Chief Impact Officer

Pure Earth•New York, NY

1h•$200,000 - $230,000

About The Position

Pure Earth is an international nonprofit working to prevent exposure to lead and other toxic pollutants, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. The Chief Impact Officer (CIO) is part of the executive leadership team and shares accountability with the President and broader C-Suite for delivering the organization’s desired impact and advancing its mission. The CIO sets impact strategy, owns the evidence base, defines and designs programs, and oversees policy and research agendas, integrating programs, research, monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL), technical excellence, and policy into a coherent strategy. Pure Earth’s current portfolio focuses primarily on reducing lead pollution and poisoning, with smaller programs addressing toxins such as mercury. In partnership with the President and Board, the CIO will guide long-term portfolio direction, including potential expansion to other pollutants as evidence and field conditions warrant. The CIO sets strategic direction, standards, and accountability expectations for the relevant departments; implementation, technical support, and research are led by their respective department leaders. Reporting to the President, the CIO directly supervises the Vice President of Programs, the Vice President for Technical Support, and the Director of the Innovation Lab. The CIO works closely with the Chief Operating Officer on resource allocation and with the Chief External Relations Officer on positioning, fundraising strategy, donor engagement, communications, and external influence. The role is the President’s principal thought partner on mission strategy and high-stakes decisions about where the organization invests for impact. The position is full-time and exempt. It is ideally based in or near New York City, though remote candidates who can travel to New York quarterly or more frequently will be considered. International travel is approximately 15%, primarily to country offices in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. The role requires flexibility to work across time zones and U.S. work authorization; Pure Earth will not sponsor visas. The stated expected starting salary range is $200,000 to $230,000, with the actual salary determined by experience and internal equity.

Requirements

At least 10 years of highly relevant experience, including significant time in senior leadership or principal investigator roles in environmental health, global health, environmental science, international development, or a closely related field.
Demonstrated ability to translate research and evidence into programmatic and policy impact at scale.
Track record of leading or building research, MEL, or policy functions in a mission-driven organization.
Experience working with senior funders, governments, and multilateral institutions on global health or development priorities.
Strong management skills and a record of building and developing high-performing senior teams.
Ability to influence outside direct lines of authority.
U.S. work authorization; Pure Earth will not sponsor visas.

Nice To Haves

PhD or Master’s degree in public health, environmental science, toxicology, international development, or a related field.
Direct experience with lead exposure or related toxic chemicals work.
Field experience in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, or Latin America.
Published track record in peer-reviewed environmental or global health literature.
Experience working in or with academic institutions, multilateral agencies, and major philanthropies.

Responsibilities

Define Pure Earth’s impact strategy, including priority geographies, exposure sources, and interventions within its lead and mercury portfolio.
Partner with the President and Board to guide long-term program portfolio direction and determine when and how to expand to other priority pollutants.
Shape the design, refinement, and rollout of the Audacious Project and ensure strategic coherence and delivery against committed milestones.
Set the organization’s theory of change and the impact targets it commits to publicly and to funders.
Hold the Programs and Technical Support Departments accountable for impact targets, program and technical quality standards, and grant commitments.
Partner with the Chief Operating Officer on program budget allocations, resource allocation, and cost-impact tradeoffs across countries and functions.
Partner with the Chief External Relations Officer on positioning, fundraising strategy, donor cultivation, communications, and external influence.
Provide intellectual content and senior engagement to support donor cultivation, retention, and major proposals.
Serve as the President’s principal thought partner on mission strategy and high-stakes mission decisions.
Set a forward-looking research agenda with the Director of the Innovation Lab, addressing emerging trends and gaps in understanding of lead exposure and mitigation.
Ensure rigorous research planning and execution, peer-reviewed publication, and dissemination that strengthens Pure Earth’s programs and the broader evidence base.
As appropriate, serve as senior author, principal investigator, or technical lead on flagship research and publications.
Set the organization’s impact measurement philosophy in collaboration with the VP of Programs and MEL Director.
Oversee the learning agenda and ensure insights from research, MEL, and field experience inform stronger programs and strategy.
Monitor MEL systems to ensure rigorous impact assessment and support decision-making at country, regional, and enterprise levels.
Ensure MEL outputs meet funder needs and support high-quality donor reporting and external storytelling.
Define policy and regulatory strategy, identifying opportunities to influence government action and strengthen regulatory frameworks.
Translate evidence into actionable insights for policymakers, partners, and the global health community.
Partner with the Chief External Relations Officer to advance policy strategy through external advocacy, government relations, and coalition work.
Set technical support standards with the VP for Technical Support, including scientific rigor, methodological soundness, feasibility in low-resource settings, and continuous improvement.
Define evidence-based practices, program design standards, and impact metrics for Pure Earth programs.
Establish quality and accountability frameworks for the Programs Department.
Approve material program design changes and new country entries based on strategic and impact criteria.
Directly supervise the Vice President of Programs, the Vice President for Technical Support, and the Director of the Innovation Lab.
Shape the agenda of and partner closely with the MEL function and other embedded units supporting organizational impact.
Build a high-performing, globally distributed team of senior leaders aligned around shared impact goals.
Promote intellectual honesty, learning, and continuous improvement across the impact function.