N.E. Minnesota Program Director

POSITION SUMMARY: The Northeastern Minnesota Program Director will oversee MCEA’s Northeastern Minnesota program, which includes protecting the region’s communities and natural resources from poorly designed sulfide mines. This person will be responsible for creating and communicating a broad vision for how to continue to drive this work forward. This person will need to be able to identify and manage the execution of projects that are consistent with MCEA organizational goals. The Program Director will develop and manage a program budget, build and deepen important external relationships including with diverse communities, clients, coalition partners and funders. This person will help to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that values differences and provide leadership to other MCEA staff.  

HOW WILL WE SUPPORT YOU? MCEA will provide the successful candidate with competitive wages and benefits, including health, dental and vision insurance, free parking and public transportation support, 401K with match, a hybrid work environment with a full-time option to work 32-hours per week, professional development opportunities, and a collaborative, flexible and supportive work environment.

 The ideal candidate would be: 

• Deeply committed to MCEA’s mission, vision, and values;
• A visionary yet pragmatic leader who is excited to share their vision with others;
• Able to exercise sound judgment in their work, while communicating and collaborating well with others;
• Creative and efficient in their use of organizational resources to achieve successful outcomes;
• Capable of clear, logical, and focused analysis and synthesis of issues;
• Able to identify and implement strategies that align with organizational goals while being practically and politically feasible;
• An excellent communicator both orally and in writing who can effectively explain complex issues to a variety of audiences;
• Aware of and sensitive to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations; and
• Someone who works well on a mission-driven team that works hard and laughs together. 

Job Duties include but are not limited to: 

• Advocating for protection of resources and communities in northeastern Minnesota. Advocacy work could include, representing MCEA in lawsuits, writing comments to government agencies, public speaking, or attending public hearings or other meetings with external partners or stakeholders.
• Assisting MCEA staff as needed with legal, administrative, and legislative strategies.
• Establishing, with their team, clear Northeastern Minnesota Program priorities and communicating to staff what success looks like.
• Developing, with their team, a suite of advocacy projects designed to achieve program goals. Overseeing implementation of projects providing advice, leadership, and feedback to project teams as necessary and appropriate.
• Ensuring that all aspects of MCEA’s strategic advantage—legal advocacy, communications, legislative, etc.—are used to fullest extent in the execution of projects.
• Assuming shared responsibility for program funding and finances, including assisting with fundraising plan development, fostering strong relationships with funders, and assisting with development and oversight of program budget.
• Acting as spokesperson to the media on issues related to their program area.
• Fostering good working relationships with other advocacy organizations, academics, impacted communities, experts and others to help attain MCEA objectives.
• Staying abreast of emerging trends and environmental issues relevant to Northeastern Minnesota.
• Hiring and directly supervising Northeastern Minnesota Program staff. 

EXPERIENCE:

Required 

• J.D. degree and license to practice law in Minnesota and demonstrated experience with environmental law issues.
• At least five years of experience in environmental law and policy on issues core to MCEA’s Northeastern Minnesota Program, such as sulfide mining.
• Excellent communication and analytic skills.
• Commitment to public interest environmental advocacy and environmental justice.
• Commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and culture that values differences. 

Preferred

• Experience in program management including project implementation, fundraising assistance and budget management, and program evaluation.
• Experience setting goals, identifying and implementing strategies to achieve desired outcomes.
• Experience managing teams and supervising staff.
• Experience lobbying or engaging in the political process.
• Experience leading projects in a matrixed organization. 

SALARY & BENEFITS:

MCEA strives to create a mission-focused work environment that is equitable and inclusive. MCEA highly values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. We are proud to support our employees through a range of strategies, including generous benefits for employees and dependents, paid family leave, and support from an executive coach. The annual salary range for this position is $95,000 - $110,000 per year. 

REPORTS TO: This position reports to the Chief Impact Officer. This position can be based out of either our Duluth or St. Paul office.

TO APPLY: Send your resume and cover letter as PDFs to hr@mncenter.org by November 29th, 2026 for priority consideration. Please use your cover letter as an opportunity to share with us how your skills and experience align with our responsibilities and qualifications. Please also indicate in your e-mail where you located this job posting. You must submit all materials directly to hr@mncenter.org – no applications via third party website (such as Indeed) will be accepted.