Description
Role Purpose: Build powerful climate outcomes with Climate Cabinet staff, legislators, and coalition partners in Michigan.
Location and Travel Expectations: Flexible in Michigan, with the expectation to be in Lansing 40%+ of the time, or roughly 2 days per week every week, with some weeks requiring more time in Lansing. This role requires some out-of-state travel for team retreats, conferences, and in-person meetings.
Timeframe: Priority deadline for applications is May 29, 2026. Target start date is mid-July.
Salary Range: The hiring salary range for this role is $81,000-$95,500.
About Climate Cabinet
Climate Cabinet helps state and local candidates run, win, and legislate on climate change. State and local policymakers are key to tackling climate change – they drive progress regardless of who is in the White House. That’s why Climate Cabinet exists.
We are a dynamic, passionate, startup team of experienced climate experts with staff on-the-ground across the country and a remote-first workplace. Our team culture prioritizes: supporting each other as full people, striving for the highest standard of excellence in our work, respecting local knowledge, embracing technology and innovation, curiosity, and a continuous growth mindset.
Role Summary
The Michigan State Lead builds powerful climate outcomes with Climate Cabinet staff, legislators, and coalition partners in Michigan. This person strengthens Climate Cabinet’s presence in the legislature, and continues to scale up our policy and political work in Michigan. This includes a heavy emphasis on coalition work, legislator relationship development, and collaboration with Climate Cabinet’s national teams.
This is a leadership, high-agency position that reports to the Deputy Policy Director and operates within clearly defined strategic parameters set at the national level. This role works in close coordination with our national legislative and political teams to ensure cross-state sharing, and alignment with both state and national goals.
Key Responsibilities
With the support and direction of Climate Cabinet’s Senior Policy Director + Deputy Policy Director and our team, you:
- Represent Climate Cabinet in the Michigan legislature by building strong lawmaker relationships, and through consistent lobbying, policy education, and coalition work.
- Help shape and advance Climate Cabinet’s Michigan legislative strategy and help shape our political agenda in collaboration with Legislative team leadership, our Political Director, and the national team.
- Bring robust, specific policy/legislative expertise that helps Climate Cabinet advance, defend, and adapt priority climate policies.
- Represent Climate Cabinet in Michigan media and to funders, in close collaboration with the national team.
To achieve these goals, you are Climate Cabinet’s primary in-state representative. You will:
- Work in coalition with state-based activists, organizations, clean energy businesses, lawmakers, and funders to advance shared priorities.
- Drive our state-level legislative, political, and media strategies in collaboration with the national team.
- Track, evaluate, and communicate the impact of Climate Cabinet’s engagement in Michigan to national and state-based audiences.
- Support fundraising activities as needed.
- Remain in constant communication and collaboration with our national team, track bills, facilitate cross-state sharing, and develop storytelling approaches to help your efforts build power for climate in Michigan and nationwide.
Requirements
This person is a high-agency leader who can help turn bold vision into real-world outcomes. This role is ideal for someone who can operationalize strategy, build relationships and trust, and drive progress with both urgency and care.
- Experience in Michigan lobbying, coalition spaces, and/or Michigan politics. You bring a strong understanding of the Michigan legislative and political landscape and know how to build credibility and relationships with lawmakers, advocates, coalition partners, and other key stakeholders.
- Expertise in state-led climate and energy policy and politics. Expertise in at least one policy area relating to climate, energy, transportation, land use, environmental justice, agriculture, or resilience.
- Track record of turning strategy into outcomes while being coalition-savvy with soft power. You don’t just talk strategy—you make it real. You’re energized by motivating others around a shared vision, you know how to step into a coalition and be helpful right away—especially in high-pressure legislative sprints. You also know how to build trust over time, guide strategy gently when needed, and steer diverse coalitions toward effective paths in line with a greater theory of change.
- Strong communicator and connector. You’re able to communicate across audiences, adapt your message to different audiences, and align people around common goals. You know when to lead with data, when to lead with a story, and when to lead with a combo of both!
- Mission-driven with a growth mindset. You’re motivated by the urgency of climate action and the need for equitable, people-centered solutions. You ask for and take feedback, are always learning, and believe iteration is part of building on strategy toward impact.
Location and Travel Expectations: Flexible in Michigan, with the expectation to be in Lansing 40%+ of the time, or roughly 2 days per week every week, with some weeks requiring more time in Lansing. This role requires some out-of-state travel for team retreats, conferences, and in-person meetings.
Compensation and Benefits
This is a Level 2 role within Climate Cabinet's leveling framework, which defines the scope and compensation range for each role on the team.
Salary Range: The hiring salary range for this role is $81,000-$95,500. Compensation at Climate Cabinet is set by job area, level, and placement, anchored to national market data, reflective of organizational budget, and applied consistently across the team. This ensures equitable, transparent pay and responsible stewardship of our resources. As such, we do not negotiate compensation offers, though we welcome feedback on our market benchmarks for consideration in the future.
We have a competitive benefits package, including:
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance, with the organization covering 99% of employee premiums and 50% of dependent medical premiums
- Unlimited paid time off
- Basic life insurance and long-term disability
- Health FSA and Dependent Care FSA
- 401(k) employer contribution
- Paid parental leave
- Computer reimbursement stipend and Home office expense reimbursement
- Professional development funds availability
Application Process
We are accepting applications via Greenhouse on a rolling basis with a priority deadline of May 29, 2026. Include a resume, answers to our application questions, and a writing sample, as described below:
Questions:
- Why do you want to work at Climate Cabinet and in this role? (200 words max)
- What is holding back climate progress in Michigan and what will it take to change it? (200 words max)
- Describe your experience lobbying - or otherwise working with - Michigan state legislators (or other elected officials if none). (200 words max)
- This role would require you to spend significant time in Lansing. Do you live in Lansing, would you relocate, or plan to travel to the capitol when needed?
- Describe an experience working in coalitions, or if you haven’t, how you would approach coalition work to advance Michigan state climate policy. (200 words max)
Writing sample: Please include a writing sample that you are proud of and is reflective of the skills and experience required of this role.
All applications submitted by that date will be reviewed and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy no later than June 12, 2026. The interview process will include approximately three Zoom interviews with our People Operations lead and staff, including the Deputy Policy Director, and reference checks. Target start date is mid July, 2026.
You should apply! We encourage applications from people of color, members of the LGBTQ community, women, first-gen and low-income people, and members of marginalized communities.
Climate Cabinet is an equal opportunity employer. Climate Cabinet believes every employee has the right to work in an environment free from unlawful discrimination. Consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws, Climate Cabinet provides all employees and applicants with equal opportunity in all aspects of the employment relationship. This includes employment decisions related to hiring, promotions, transfers, disciplinary action, termination, and training. Climate Cabinet will comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination in employment.
Want to learn more about Climate Cabinet? Check out our interview on Volts and climatecabinet.org.
