Grist is made up of 50 people in 14 different states with 1 shared focus…
Climate. Justice. Solutions.
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Our goal is to use the power of storytelling to illuminate the way toward a better world, inspire millions of people to walk that path with us, and show that the time for action is now.
Open Jobs:
Chief Executive Officer
We are looking for a new CEO to help lead the nation’s most influential environmental media source:
We are seeking a strategic and innovative leader with proven experience in organizational leadership, growth, and development. The CEO will have a passionate belief that solving the climate crisis is the guiding issue of our time. S/he/they will have a demonstrated track record of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice – and the roles they play in stewarding successful organizations, as well as in addressing climate change. The ideal CEO will bring experience in the fields of non-profit and/or for-profit media, environment and climate, or related experiences in non-profit executive leadership, advocacy, or policy.
The CEO will lead the nation’s most influential environmental media source, working closely with the Board and our extraordinary team to build Grist’s influence, impact, innovation, and long-term sustainability. We are passionate about our work and vision for a more just, sustainable future.
The CEO will take over an organization on an exciting trajectory. Grist’s editorial program found recent success in the 2021 Online Journalism Awards – where we won for General Excellence, Best Topical Reporting on Climate Change, and Best Investigative Data Journalism – and the National Magazine Awards, where we garnered our first nomination ever for General Excellence. Our Fix program disrupted the climate fiction genre by launching its first-ever climate fiction contest, Imagine 2200, which received over 1,100 submissions from 85 countries and took mainstage at New York Climate Week. And the Uproot Project, a network of environmental journalists of color that Grist incubated and fiscally sponsors, grew to an impressive 200 members as of early 2022.
The CEO will inherit a strategic framework – with strong buy-in from the Board and staff – that is centered on climate, justice, and solutions. Over the past five years, Grist has attracted stellar talent, growing from a primarily Seattle-based team of roughly 25 to a nationally-distributed organization of about 60 in 18 states. Grist’s revenue base similarly grew from about $3 million to close to $9 million over five years, establishing a strong, diversified business model in our field of non-profit media. In addition, the organization has begun a journey rooted in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice that has led to a rise in salaries across departments to be more competitive in the marketplace, better healthcare coverage (including Grist covering 100% of employee healthcare premiums), a more generous paid-time-off policy, and a very strong company culture.
The CEO will directly oversee a dynamic leadership team, with direct reports currently including Grist’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) and its program leaders. (Grist’s COO currently oversees the organization’s revenue, innovation and growth, and administrative functions.) Fundraising is a primary responsibility of the CEO role; and the candidate will work closely with our development team to maintain and grow Grist’s revenue and continue to diversify our funding sources to ensure financial sustainability for the organization. In addition, the CEO will be tasked with stewarding Grist’s culture, which has been collectively evolving to one unified in our shared commitment to excellence, innovation, transparency, and social responsibility, all anchored in principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
The CEO will lead and execute plans on-the-ground while keeping the horizon in view, working with the Board, organizational leadership, and staff to execute the strategic framework and take Grist to the next level of impact.
Currently, our main geographic footprints for our funding and program staff are in Seattle, NYC, Bay Area, and to a lesser extent Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. We are flexible on geographic location, however, proximity or presence in these markets is desirable. With staff and funders spread throughout the country, the position is a national role, so comfort with frequent travel is a must.
Liz Lombard and Angie Sessions of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role, please submit your materials here, or email Angie directly at [email protected]. All Inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.