--- title: "Program Lead: Managing Climate Solutions for Cities" canonical: https://csrjobs.club/jobs/open-earth-foundation-program-lead-managing-climate-solutions-for-cities-21uy locale: en description: "Open Earth Foundation is hiring a Program Lead: Managing Climate Solutions for Cities on CSR Jobs. Discover this in-house sustainability role and apply today." updated: 2026-10-19 company: Open Earth Foundation country: Brazil contract: Full time seniority: Mid-level missions: Stakeholders engagement, ESG reporting, Corporate Carbon Footprint job_type: Sustainability Manager, ESG/Sustainability Reporting Manager posted: 2026-10-19 valid_through: 2026-11-18 apply: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4480286234 source: CSR Jobs --- # Program Lead: Managing Climate Solutions for Cities The Program Lead at Open Earth Foundation owns delivery across a portfolio of climate data programs. You will keep workplans, milestones and deliverables on track, act as the main contact for partners once a program is underway, and connect their needs to the product, data and technical teams so commitments made on paper are met in practice. The sustainability angle here is city climate action. The foundation's CityCatalyst platform supports cities and regions through GHG inventories, climate risk assessment and funding pathways, so this role is where partner needs meet the open-source tools that turn plans into measurable action. This suits someone who has run multi-stakeholder programs, enjoys being the person who knows the status of everything and what happens next, and wants their program management skills to serve climate work directly. ## Job FAQs ### What are the main missions and responsibilities of this role? The main mission of this role is to own delivery across a portfolio of climate data programs at Open Earth Foundation. Day to day, that means managing workplans, milestones, deliverables, dependencies and internal capacity needs, and keeping the operating rhythm of each program running. You will be the main point of contact for partners and city stakeholders once a program is underway, preparing and facilitating meetings, capturing decisions and action items, and following through. A significant part of the work is coordination with product, engineering and data teams to translate partner requirements into scoped, sequenced work. You will track risks and blockers, escalate them early to the Partnerships & Program Manager, and help resolve them. You will also draft progress and narrative reports for funders and partners, and support compliance with grant and subgrant requirements. Longer term, you will feed structured feedback from partners and cities into the product roadmap and program design, and contribute program evidence to concept notes and proposals led by the Partnerships team. You may also support administration of MOUs and contracts by tracking obligations, deliverable schedules and deadlines. ### Key learning opportunities for this job This role offers exposure to the full lifecycle of climate data programs, from partner engagement and workplanning to reporting and donor compliance. You can expect to deepen your understanding of city climate action frameworks such as GHG inventories, climate action plans and MRV, especially if you do not already have that background. Working with product, engineering and data colleagues could also build your fluency in how open-source digital platforms are scoped and delivered. The foundation's preferred qualifications mention city networks like C40, GCoM and ICLEI, as well as funding institutions such as the World Bank, Bloomberg Philanthropies and GIZ. If your programs touch these ecosystems, you could gain practical insight into how climate funding and multi-stakeholder initiatives operate. Experience with AI-first project management tools is also part of the role, which may sharpen your ability to run programs with lean teams. Because Open Earth Foundation is small and fully remote, learning often happens through direct collaboration rather than formal training. You will likely learn by doing, with mentorship from the Partnerships & Program Manager and exposure to international partners. For someone building a career in climate program management, this is a chance to see how digital tools and city climate work connect in practice. ### How does the ideal candidate look like (experience, skills)? The ideal candidate has at least five years of experience in program management, ideally in climate, urban development, international development, consulting or the public sector. Demonstrated experience with cities, public institutions or multi-stakeholder projects is important, as is professional fluency in written and spoken English. A bachelor's degree in a relevant field is expected, with a master's degree preferred. On the technical side, experience with AI-first tools for project management and documentation is listed as a qualification. Familiarity with climate action frameworks and tools, city networks and the climate funding ecosystem would help, as would experience supporting grant or subgrant reporting and donor compliance. Experience working alongside engineering teams or on digital products, including open-source platforms, is also valued. Language skills matter here. Portuguese is strongly preferred and Spanish is an added advantage, which fits the Brazil location and the foundation's work across Latin America. Soft skills include strong written and verbal communication, early escalation of problems with a proposed way forward, diplomacy in holding partners to timelines, and comfort working across disciplines, cultures and time zones. A dedication to fighting climate change and an interest in non-profit work are part of the profile. ### Advice to stand out and make a successful application Before applying, read the essential functions closely and map your experience to them in concrete terms. The role asks for end-to-end program management, partner-facing communication and coordination with technical teams, so your resume should show specific programs you owned, how you tracked milestones and dependencies, and what outcomes you delivered. If you have worked with cities, public institutions or multi-stakeholder projects, make that visible early, because it is a stated qualification. The foundation mentions AI-first tools for project management and documentation. If you have used such tools, describe how, and if you have not, consider demonstrating that you can adopt new systems quickly. Language ability matters: Portuguese is strongly preferred and Spanish an added advantage, so state your proficiency clearly. Experience with grant reporting, donor compliance or open-source platforms should also be highlighted, as these are preferred qualifications. The application link is on a separate form, and priority is given to applications submitted by November 15th, so submit early. Open Earth Foundation says it uses AI-assisted tools to summarize application materials, which means clarity and structure in your written materials could help your application be read accurately. Since the organization values impact over process and non-profit work, a cover letter that explains why climate program management matters to you, ideally with a specific example, may resonate more than a generic statement. ### What aspects of the company's sustainability is this role likely to focus on? This role sits at the intersection of climate data and city climate action. Open Earth Foundation's CityCatalyst platform supports cities through GHG inventories, climate risk assessment, action identification and funding pathways, so the Program Lead is likely to touch programs that help cities measure emissions, plan responses and find financing. Your focus is not to build the tools yourself but to make sure the programs that use them deliver what cities and funders expect. On the environmental side, the work connects to decarbonization planning, MRV and climate action frameworks. On the social and governance side, you could be involved in grant and subgrant compliance, MOU administration and reporting to donors such as development banks or philanthropic funders. That means you will help keep the foundation accountable to its commitments, which is a governance concern as much as an operational one. Because the foundation is small and remote, you may also contribute program evidence to proposals that shape future climate work. In that sense, your role helps determine which city climate initiatives get funded and how they are delivered, rather than only tracking their progress after the fact. ### What are the main challenges someone in this role might face? One challenge is managing several programs in parallel without losing detail, in a fully remote setting where much of the coordination happens asynchronously. The role asks for comfort with complex, iterative initiatives and shifting priorities, which suggests that plans can change as city needs, funding conditions or technical constraints evolve. Keeping workplans and commitments aligned when priorities move is likely a constant effort. Another challenge is the multi-stakeholder nature of the work. You will need to hold partners and city stakeholders to agreed timelines while keeping relationships constructive, and to escalate blockers early rather than letting them surface late. Translating partner requirements into scoped work for product, engineering and data teams requires enough technical understanding to ask the right questions, even if you are not doing the technical work yourself. Finally, working across Global North and Global South contexts and time zones calls for cultural sensitivity and strong written communication. The core hours from 8am to 11am PST may fall outside normal working hours depending on your location, so you will need to manage your schedule deliberately. The foundation's fast-evolving environment means comfort with ambiguity is important. ### How could a typical day look like for someone in this position? A typical day for the Program Lead at Open Earth Foundation is shaped by the operating rhythm of each program. You might start with asynchronous updates in shared tools, reviewing the status of deliverables, dependencies and blockers across your portfolio. Later, you could prepare for or facilitate a partner working session, capturing decisions and action items, then follow up with concise notes and owners. Afternoons may involve coordinating with product, engineering or data colleagues to translate a partner request into scoped, sequenced work. Because the team is fully remote and spans time zones, much of the collaboration happens in writing, with live meetings concentrated in the 8am to 11am PST core hours. Variability comes from program cycles: some days lean toward tracking and reporting, others toward relationship management or proposal support with the Partnerships team. You might also contribute program evidence to concept notes or help administer MOU obligations. You will need to self-organize and manage several programs in parallel without losing detail. The role is largely self-directed, so keeping your own schedule and priorities clear is part of the job. The pace can be fast when funding deadlines or city milestones approach, and slower between formal check-ins when the work is more about keeping relationships warm and documentation current. ### What are the opportunities for professional growth and development in this role? As a Program Lead at a 24-person nonprofit, you are close to the center of how programs are designed and delivered. That proximity could create growth into senior program or partnerships roles as the foundation's portfolio expands, especially if you demonstrate success with funders and city partners. The role also gives you visibility across product, engineering and data teams, which could support a lateral move into product or program design if that interests you. Because the foundation works with city networks and funding institutions, you could build a network that extends beyond the organization. That network, combined with experience in grant compliance and multi-stakeholder delivery, is portable to other climate organizations, development agencies or urban resilience initiatives. The international and remote nature of the work means you are exposed to different regional contexts, which broadens your professional range. Growth here is less about a formal ladder and more about scope. You might take on larger or more complex programs, lead funder relationships more directly, or contribute to proposal design. The foundation's emphasis on impact over process suggests that taking initiative and improving how programs run is likely to be recognized. ### The main stakeholders you might be interacting with The Program Lead will interact with a range of stakeholders across Open Earth Foundation and its partner network. Internally, you will work closely with the Partnerships & Program Manager, who is your escalation point for risks and blockers. You will also coordinate regularly with product, engineering and data teams to turn partner requirements into scoped work, and with the Partnerships team when contributing evidence to proposals. Externally, the main relationships are with partners and city stakeholders during program delivery. These could include city officials, regional agencies, consultants and funders. Your interactions with them will center on meetings, working sessions, progress updates and follow-ups, and you will need to keep relationships warm between formal milestones while holding partners to agreed timelines diplomatically. Because the organization works with funders and grant requirements, you may also interact with donor representatives when drafting narrative reports or supporting compliance. The foundation mentions city networks and funding institutions in its preferred qualifications, so you could find yourself coordinating with groups connected to those ecosystems, though the exact mix will depend on the programs you manage. --- Source: https://csrjobs.club/jobs/open-earth-foundation-program-lead-managing-climate-solutions-for-cities-21uy