MANAGEMENT POSITIONS

Position: CEO, Iron & Earth Industries
Organization: Iron & Earth
Location: anywhere in Canada / remote

OVERVIEW

Date posted: October 8, 2020
Closing date: November 18, 2020

Job type: Full time staff position
Start date: December 2020

Compensation: $35/hr at 40 hr/week

Contract timeline: Permanent position

INTRODUCTION

If you are excited to help forge a prosperous energy transition for our country and you have experience in the fossil fuel industry, don't miss this exciting opportunity to work with Iron & Earth!

We are hiring a CEO to lead our new startup social enterprise, Iron & Earth Industries, a worker-driven renewable training company. Canada’s energy mix is changing rapidly and Iron & Earth Industries plans to be at the forefront of a new wave of training for workers to power the new economy. We offer training and career support for fossil fuel and Indigenous workers in rural and remote communities. All profits from the training company will be invested in Iron & Earth’s nonprofit activities.

This role is an exciting opportunity to join a team at the ground level of building a social enterprise poised to make a tangible contribution to getting workers into the over one million climate jobs that the net-zero economy will require.

The CEO provides oversight, overall management, planning, vision and leadership for Iron & Earth’s work including strategy, finance, resource development, human resources, constituency and stakeholder engagement, communications, and board development. The CEO employs an empowering approach when collaborating with team members to nurture an environment of shared responsibility and accountability for the organization’s work.

ABOUT IRON & EARTH AND IRON & EARTH INDUSTRIES

Iron & Earth formed around the lunchroom tables of the oilsands during an oil price crash, which resulted in over 100,000 oilpatch employees losing their jobs between 2015 and 2017. We realized that our trade skills were transferable to the renewable energy industry and recognized the urgency of diversifying into these technologies. Beyond the financial benefits, we were excited about the opportunity to help build a more sustainable energy future. So, in Spring 2016, we launched Iron & Earth to create a better future for ourselves, our coworkers, and the planet. Since then, we have built a membership of over 900 fossil fuel industry workers passionate about our vision and have carried out a wide range of initiatives.

Iron & Earth is a worker-led not-for-profit whose mission is to empower fossil fuel industry and Indigenous workers to build and implement climate solutions. Our top-level goal is to help ensure a prosperous transition towards global carbon neutrality by 2050.

Our vision is that fossil fuel industry and Indigenous workers will play a leading role in building the infrastructure and nature-based solutions required to reach global climate targets. Our vision of Iron & Earth’s role in realizing this future is that by 2050 we will have empowered thousands of worker members to establish chapters, develop projects, deliver training programs, shape policies, and host and participate in climate solution-related events around the world.

We recognize that the new economy must be grounded in a recognition of Indigenous peoples’ right to be self-determining over their own lands and resources, in accordance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and strive to work toward a new economy that reflects this principle.

Iron & Earth will continue to fullfill its mission while launch a compiamentary training company, Iron & Earth Industries. The training company will operate as a social enterprise, with profits going to support Iron & Earth’s vital work.

We have already developed our first three training programs: two in solar and one in wind energy. The courses are designed for in-person, hands-on learning and are grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and learning. A fourth course on transforming inactive wells into solar projects is in early stage development.

ABOUT THE JOB

This opportunity is perfect for a current or former fossil fuel industry worker who has an inspiring vision of how Canada’s traditional energy sector workforce and businesses can be mobilized to build a prosperous net-zero future. The mission for the Iron & Earth Industries CEO will be to launch and maintain a social enterprise capable of scaling our training programs and services. The top-level-goals for the Iron & Earth Industries CEO is to help ensure Iron & Earth trains over 1000 fossil fuel industry and Indigenous workers by 2025 and generates a profit to support Iron & Earth’s nonprofit activities.

CEO responsibilities:

• Develop and implement strategies to effectively develop and launch a social enterprise to scale the delivery of our training programs and generate revenue for our nonprofit activities
• Develop innovative initiatives to help fossil fuel industry and Indigenous workers diversify into climate careers
• Secure funding to ensure resources are in place to continue the resilience and scalability of the social enterprise
• Work alongside the new Iron & Earth Executive Director to ensure alignment between Iron & Earth Industries and the existing initiatives at Iron & Earth.
• Support National Chapter Director to strengthen and expand our chapters across the country and eventually internationally
• Lead Iron & Earth’s Climate Career Portal development
• Lead Iron & Earth’s Net-Zero Pathways program development
• Act as a spokesperson for Iron & Earth at key events and with news media
• Engage with decision-makers and elected officials to advocate for Iron & Earth’s policy priorities
• Engage with stakeholders to establish strategic partnerships
• Manage project budgets

REQUIRED AND PREFERRED APPLICANT QUALITIES

Mandatory skills & experience

• Ability to carry out the mission, objectives, and activities included above
• Personal values that are aligned with our organization’s mission, objectives and philosophy
• Experience in a top-level management position or equivalent (can be for-profit, non-profit, or cooperative)
• Experience developing profitable strategies and implementing vision
• In-depth knowledge of corporate governance and general management best practices
• Demonstrated ability to secure financing for organizations doing social purpose work
• Experience recruiting and supporting teams of employees
• Exceptional written and communication skills
• Strong understanding of corporate finance and performance management principles
• Familiarity with diverse business functions such as marketing, PR, etc.
• Understanding of oil and gas, renewable energy industries and political landscape in Canada
• Experience in the fossil fuel industry, whether it be a white or blue collar background
• Empowering leadership approach
• Enthusiasm about contributing to a work environment that continually seeks to take decolonial and nonracist approaches to everything we do
• Must have access to a computer and reliable internet connection

Additional skills and experience preferred

• Experience collaborating with Indigenous communities
• Experience with campaigning, community organizing, or union organizing
• Experience organizing events
• Experience leading media relations
• Experience with Google Suite and other digital tools
• Bachelor’s degree in business, communications or related field
• Experience in a startup
• Entrepreneurial experience
• Experience in government relations and stakeholder engagement

We especially encourage and welcome Indigenous candidates to apply.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Salary and hours

Compensation: $35/hr at 40 hr/week.

Location

Remotely based with some opportunities to meet with members and team members in-person, pending COVID-19 restrictions throughout the period of the contract.

How to apply

If you are interested in this position and meet the requirements, please:

• Send us your resume and cover letter by midnight on November 18, 2020, to info@ironandearth.org in one PDF titled "Last name_first name_application" and the email title "CEO"
• In your cover letter, please tell us about how your experience in the fossil fuel industry inspires you to support workers to build and implement climate solutions. Please also describe the skills and experience you would bring to this position's mission, objectives, and activities.

We will consider applications continuingly until the posting closes on November 18, 2020.

We thank all applicants for your interest in our organization and the time spent on your application; however, only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted.

READ MORE ABOUT THIS MOMENT IN TIME FOR OUR ORGANIZATION IN THIS BLOG POST!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST!

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READ MORE ABOUT OUR WORK BELOW

OUR INITIATIVES

The CEO will work in collaboration with the Executive Director to ensure the success and growth of our five initiative types:

1. Chapters
2. Campaigns
3. Programs
4. Projects
5. Events

We are currently hiring a National Chapter Director to lead the scaling of our chapters and campaigns.

1 - Chapters

Chapters are the core of our organizing model and our ability to achieve scale because they provide a hub for relationship building between workers and supporters who align with our vision and strategy. Chapter members identify challenges and/or opportunities that Iron & Earth is uniquely positioned to address in the community or region. Chapter members then design and deploy campaigns, projects, programs, or events tailored to address the identified need or opportunity. These regional contexts and solutions can often only be understood and developed at the local level. Chapters also support the scaling of national initiatives, through regional involvement in national campaigns or helping scale proven project and training program models.

Trainees during a solar energy training program organized by Iron & Earth East

2 - Campaigns

Our campaigns support our membership to form worker-led policy solutions on timely issues related to our mission. We then use these membership driven solutions to advocate for the policy changes needed to ensure our members and industry can thrive during the complex transition.

3 & 4 - Projects and programs

We deliver a range of sustainable energy training programs to rapidly upskill fossil fuel industry and Indigenous workers into climate careers. These training programs are often integrated with hands-on sustainable energy installations. We also develop sustainable energy projects, ranging from sustainably powered greenhouses to utilizing oil well sites for solar energy.

5 - Events

Our events provide an easy way for chapter members to meet each other and gain new knowledge about developments in sustainable energy and other sectors focused on addressing climate change. Our chapters regularly host Shop Talk Nights that help bring workers and supporters together to build relationships and to network with industry stakeholders.

 

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OUR CORE INITIATIVES THROUGHOUT 2020-2022

OUR CURRENT FOCUS AREAS:

1. Scaling of our chapter model in both current and new regions
2. The Renewable Skills Initiative - Phase 2 which will include working in partnership with the Louis Bull Tribe to deliver four sustainable energy training programs
3. Establishing Iron & Earth Industries as a social enterprise to scale the delivery of our sustainable energy training programs in remote and Indigenous communities
4. The Prosperous Transition Campaign which includes interviewing hundreds of workers and releasing a report with workers perspectives on climate action policies
5. The RenuWell project which will include completing a pilot project by December 2021 to utilize brownfield sites for solar energy projects (multi-stakeholder initiative)
6. The Climate Career Portal which will provide a platform for connecting workers in transition with the resources, training and employment opportunities they need
7. The Net-Zero Pathways Program which will be a program to introduce fossil fuel industry workers and stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of the net-zero transition

SCALING OUR INITIATIVES

1 - Chapters

We aim to establish chapters in every province in Canada and many other countries where fossil fuel industry and Indigenous workers can benefit from our work. At a minimum, these chapters will host regular events and ideally, each chapter will run campaigns and develop/deliver their own projects and/or programs.

2 - Campaigns

We will continue to run campaigns that reshape public perspectives, media narratives, and energy policy. These campaigns will continue at a national level and increasingly at a regional level as we increase the capacity of our chapters.

3 & 4 - Projects & Programs

We are currently developing three project types which may prove to be scalable: Renewable Skills, RenuWell, and 365 Greenhouse projects. We have recently developed three training programs which we will begin to deliver, and scale, starting in 2021. We intend to develop additional project and program models, while scaling the projects and programs that prove impactful.

5 - Events

We plan to support each of our chapters to host regularShop Talk Nights to build and maintain a community base of engaged members and supporters. We would also like to organize more Speaker Series tours across Canada and in other countries.

We will build our core team and capacity to ensure we can have a presence at all major sustainable energy related events and conferences. In particular, we hope to have a role in all major just transition related events and conferences.

Lorsque vous enverrez votre candidature, merci d’indiquer que vous avez vu cette offre d’emploi sur le site GoodWork.ca.