Chief Program Officer

Bonneville Environmental Foundation • Portland, OR

9d • $170,000 - $210,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) is seeking an experienced, mission-driven executive to serve as its first Chief Program Officer (CPO). This executive will provide integrated leadership across BEF's full portfolio of water, carbon, and energy programs. This is a newly created role that reflects BEF's ambitions for expanded impact and the increasing complexity of its program work. The CPO will contribute to and hold center on program performance; drive and manage strategic growth in emerging program areas (for example water and energy stewardship for the data center sector); expand BEF's client base and revenue streams to reduce revenue concentration risk; and support meaningful program partnerships that support priorities of Tribal Nations. The ideal candidate brings deep experience managing (and directly supporting the success of) complex program portfolios in a mission-driven organization; a rigorous approach to performance management; and a genuine commitment to equity, partnership, and impact.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in environmental sciences, public policy, business administration, or a related field strongly preferred.
• 15 or more years of progressive leadership experience in environmental, sustainability, or related nonprofit, ESG, or mission-driven sectors, with at least 7 years in a senior or executive management role.
• Demonstrated success managing complex and/or multi-program portfolios and leading high-performing teams.
• Strong command of program design, performance measurement, and continuous improvement frameworks; proven ability to translate strategy into operational excellence.
• Experience in business development, client relationship management, or market expansion in a mission-driven context.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences, from frontline staff to Board members to corporate clients.
• Deep personal alignment with BEF's mission and values, including a genuine commitment to equity, inclusion, and partnership.
• Strategic Agility: anticipates trends and consequences across BEF's program portfolio and translates a long-range view into credible strategies and plans.
• Interpersonal Savvy: builds rapport and trust across a wide range of audiences (Board, funders, Tribal partners, corporate clients, and staff), nimbly adapting style and approach.
• Conflict Management: reads situations quickly, finds common ground across competing program and stakeholder priorities, and resolves tension constructively.

Nice To Haves

• Substantive knowledge of water stewardship, voluntary environmental markets (RECs, WRCs, carbon credits), or corporate sustainability strategy.
• Substantive knowledge of renewable energy systems, trends, markets, financing and incentives.
• Experience working in or alongside the technology sector on sustainability, ESG, or environmental impact, including familiarity with data center water and energy challenges.
• Demonstrated track record of developing authentic, equitable programming that is responsive to and directly supports energy or water-related priorities of Tribal nations or Indigenous communities.
• Familiarity with nonprofit governance, financial management, and compliance at organizational budgets of $20 million or greater.
• Experience working in the western U.S. or familiarity with the region's water, energy, and environmental policy landscape.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive oversight, vision, and cohesion across BEF's full portfolio of water, carbon, and energy programs, ensuring alignment and synergy with organizational mission and strategic priorities.
• Serve as the primary senior leader for Program Directors and Senior Directors, setting a high standard for program quality, staff development, innovation and adaptation, and cross-team collaboration.
• Take responsibility for, and directly contribute to, sustained program performance.
• Review, synthesize, and track results across program portfolios, and translate them into actionable guidance and strategic adaptation for program teams and executive leadership.
• Identify and resolve structural, operational, or resourcing barriers that inhibit program effectiveness, growth, and mission impact.
• Develop and maintain a rigorous, organization-wide framework for program metrics, key performance indicators, and impact measurement.
• Hold the organization and program teams accountable for delivering impact and value to partners while fostering a culture of learning, continuous improvement, and a supportive atmosphere.
• Build and maintain reporting dashboards for internal leadership and the Board of Directors that reflect program health, client satisfaction, and mission impact.
• Partner with the CFO to align program budgets with strategic priorities and ensure financial sustainability of program operations.
• Lead BEF's work helping data center operators mitigate their water and energy footprint, with a focus on measurable energy, water, and conservation outcomes that deliver relevant community and ecosystem impact.
• Cultivate relationships with technology companies and infrastructure operators to assess water, energy, and reputational risks and develop tailored BEF programming that generates positive impact.
• Stay current on regulatory, community, and industry developments related to data center water and energy use, ensuring BEF's approach reflects credible, balanced, and locally-supported solutions.
• Represent BEF in relevant industry, policy, and community forums to sustain BEF intellectual leadership and share expertise in water, energy and multi-benefit stewardship.
• Assess opportunities and guide efforts to extend BEF's unique program model into new community energy and energy-affordability initiatives that expand clean energy and affordability benefits.
• Develop and/or reinforce program concepts, connections, and partnerships with utilities, community organizations, Tribes, and/or public agencies that expand funding for and access to affordable, clean energy for diverse communities.
• Evaluate the financial and operational feasibility of new community energy offerings in partnership with program teams, CFO, CoS, and CEO.
• Support program teams and leadership to adapt and refine BEF's corporate water stewardship offerings to stay ahead of market trends and expand a corporate water stewardship movement and leverage participation from diverse industry sectors.
• Cultivate relationships with corporate sustainability leaders across sectors to identify strategic impact areas and shared-value water stewardship partnerships that leverage BEF expertise and programming.
• Align with program teams to reinforce BEF’s position as a trusted advisor, leader, and innovator on corporate water strategy, drawing on the organization's deep track record in water markets, environmental conservation, innovative financing, funding for Tribal priorities, and corporate water stewardship.
• Support partnership and strategy development to deliver multi-benefit funding, communications and technical assistance for integrated watershed stewardship.
• Help prioritize and shape approaches to addressing capacity and policy barriers that limit implementation of multi-benefit water and watershed programs.
• Serve as a thought partner in strengthening facilitation of a differentiated portfolio of external relationships including coalitions, networks, and service-delivery partnerships.
• Guide program expansion into new conservation finance mechanisms and blended capital vehicles, translating early-stage concepts into durable revenue and impact streams that support integrated and nature-based solutions.
• Collaborate with the CEO and business development functions within BEF to design and execute a strategy for growing and diversifying BEF's client base and revenue models, reducing revenue concentration risk across the program portfolio and ensuring a resilient business strategy.
• Identify emerging or underserved market segments and develop scalable program offerings that expand BEF's reach and impact without compromising program quality, capacity, or mission integrity.
• Ensure that program design, client engagement practices, and service delivery are structured to support long-term revenue sustainability.
• Support and enhance external communications strategies to enhance BEF reputation and value to partners.
• Lead with humility and cultural competence in supporting the development of meaningful program services and/or funding opportunities that center on Tribal sovereignty and self-determination – and deliver on Tribal priorities.
• Engage authentically and strategically in program co-design processes.
• Stay informed about Tribal rights, sovereignty, and relevant federal policy developments that intersect with BEF program areas.
• Contribute to BEF-wide strategic planning, bringing a program-grounded perspective to organizational planning and decisions.
• Model BEF's core values in all internal and external interactions.
• Support the recruitment, development, and retention of exceptional program staff at all levels of the organization.
• Engage the Board of Directors on program strategy, performance, and emerging opportunities.

Benefits

• 100% Employer paid Medical, Short Term and Long-Term Disability, Life insurance for employees; 75% subsidized for family/dependents.
• Retirement plan with 5% employer matching contribution.
• Generous PTO and Vacation Policy including alternative care and self-care leave.
• Four Week paid sabbatical after first 6 years, then every 5 years thereafter
• Opportunity to grow through training and development including a generous paid professional development budget.
• Hybrid work schedule.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive