Program Director

Program Director — EnvironmentLaunched 40 years ago, the Mott Foundation's Environment program has long supported programs around the world that protect communities and the ecosystems upon which they depend. This work has demonstrated that such grantmaking must seek practical ways to build strong economic, social and environmental conditions for all people — in a word, sustainability. In 2025, the Environment program awarded 93 grants totaling more than $20 million.This is an exciting time to join the Environment team as they begin to implement in 2026 a new 10-year program plan. Based on the lessons learned from their long-term engagement in the field, the team will pursue three initiatives:One Water, which will promote clean, affordable and accessible water for all from source to tap, both in the Great Lakes region and across the United States.Finance for Sustainability, which aims to influence international finance to drive the transition to low-carbon energy, protect ecosystems and uphold the rights of local communities.Land, Water and People of the Amazon Basin, which will work to advance land rights, ecological stewardship and sustainable livelihoods in the Amazon basin.The Mott Foundation is seeking a program director to lead its Environment program at an important moment in its evolution. With a new 10-year plan underway and an anticipated investment of $200 million across its three initiatives, the incoming director will help translate an ambitious strategy into meaningful, durable results.At its core, the role requires understanding the breadth of the Environment program well enough to provide sound oversight, communicate the work clearly to Foundation leadership and trustees, and create the conditions for talented program officers to deploy resources effectively. The program director will lead primarily through judgment, coaching, inquiry and influence, while also ensuring that the program's grantmaking and internal processes are executed with consistency and excellence.One Water represents the Foundation's largest environmental investment and an important through line for the program. At the same time, the combination of domestic and international work is a defining feature of this opportunity. The incoming program director will be expected to value and steward all three initiatives, developing sufficient knowledge of areas outside their existing expertise to support program staff, engage grantees and partners, and translate the work for others.The program is at the beginning of its 10-year strategy. The initial opportunity is therefore to learn the organization and portfolio deeply, support strong implementation and build on what is working. Over time, the program director will help the Foundation assess progress, learn from implementation, and make thoughtful adjustments as conditions and opportunities evolve.This is both a leadership role and an opportunity to remain meaningfully engaged in grantmaking. In addition to coaching staff and providing program-wide oversight, the program director will personally manage a portfolio of grants, maintaining direct relationships with grantees and staying close to the substance of the work. The program director also will ensure the quality and timeliness of the team's work, strengthen relationships across the field and represent Mott externally when appropriate.Key ResponsibilitiesLead implementation and stewardship of the Environment program's 10-year plan across One Water, Finance for Sustainability, and Land, Water and People of the Amazon Basin, helping the team translate established goals into clear priorities and measurable progress.Maintain a view across the full portfolio, monitor relevant external developments, and lead periodic reviews that inform thoughtful adjustments based on learning and changing conditions.Serve as the primary bridge between the Environment team and Foundation leadership, understanding complex program work well enough to translate it clearly for decision-makers and other audiences.Keep the vice president of Programs and the president and chief executive officer appropriately informed of major developments, opportunities, risks and decisions.Lead, coach and support an experienced, geographically distributed team, providing clear guidance and feedback while respecting the expertise and judgment of program officers.Foster trust, kindness, collaboration and shared purpose across distinct portfolios and geographies, helping team members see their work as part of a broader Environment program.Help staff navigate complex decisions, advocate effectively for strong work and connect individual portfolios to broader program and Foundation priorities.Support anticipated staffing and portfolio transitions while maintaining continuity, strong performance and professional growth.Provide overall oversight of Environment program grantmaking, ensuring grants and related activities align with program strategy and Foundation policies.Review and approve grant recommendations and other program materials, maintaining high standards for quality, accuracy, clarity, timeliness and follow-through.Work closely with Grants Administration and other colleagues on due diligence, compliance, budgets, grant pipelines and internal processes so that the program consistently delivers high-quality work.Personally manage a portfolio of grants, building direct relationships with grantees and partners and maintaining a close connection to the substance of the program's work. Step into additional grantmaking responsibilities when needed to support continuity and the team effectively.Build and maintain strong relationships with nonprofit leaders, peer funders, policymakers, public-sector leaders, researchers, community partners and other stakeholders.Represent the Foundation with credibility, humility and discretion.Convene or connect stakeholders when doing so could strengthen learning, coordination or progress.Travel with program staff to deepen understanding of their portfolios, including international work.Partner with Communications on ways to support and advance program work and to share lessons and progress when appropriate.Serve as an active member of the Foundation's program leadership team and build strong, collegial relationships with fellow program directors.Support preparation for trustee meetings, including co-developing and reviewing reports, grant materials, budget information and presentations, and lead trustee discussions related to program strategy and emerging trends.Collaborate closely with colleagues across Grants Administration, Communications, Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources and other functions, drawing on internal expertise to advance program goals.Maintain broad awareness of the Foundation's other program areas and identify opportunities for useful learning and collaboration, particularly where environmental work intersects with community development and other priorities.Work effectively within Mott's established culture, systems and decision-making practices while contributing constructively to thoughtful improvement over time.Demonstrate integrity, accountability, transparency, sound judgment and compliance with applicable laws and Foundation policies.Treat all individuals with dignity and respect; protect confidential information, avoid conflicts of interest and use Foundation resources responsibly.Work cooperatively and professionally with colleagues, grantees, vendors and guests, recognizing that valuable expertise and ideas come from many places.Pursue continuous improvement and contribute to a culture of collaboration, mutual support, kindness and constructive disagreement.Provide strategic and operational leadership while respecting the expertise and judgment of program staff and creating space for them to succeed.Coach, mentor, develop and support direct reports across a geographically distributed and internationally engaged team.Communicate complex subject matter clearly and concisely for audiences with differing levels of technical knowledge, including Foundation leadership and trustees.Balance high-level leadership with detailed internal execution, exercising discretion, diplomacy, cultural awareness and sound judgment across diverse settings.Ideal CandidateThe Mott Foundation seeks an accomplished environmental leader who combines strategic judgment with humility, curiosity and a deeply collaborative approach. The strongest candidates will bring meaningful credibility in land, water, conservation or related environmental work, with particular value placed on experience related to freshwater, One Water and the Great Lakes. They do not need to arrive as an expert across every part of the program. Rather, they will be intellectually curious, comfortable learning from highly knowledgeable colleagues and partners, and motivated by the opportunity to grow their understanding of the Environment program initiatives that are less familiar to them.The ideal candidate is an experienced people leader who views management as coaching and facilitation, helping talented staff succeed while providing clear direction and sound judgment when needed. The person will be comfortable moving between their own direct grantmaking and portfolio relationships, broader grantmaking and internal processes, conversations with community organizations and grantees, and presentations to senior leaders, trustees and external partners. Low ego, kindness, strong follow-through and an ability to build trust across different cultures and areas of expertise will be essential. Above all, the successful candidate will be energized by the breadth of the role and committed to helping the Environment team achieve ambitious results in the years to come.QualificationsThe incoming program director will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following qualifications and attributes:Significant experience in land, water, conservation or related environmental work, with a strong record of advancing strategy and achieving results.Ability to understand complex policy and programmatic issues, learn across unfamiliar areas, and steward a broad portfolio that includes both domestic and international work.