Senior Manager, California State Affairs

Senior Manager, California State Affairs | Environmental Defense Fund ")

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Careers

Senior Manager, California State Affairs

Location

Candidates based in Sacramento are strongly preferred. Applicants located in the San Francisco Bay Area will also be considered, with the expectation of frequent travel to Sacramento.

Duration

This is a three-year fixed-term position with full benefits and the possibility of extension.

Application Instructions

Please submit a cover letter and writing sample. Your writing sample should demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively with a non-technical audience. This may include a public-facing piece such as an article, blog post, white paper, or other similar content.

Program Overview

The State Affairs program of the Political Affairs department leads EDF's efforts to achieve our policy goals through legislative, regulatory, and political engagement at the state and local levels. Our lobbyists, communicators, organizers and experts work together to achieve progress on our priority issues.

Overall Function

The Senior Manager, California State Affairs will lead the development and implementation of key aspects of EDF's California-based work. Reporting to Senior Director, California, the Senior Manager's responsibilities will include leading the collaborative design and implementation of effective education and policy advocacy campaigns to support EDF's major workstream priorities in California. This work will entail managing consultants, coordinating among multiple EDF workstreams and experts, coordinating with partner organizations, owning relationships with key stakeholders, influential decisionmakers and/or government agencies, and representing EDF and organizational positions to external stakeholders. The Senior Manager will be a key "on the ground" presence for EDF and EDF Action in Sacramento, representing the organization and its priorities.

Flexibility and willingness to learn and develop functional subject matter expertise in the areas of climate change, clean energy, forestry, water, and/or clean transportation is required. The Senior Manager will take responsibility for tracking policy for specific subject areas and coordinating with the relevant EDF experts, external stakeholders and policymakers.

The Senior Manager will manage 1-2 junior staff members, will independently guide and manage specific projects, and serve as the main point of internal and external contact for discrete projects or campaigns. Independent judgement is required to plan, prioritize, and organize workload. Ideal candidates are driven self-starters with the ability to learn new subject matter, with demonstrated success in California government or government relations.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the Senior Director, California to identify political and policy objectives and design and implement strategies for effective state policy engagement.
• Lead collaborative efforts across EDF programs, departments, and the national political team to implement specific strategies and outcomes to support program efforts.
• Develop and manage strategies to enhance EDF relationships and advocacy with decision-makers (e.g., governors, state and federal legislators, media) to advance EDF goals.
• Develop and manage the execution of strategic communications, in partnership with Marketing and Communications staff and consultant(s).
• Manage the development of new political constituencies and oversee implementation of outreach and advocacy strategies, including the deployment of EDF staff experts and important/influential allies.
• Lead key elements of EDF's advocacy strategy in California, including helping to manage the state political consulting and lobbying team.
• Represent EDF on essential committees, workgroups and coalitions in support of priority policy goals.
• Manage junior staff and/or interns.
• Participate in advancing EDF Organizational Effectiveness and Culture (OEC) goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.
• Additional responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum of eight years' experience working to effect change in California, including a demonstrated history of success in state environmental policy through engagement with industry, regulators, elected officials and other public-interest stakeholders.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required, in science, policy, economics or law in areas related to the environment. Master's degree or equivalent may substitute for up to two years of work experience.
• Experience with California legislative process and politics, and solid understanding of the political dynamics surrounding a broad range of environmental issues and the wider political context in which they operate; understanding of state and federal policy making and political processes.
• Demonstrable people and project management skills.
• Ability to represent and speak for EDF in public and with the press.
• Demonstrable written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstratable negotiation skills with the ability to garner consensus between disparate groups with conflicting priorities.
• Capable of working with a variety of concerned parties, including government agencies, grassroots organizations and private firms, within strategic coalitions.
• Demonstrates self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds.
• Ability to travel for in-state meetings (10-25%, depending on candidate location) with occasional out-of-state travel required.

Apply now

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization. We take into account factors such as candidate experience, skills, training, internal team equity and local norms.

Please note that pay ranges are country specific. As a result, the stated currency is not meant be converted into any other currency.

REQ-002340

Pay range

$110,000 - $120,000 USD/Yr.

Type

Fixed Term Contract (Fixed Term)

Locations

Remote - US Field, Remote - US Home, San Francisco

Posted

April 23, 2026

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Put your passion and skills to work, building a vital Earth - for everyone.

We're Environmental Defense Fund, a fast-paced nonprofit with a growing staff of more than 1,000 people in nearly 30 countries. We deliver game-changing solutions that cut pollution and strengthen people's ability to thrive despite the effects climate change is already having. We work wherever we can have the most impact, from local communities to top companies to governments worldwide, and even in space.

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EDF complies with country specific disability laws for all locations we hire in, and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and candidates with disabilities in accordance with applicable law. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please send an e-mail request to hiringaccommodations@edf.org

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