Senior Policy Advisor - Ocean

WHO WE ARE

We know that our climate goals can only be met by rapidly reducing emissions and removing the carbon that already exists in our atmosphere. Carbon180 is a climate NGO with a vision to remove legacy carbon emissions from the atmosphere and create a livable climate in which current and future generations can thrive. Based in Washington, DC, we design and champion equitable, science-based policies that bring carbon removal solutions to gigaton scale.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Here at Carbon180, we believe there is no “perfect” candidate and want to encourage applying even if all the requirements listed aren’t met. Our goal is to build an authentic workplace by valuing diversity in our candidates. We are always looking to expand our growing team with dynamic and enthusiastic individuals. We look forward to receiving your application! 

THE OPPORTUNITY

Overview

Carbon180 is seeking a Senior Policy Advisor to support our growing Ocean Policy team and align with the organization’s mission to scale equitable, science-based, and highly accountable carbon removal solutions. The Senior Policy Advisor will play a key role in developing and executing Carbon 180’s federal ocean policy strategy in close collaboration with the Director of Ocean Policy. The goal of the Ocean Policy Team is to advance innovative policy solutions for effective and responsible marine CDR that maximizes co-benefits for people and the planet. A strong candidate will have a working knowledge of ocean systems and direct ocean policy experience. In this role, they will contribute by identifying high-impact opportunities, conducting research, providing analysis, and engaging with key stakeholders on ocean policy. The Senior Policy Advisor will also represent Carbon180 in meetings, conferences, and advocacy efforts, including in-person stakeholder engagements. 

Working across teams, the Senior Policy Advisor will collaborate closely with the Government Affairs team as well as the Science & Innovation and Environmental Justice teams to ensure initiatives are grounded in science, equity, and practical implementation. They will also assist in setting and tracking yearly and quarterly goals, support budget oversight, and contribute to fundraising efforts in partnership with the development team. While Carbon180 is a remote-first organization, this position requires residency within two hours driving distance to Washington, D.C. and reports to the Director of Ocean Policy.   

Major Roles + Responsibilities

• Serve as a developing subject matter expert on oceans and ocean policy by applying deep procedural knowledge and expertise to drive innovation and improve ocean policy processes. 

• Lead and support complex marine CDR policy projects from inception to execution, ensuring alignment with Carbon180’s strategic goals and delivering high-quality outcomes. 

• Create content to advance policy priorities and expand marine CDR outreach, including but not limited to blogs, one-pagers, white papers, sign-on letters, congressional testimony, and opinion editorials.  

• Advise on, develop, and execute strategic initiatives, identifying where Carbon180 can have the greatest impact in the ocean policy space. 

• Provide mentorship and guidance to junior professionals, fostering skill development, knowledge-sharing, and long-term career growth. 

• Identify and solve complex challenges through innovative solutions, leveraging data-driven decision-making and analytical thinking. 

• Work collaboratively within the Ocean Policy and wider Carbon180 teams while maintaining an ability to think critically, make decisions efficiently, and adapt to evolving priorities and a growing team.  

• Communicate complex information clearly and persuasively to diverse stakeholders, ensuring alignment across teams and external partners. 

WHO YOU ARE

Our ideal Senior Policy Advisor- Ocean believes deeply in our mission. Beyond that:

• You build trust and leverage meaningful relationships to get things done. A relationship-builder at heart, the people you work with trust that you leverage relationships to get things done in a mutually beneficial, non-transactional way. You are both warm AND demanding. You do the things you say you will do, hold others to account, and support the people you engage in the pursuit of our shared goals.  
• You excel on a small, nimble team, and are happy wearing lots of hats. Working on a small, fast-paced, and quickly growing team feels not only familiar to you - you love it. You are flexible, comfortable with ambiguity, know how to roll with the punches, have a quick bounce-back time after a setback, and get energy from building the plane as you fly it.  
• You move fluidly from strategy to execution. You appreciate the big picture and feel inspired to set a bold vision, but you know it's all in the details. You manage projects fluidly, prioritize fiercely, and track timelines, data, and information in an organized and systematic fashion. You don't drop balls, miss deadlines, or forget to respond to someone's inquiry - and you’re not afraid to roll up your sleeves to do the work.  
• You’re a driver of results. You've demonstrated the ability to drive results in the pursuit of ambitious goals. You combine your exceptional strategic, analytical, and critical thinking skills with your penchant to use both data and lived experiences to drive decision-making that achieves impressive outcomes. 
• You are sponge-y in your constant quest for knowledge. When the work feels ambiguous and the path forward unclear, you’re quick to dive into the research to soak up everything you can re: what’s already been done, what’s working, and what the science and communities say. You’re able to distill complex information into a synthesized set of findings and recommendations, and get feedback from your team to make them stronger. You’re constantly looking to learn, grow, and expand your skills and expertise. 

Beyond that, you have:

• 5+ years of experience in environmental and/or ocean policy within government, NGOs, academia, or related fields, with a focus on oceans, climate change, carbon removal, blue carbon, ocean acidification, ecosystem protection/restoration, or similar. 
• Strong working knowledge of legislative, regulatory, and operational processes related to ocean and/or climate policy, including authorizations, appropriations, agency structures, or other key frameworks. 
• Developing subject matter expertise in ocean science or ocean-related policies, with a demonstrated commitment to learning and integrating diverse perspectives, including Traditional Ecological Knowledge. 
• Ability to analyze trends and challenges in ocean, climate, and carbon removal policy and support the development of impactful strategies and policy recommendations. 
• Proven experience supporting and executing strategies, initiatives, or campaigns that have contributed to meaningful outcomes in ocean or climate policy.  
• Experience collaborating across teams and providing guidance to colleagues, contributing to team effectiveness and professional development. 
• Strong communication skills, with experience translating complex topics for diverse audiences and willingness to represent Carbon180 in meetings, stakeholder engagements, and public forums. 
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice (DEIBJ), with a track record of applying these principles in your work. 
• Willingness to join a new team and enthusiasm at the opportunity to participate in the building of a robust, responsible, equitable, and highly-accountable Ocean Policy program at Carbon180.  

WHAT WE OFFER

Carbon180 is deeply committed to providing market-leading compensation and robust benefits to our employees. Our salaries are in the 70th percentile of the Washington, DC market. We employ an external firm to conduct market analyses every three years, and we are committed to safeguarding internal salary equity. For those reasons, we have a non-negotiation policy on salaries.

The starting salary range for this position will be $141,080 to $162,242 with opportunities for growth up to $182,404. 

Carbon180 prides itself on offering benefits and perks to our employees that illustrate how we live our values, including:

• 36-hour workweeks (we close at 1 pm every Friday) and dedicated no-meeting time each week.
• A remote-first flexible work culture.
• Four weeks of PTO, three weeks of paid org-wide breaks including one week in the summer and two weeks in the winter, four weeks of sick leave, and five floating holidays/personal days.
• 100% company-covered insurance premiums for medical/dental/vision/long-term disability for you and your dependents.
• Quarterly health and wellness, book, and learning and development stipends.

TO APPLY

To apply for the role of Senior Policy Advisor- Ocean, please submit an application.

On the application, you’ll be asked to

• answer some basic questions about your background and experiences,
• in place of a cover letter, answer a few written reflection questions to help us learn more about your interest in joining our team and in this role specifically, and
• attach your resume in the application form.

Interview process and timeline

• Applications are being accepted and reviewed through July 1, 2025. 
• There will be three rounds of interviews in July and August.
• We anticipate extending an offer in early August.

If you have any questions or issues submitting your application, please email us at [email protected].

OUR VALUES

At C180, we believe in living by an internal set of core values, which we strive to embody and celebrate in moments big and small.

• One Boat. We work hard to ensure that we are rowing in one direction as a team, aligning our work and resources to shared goals..
• Pencil to Pen. We think critically, do our research, and weigh multiple options. Then, we commit to move to action.
• Win + Lose Together. When one of us succeeds, we all win. When we encounter challenges, we determine how best to redirect the energy and resources of the team to solve them.
• Person in the Professional. Our team is composed of real people with real passions, interests, and needs within and outside of work. We believe we need to care for ourselves and others to be our best and most productive selves at work. 
• Make Space, Share Space. We believe in making space for all voices to be heard, within our team and our broader work - particularly and especially voices historically disenfranchised and disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change.
• Be a Window, Not a Door. We’re committed to transparency, and to shining light on how and why decisions are made. We are honest with one another, ask for clarity, and operate with integrity to build a culture of trust.
• Grow the Braintrust. We are committed to constantly learning, and to staying up to speed on the science of our field. We work to grow our knowledge, sharpen our skills, and to bring great minds to the field of carbon removal.

We currently require that all employees who plan to enter a Carbon180 office or otherwise meet in person with coworkers or other third parties on Carbon180 business are fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Accordingly, this role may require full COVID-19 vaccination (subject to any exemptions or accommodations due to medical or religious reasons).

Carbon180 is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Carbon180 continually seeks to enrich its staff and team culture. In particular, we’re dedicated to broadening opportunities for individuals from demographic groups that are historically underrepresented in the sciences and in environmental advocacy. We’re also committed to building an inclusive workplace culture where talented people of widely different backgrounds can thrive. We've adopted this commitment because we believe the inclusion of culturally diverse perspectives will improve our work and produce better societal and environmental outcomes for all, including historically disenfranchised communities.