Senior Officer, Environment Management Support (Strategic Writing)

The Environment Portfolio at The Pew Charitable Trusts  

For more than 30 years, Pew has been a major force in engaging the public and policy makers about the causes, consequences, and solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Our environment work spans all seven continents with more than 250 professionals working at the local, national, and international levels to reduce the scope and severity of global environmental problems, such as the erosion of large natural ecosystems that contain a great part of the world’s remaining biodiversity, and the destruction of the marine environment. Pew’s global environmental program focuses on science-based, nonpartisan, and sustainable solutions to help protect the planet and people. We work in partnership with governments, Indigenous rights holders, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, local stakeholders, scientists, and other researchers to advance public policy so that nature and communities can thrive.  

Since 1990, Pew has worked in North America, South America and Australia to protect large and critically important terrestrial ecosystems, including rivers and other freshwater resources, coastal temperate rainforests, interior mountain ranges, the northern boreal forests, Australia’s Outback, and Chilean Patagonia. We work to ensure these natural systems remain bountiful, functioning, and resilient, providing essential ecological services such as clean air and clean water, sustenance and food security for local communities and more broadly for the welfare of current and future generations. Our work relies on the sciences of conservation, sociology, biology, and economics to advocate for practical and durable solutions to the loss of biodiversity.    

In the sea, reforms to how our oceans are managed are essential to address overfishing, pollution, and loss of habitat. Pew began its oceans program in the United States, focusing on ending overfishing and protecting fragile marine habitat. Starting in 2005, Pew’s ocean conservation program expanded around the world and played a significant role in reforming marine fisheries management in the European Union and on the high seas and creating large scale marine reserves around the world. Our work is grounded in the best available science and pursues domestic and international conservation measures that are long-term and provide permanent, durable protections for marine ecosystems. We also work to address systemic threats to the ocean, including from plastics, over-and-illegal fishing, seabed mining, and climate change.  

Environment Management Support Team 

The environment portfolio’s management support team maximizes the effectiveness of projects and links the portfolio’s diverse bodies of work. The group manages and leads internal initiatives and ensures the quality, consistency, and compliance and accountability of Pew’s work across the environment portfolio. The team manages and supports special projects, serves as internal resources for teams, and facilitates connections across the institution to ensure that projects and staff have what they need to be successful. 

Position Overview 

The senior officer, environment management support, plays a critical role in helping to advance the environment portfolio’s strategic direction, prioritization, and planning efforts and helps to link the portfolio’s diverse bodies of work. The senior officer reports to the project director, environment management support, and works closely with members of the portfolio’s leadership team, other leadership groups within program, and cross-cutting staff.   

This position is located in Pew’s Washington, D.C., office and will participate in Pew’s core in-office days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday as of January 2026) with the flexibility to work from home the remainder of each week.  

Responsibilities   

• Foster a work environment that is in line with Pew’s value’s and the portfolio’s related goals. 

• Plays a critical role in the environment portfolio’s efforts by helping articulate and describe the collective vision and mission of the portfolio and communicate strategies and projects to that overarching effort. 

• Manage the overall Board process for the portfolio in collaboration with portfolio leadership, projects, and planning team in a manner that is efficient, transparent, and flexible to meet the needs of teams and program leaders. 

• Manage and serve as the main liaison from the environment portfolio for the annual planning process. 

• At the direction of leadership, lead and otherwise support as needed the writing of Board documents including supporting with memos and talking points. 

• Provide a combination of content, editing, and process-related strategic support to project explorations, strategy development, and project renewal efforts and special projects identified by portfolio leadership as high priority.  

• Coach and guide portfolio staff on goal articulation, message development, and written communication, such as scripts, speeches, and talking points; help lead the development and incorporation of portfolio-wide messaging into internal and external communications. 

• Lead special projects and participate in activities that support program and Pew-wide activities. 

Requirements  

• Track record of solving problems creatively along with a commitment to producing measurable results.  

• Excellent analytic and problem-solving skills; works well with others as a member of a team and can be flexible and adapt to different ways of working with ease and professionalism. 

• Proficiency in synthesizing large amounts of information and focusing quickly on the essence of an issue/problem, determining whether it is ripe for intervention, and identifying the means to address it.  

• An excellent listener who is comfortable working productively and diplomatically with a wide array of different people.  

• Excellent written and oral communications skills as well as project management skills.  

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.  

• Generally, ten years of applicable experience.  

Travel 

This position requires occasional travel to meetings and conferences. 

Work Authorization