Renewable Northwest Executive Director

Clover Search Works • Portland, OR

6d • $190,000 - $220,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Renewable Northwest (RNW) is a member-based clean energy advocacy organization working across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. Its roughly 100 member organizations include renewable developers, storage companies, large clean energy buyers, and environmental and consumer advocates. RNW has a staff of 12, a Portland office, and an annual budget of approximately $3.1 million, supported primarily by membership dues and foundation grants. It operates an affiliated 501(c)(4) alongside its 501(c)(3), and the Executive Director oversees both organizations.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for RNW’s strategic direction, external leadership, financial sustainability, and organizational health. The role will lead implementation of the 2027–2029 strategic plan, make disciplined choices about priorities and resource allocation, steward a diverse membership coalition, and represent RNW in consequential policy, regulatory, market, transmission, and project-siting venues throughout the four-state region.

The Executive Director will lead and develop a leadership team of four directors covering Operations; Communications and Outreach; Policy and Legislative Affairs; and Regulatory Affairs, while sustaining RNW’s culture of trust and ownership. The role will partner with both boards on governance, strategy, and fundraising; lead membership retention and growth; maintain key member and funder relationships; and work with development staff to build a diversified and durable revenue base. Regular regional travel is expected, along with facilitating and attending quarterly all-hands gatherings. The Executive Director is expected to live in the Northwest within easy reach of RNW’s primary Portland location or secondary Seattle base; relocation is encouraged for candidates willing to move.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of how renewable energy policy, regulation, markets, and project development interact, and the credibility to earn the confidence of members, utilities, policymakers, and advocates.
• Experience building trust and partnerships among stakeholders with differing priorities, ideally across nonprofit and for-profit sectors and political differences.
• Track record of influencing policy or regulatory outcomes and adapting to different political environments.
• Executive-level strategic leadership, including assessing a changing landscape, identifying where an organization can contribute most, and translating strategy into achievable priorities and resource decisions.
• Demonstrated success leading and developing managers, building cohesive teams aligned around clear priorities, and providing direction while preserving staff autonomy.
• Commitment to inclusive workplace practices and building and sustaining relationships with rural and Tribal communities where clean energy projects will be built.
• Ability to live in the Northwest within easy reach of RNW’s Portland primary location or Seattle secondary base; candidates willing to relocate are encouraged to apply.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly across the four-state region and attend quarterly all-hands gatherings.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in renewable energy project development, permitting, procurement, or project finance.
• Experience cultivating funders, diversifying revenue in uncertain conditions, and making sound decisions about organizational capacity and growth.
• Established relationships with policymakers, utilities, industry, and advocates across the Northwest, or a demonstrated ability to build credibility and trust quickly in a new landscape.
• Experience with nonprofit operations and working in partnership with a board of directors.
• Familiarity with organizations operating both a 501(c)(3) and companion 501(c)(4), including how the entities are governed and work together.
• Prior Executive Director experience is not required; candidates may bring relevant senior leadership experience from renewable energy development, utilities, regulatory or legal practice, policy advocacy, government, consulting, philanthropy, or other fields.

Responsibilities

• Lead implementation of RNW’s 2027–2029 strategic plan and make decisions about organizational priorities, engagement, staffing, and resource allocation.
• Steward relationships across RNW’s diverse membership, create meaningful opportunities for member input, and maintain coalition cohesion while taking clear positions when consensus is unavailable.
• Represent RNW with utilities, commissions, legislators, governors’ offices, BPA, counties, Tribal governments, partner organizations, and media across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana.
• Build credibility and relationships in the venues where consequential clean energy decisions are made.
• Lead RNW’s membership strategy, retaining and growing membership, which provides the majority of organizational revenue.
• Personally maintain key member and funder relationships and work with development staff to diversify revenue through membership dues, foundation support, and project-based fundraising.
• Make realistic decisions about organizational capacity and growth and oversee financial sustainability for both the 501(c)(3) and affiliated 501(c)(4).
• Lead and develop the director-level leadership team, strengthen communication and collaboration across teams and states, and provide clear direction while sustaining staff trust and ownership.
• Work with both the 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) boards on governance, strategy, and fundraising.
• Facilitate and attend quarterly all-hands gatherings and travel regularly across the four-state region for remote staff engagement, member meetings, legislative sessions, and key proceedings.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, fully paid for employees and their families on most plan options.
• Employer retirement contribution of 5% of salary after one year, with no employee match required.
• Seven weeks of paid time off in the first year and unlimited paid time off thereafter.
• Twelve paid holidays.
• A paid day of service each year after the first year.
• Monthly cell phone stipend.

What This Job Offers

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