Executive Director for Energy, Climate, and Environment; U

Overview

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty and staff. As a world-leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice.

Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic and social value. We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity-focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, Principles of Community, and Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, learning is a fundamental part of working, and we provide space for supportive colleague communities via employee resource groups. Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities.

The Office of the Associate Provost for Energy, Climate, and Environment (APECE) provides strategic leadership and vision to harmonize and accelerate UC Berkeley’s efforts in research, curriculum, and outreach on energy, climate, and sustainability. They foster a vibrant climate community across campus in a manner consistent with Berkeley’s commitment to a just and fair society and its desire to lift up all communities, especially those disproportionately impacted by climate change.

The AP-ECE works with campus leaders to ensure campus operations are environmentally sound and socially responsible. An overarching goal is to create an inclusive platform for collaboration among faculty, students, and staff dedicated to addressing climate challenges.

Executive Leadership The Executive Director serves as the chief operating and administrative officer of the Office of the Associate Provost for Energy, Climate and the Environment and reports directly to the AP-ECE. They are responsible for operationalizing the AP-ECE’s priorities; managing day-to-day operations; contributing to fundraising strategy and prospect engagement (in partnership with the Associate Provost and the Chief Development Officer);

proposal development; and external partnerships; coordinating ECE efforts across a decentralized campus; designing programs and infrastructure; and collaborating with a diverse range of stakeholders, including faculty, students, policymakers, philanthropists, industry leaders, community organizations, and national laboratories.

The First Review Date for this job is June 10, 2026. For full consideration, please submit application materials by June 31, 2026.

• Research Support, Program Development, and Campus Coordination:
  Promote UC Berkeley’s energy, climate, and sustainability research leadership through targeted communications, conferences, symposia, workshops, and other programs, with emphasis on research-to-action impacts.
• Support campus capacity to pursue and deliver results from large grants, contracts, philanthropy, and other funding opportunities across climate and sustainability research (mitigation, adaptation and resilience, environmental justice and equity, in both natural and built environments).
• Collaborate with the Vice Chancellor for Research Office to coordinate large-scale, multi-investigator proposal efforts: identify opportunities, build proposal teams, manage development processes, and ensure competitiveness.
• Foster interdisciplinary research collaborations; assess needs and help establish research capacity; provide guidance on funding, partnerships, and resource support.
• Collaborate with the Council of College Deans and other leaders to curate and catalog existing climate and sustainability courses/programs, improving accessibility for students and faculty.
• Support development of…