilize young voters (18-34) across the state. They will have the ability to shift between electoral and issue-based organizing seamlessly. They will know how to strategically merge both tracks, ensuring they build on one another to deliver lasting impact on clean energy policy and political power.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Program Execution
- Develop and lead the overall strategy for youth-focused climate and electoral organizing in Virginia, ensuring all efforts are aligned with broader organizational goals and responsive to the state’s evolving political landscape.
- Manage the planning and execution of statewide programs that integrate grassroots organizing, voter engagement and issue advocacy to build long-term power on the ground.
- Hire, train and supervise a high-performing team of regional directors and field organizers, fostering a results-driven culture rooted in collaboration, accountability and impact.
- Collaborate closely with the national Campaigns Department across data, digital, policy and communications to deliver integrated and effective programming.
Volunteer Leadership & Youth Organizing
- Design and implement a strategic volunteer leadership program that empowers young people across Virginia to take on meaningful organizing roles in their communities.
- Oversee the development and management of youth-led Climate Action Teams, ensuring alignment with organizational frameworks such as the Ladder of Engagement and Snowflake model.
- Ensure volunteer leaders are equipped with the training, tools, and mentorship needed to lead canvassing, advocacy, voter outreach, and public education efforts across the state.
- Cultivate a culture of sustained youth engagement, leadership development and long-term power building that strengthens our grassroots engagement and drives climate, renewable energy and political impact.
Clean Energy Advocacy
- Lead the development and execution of statewide clean energy advocacy campaigns that advance solar, battery storage, and renewable energy infrastructure.
- Oversee engagement strategies that mobilize local communities in support of pro-renewable policies and opposition to fossil fuel-backed legislation.
- Build relationships with community partners, policy advocates and clean energy stakeholders to ensure local priorities are reflected in campaign goals and outcomes.
- Position youth voices as powerful advocates in local and state-level energy permitting, siting and workforce development conversations.
Electoral & Field Organizing
- Lead a comprehensive electoral strategy that engages and mobilizes young voters in support of climate-aligned candidates and ballot initiatives.
- Oversee all aspects of field operations related to voter registration, turnout and education in key geographies, with a focus on the gubernatorial election and competitive Assembly races.
- Ensure that the economic impacts of climate and renewable energy are a central theme in the 2025 elections through youth-led narrative shaping and public engagement campaigns.
- Coordinate rapid response and layered field strategies that adapt to emerging political dynamics and ensure maximum impact at the ballot box.
Program Management & Team Oversight
- Provide strategic oversight of all field staff and ensure strong systems are in place for performance management, goal setting and reporting.
- Build a high-functioning team culture rooted in trust, purpose and continuous improvement.
- Manage budgets, timelines and deliverables with precision, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to meet program goals.
- Drive coordination across departments and ensure real-time data is used to evaluate and refine organizing strategies.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will be an experienced and dynamic organizer with a deep understanding of grassroots movement building, climate policy advocacy, electoral strategy, and legislative sessions.
- Based in Virginia and deeply familiar with the state’s political geography and legislative dynamics.
- 6+ years of experience in electoral and/or issue organizing, with management of at least one statewide grassroots campaign required.
- Demonstrated success leading large-scale voter engagement, volunteer leadership or electoral field programs.
- Keen understanding of Virginia elections, voter demographics and the strategic landscape in key swing districts.
- Experience managing high-performing teams in a fast-paced, metrics-driven environment.
- Strong commitment to climate, renewable energy and building youth power.
- Proficiency in VAN, EveryAction or similar organizing data platforms; ability to develop and interpret data to inform strategy.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and proven ability to build coalitions across diverse constituencies.
POSITION DETAILS
- Annual salary range: $80,000-90,000, commensurate with experience
- Generous benefits include: Medical, Dental, Vision, 403b retirement savings plan, Vacation, Sabbatical, Paid Parental Leave, 2 Floating Holidays, 2 Community Service Floating Holidays, sick time, two weeks of full-staff time off (July 4 week and Christmas-New Years week) and 13 observed holidays
- ACE is an equal-opportunity employer that highly values staff diversity
- Location: Must reside in Virginia. Frequent in-state travel is required for field visits, campaign events, and volunteer mobilization.
If you meet the majority of the above qualifications, please apply. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.
This description reflects ACE’s assignment of essential functions, it does not restrict the tasks that may be assigned. ACE retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position at any time. Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
ACE is an equal-opportunity employer that highly values diversity, equity, and inclusion and views the climate crisis as a social justice crisis. People who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), people who experience gender oppression, people with disabilities, and people who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community are particularly encouraged to apply.
