CETI Executive Director

Clover Search Works • Seattle, WA

27d • $155,000 - $175,000

About The Position

The Clean Energy Transition Institute (CETI) seeks an Executive Director to lead the organization into its next chapter. CETI has established itself as a trusted source of independent, nonpartisan research and analysis working to accelerate an equitable clean energy transition in the Northwest. The need for rigorous analysis at the state and regional level is growing and CETI is uniquely positioned to illuminate solutions and engage stakeholders in fact-based conversations about the opportunities and tradeoffs ahead.
CETI's founding Executive Director built something durable — a respected research institution with a talented team, a sound financial foundation, and a hard-won reputation for credibility across sectors that don't always agree. The next leader will inherit all of that, and will have genuine latitude to shape what CETI becomes: what it prioritizes, how it grows, and what role it plays in one of the most consequential periods for clean energy in the Northwest's history.
We're looking for a leader who is deeply committed to the clean energy transition and knows the landscape well enough to lead a specialized research organization with authority; a fundraiser and relationship-builder who can cultivate and grow a funding base; a strategic thinker who can read the ecosystem and make disciplined bets on where CETI's work moves the needle; and a team leader who can build trust quickly with a talented, mission-driven team. If you are energized by the opportunity to build, not just manage, and are ready to help shape what CETI becomes next, we'd love to hear from you.

Requirements

• Fundraising ability and donor cultivation
• Clean energy knowledge and the ability to communicate about it
• People leadership and staff management
• Nonprofit operations and financial management
• Regional relationships or the ability to build them
• Strategic and visionary
• Curious and open
• Collaborative and values-driven
• Resilient
• Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
• CETI is unable to sponsor work authorization.

Responsibilities

• Lead CETI's fundraising strategy across individual donors, foundations, and earned revenue — building new relationships and establishing an independent funding base while stewarding existing donors through the leadership transition.
• Oversee the organization's financial health, manage the annual budget, and pursue contract and fee-for-service opportunities as part of a diversified revenue strategy.
• Set CETI's strategic direction in partnership with the Board — reading the clean energy landscape and making disciplined decisions about where CETI's work can move the needle.
• Shape the organization's program priorities and long-term role in the Northwest's clean energy ecosystem.
• Serve as CETI's primary external ambassador — representing the organization to policymakers, funders, state agencies, and partners; translating complex research for diverse audiences; and cultivating the strategic relationships and partnerships that extend CETI's reach and influence.
• Lead and support a small, talented research and operations team; build a stable, high-trust culture; and make thoughtful decisions about the structure and roles the organization needs to grow.
• Oversee day-to-day operations, senior staff supervision, and organizational quality standards.
• Work effectively with the Board of Directors on governance, strategic direction, and leveraging Board members' networks and expertise.

Benefits

• CETI offers fully employer-paid medical and dental premiums, generous paid time off including an end-of-year closure, transit benefits, a Simple IRA with up to 3% employer match, and a sabbatical program after six years.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed