Title: Climate Initiative Manager
Reports to: VP of Practice Change
Position type: Full-time
Location: U.S. -based, remote
Exempt or Non-Exempt: Exempt
Compensation: USD 75000 – 85000
Benefits: 100% premiums covered by SJN for medical insurance, access to dental and vision insurance, 20 days paid vacation, 3 floating personal days, 6 sick days, 8 paid holidays, the last week of December off, a remote work stipend, and funds for professional development.

Timeline:

Job Closes: January 5, 2022, at 9:00 am ET
Application review: January 5-10 2022
Interview dates: January 11-14 2022
Ideal start date:February 1 2022

Background Since 2013, the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) has worked to legitimize and spread solutions journalism — rigorous reporting that examines not just problems, but also effective efforts to respond to them — in order to rebalance the news. We’ve made a strong case for how and why audiences and society benefit when solutions journalism is integrated into the news — and we’ve had real success. We’ve worked with over 500 news organizations and 20,000 individual journalists and, based on growing demand for our work, currently staff are working across the United States as well as in Africa, East Asia, and Europe. Around the world, solutions reporting is being adopted by news organizations because it increases audience trust and engagement, sharpens accountability and can open up new sources of revenue.

Today we believe it is more urgent than ever that we take bold action and significantly broaden our reach. Building on our foundational work with newsrooms, we are embarking upon an ambitious new strategy aimed at advancing a system-level change across the field of journalism. Working with a core group of journalists, educators and allies, we aim to engage tens of thousands more along with hundreds of news organizations in a movement to ensure ready access to news that is informed by solutions reporting. Our vision of success is sweeping but achievable. With broad adoption of solutions journalism, we envision an increase in society’s capacity to solve problems, widespread reach of more complete and accurate coverage, advances in fairness and equity in reporting and a public that is actively involved in the stories being told about their communities.

Role Description: The Solutions Journalism Network seeks a full-time climate initiative manager.Climate change coverage has emerged from the silos of science and environment beats to take center stage at both traditional news organizations and a growing number of new climate-focused entities. Even as climate coverage jumps “above the fold,” however, media organizations are struggling to understand what their audiences and communities want and need from their coverage.

The urgency and inherent inequality of the climate crisis, combined with the upsurge in problem-dominated coverage, suggests three imperatives for Solutions Journalism Network: shifting the coverage lens to how we respond to climate change from unsolvable and apocalyptic to rigorous solutions-based reporting; focusing on environmental justice and equity in those responses; and instilling a stronger solutions orientation and providing tools and models to amplify the solutions focus in climate hubs and collaboratives in the media industry and within business, science and government.

SJN sees an opportunity to catalyze a systemic change in coverage of climate. The climate initiative manager will explore this opportunity and spearhead the work. In the near term, that work will focus on leading SJN’s current Business & Sustainability Initiative through completion in August 2022; and creating, launching and leading the Climate Fellows program, funded by the Archer Vining Davis Foundation, from March 2022 through mid-2023.

Longer-term, SJN envisions the creation of a collaborative investigative and solutions-focused journalism network that reports on climate on a global scale to hold government and business accountable and regularly captures and disseminates timely and actionable knowledge in the key areas of mitigation, adaptation and resilience. The climate initiative manager will explore the feasibility of such a network and lead strategic planning and partnership development, working with leading journalists and news organizations to scale solutions reporting against this critical issue.

Does this sound like your calling? We hope so. We’re an energetic, ambitious, and fun bunch, and we want great people to join us. The Solutions Journalism Network is a 501(c)3 organization offering a competitive salary with health benefits; generous paid time off and work-schedule flexibility; and a crew of the best (seriously!) colleagues.

Equity, Justice, Diversity and Inclusion at SJN means a workplace where individual differences are recognized, appreciated, respected and responded to in ways that fully develop and utilize each person’s talents and strengths. Diversity of perspective, identity, and experience is important to us. We want to reflect and serve the whole of society. As a result, we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to seek employment, and we make all employment decisions without regard to race, age, gender, sexual orientation, or any other factors protected by federal, state or local law. To request reasonable accommodation, contact Eva Blanc, eva@solutionsjournalism.org

SJN Application & Hiring Process FAQ

Q: Where’s the best place to learn more about the Solutions Journalism Network and the work that you do? A: Start with this “brief but spectacular” video made for PBS and featuring David Bornstein, one of SJN’s co-founders. Check out the SJN website, new research on how audiences respond to solutions journalism, our most recent survey of our newsroom partners and this study on how solutions journalism can lead to increased revenue.

Q: Where do I submit my cover letter? A: The SJN application does not include a cover letter. Instead, we ask a series of questions that we hope will provide the opportunity for you to share your thoughts. All applicants respond to the same questions, which removes the guesswork of a cover letter and enables you to focus on the things we’re most interested in knowing about your qualifications for this role. (note: after the application questions, you will see a final box that says “ADDITIONAL INFORMATION” and the preview text says “add a cover letter or anything else you want to share”. Please do not upload a cover letter here. If you have additional information that you would like to share with us that you didn’t include in your application responses you can use this space to do so.

Q: The job description says this position is remote does that mean I can work from home? A: Yes. This position can be done from anywhere in the United States. The Solutions Journalism Network has its office in New York City (when we get back to the office!), but about half of our staff are based elsewhere. We would love for this position to join us in our office when we return.

Q: Under benefits in the job description you mention a technology stipend. How does that work? A: SJN staffers provide their own cell phones, laptops and other technology. To help cover the cost, SJN provides each staffer with an annual stipend.

Q: What happens after I submit my application? A: Once the application period closes, a team of SJN staffers will review all of the applications and contact candidates who move to the next stage of the process, which will include 1-2 rounds of interviews and, possibly, an additional (brief) assignment.

𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦: 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘑𝘕 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘳𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺.