Senior Director, Decarbonization

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is a global nonprofit with a mission to shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide. With more than 48,000 members across the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific, ULI is the world’s leading network of real estate and land use professionals. We bring together developers, investors, planners, architects, and public-sector leaders to share knowledge, build best practices, and advance solutions to the most pressing challenges in the built environment.

THE ROLE

The real estate industry is at an inflection point on decarbonization. The policy environment is shifting, capital is moving, and practitioners are looking for credible, practical guidance on what to actually do. ULI is positioned to lead this conversation, and this role is how we do it.

As Senior Director, Decarbonization, you will translate strategy into campaigns, field engagement, demonstration projects, practical tools, and funder-ready narratives that help move the real estate industry from insight to action. You are not a narrow technical expert. You are a strategic operator who understands the systems, can engage the practitioners, and knows how to design initiatives that are credible to members and useful to the field.

You will work at the center of the Impact Lab’s market intelligence and engagement teams, alongside ULI’s Greenprint Community of Practice, District and National Councils, Product Councils, and Advisory Services Panels. You will also build and manage partnerships with issue-based organizations, finance-sector partners, public agencies, utilities, and philanthropic supporters.

This is a rare opportunity: a mission-driven organization with a genuine practitioner network, serious philanthropic backing, and a mandate to make real things happen in the market. If you have been doing this work in a consultancy or advocacy organization and you are ready to operate from inside the tent of the real estate industry, this role is worth a conversation.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Required

8 to 12 years of experience in building decarbonization, clean energy, climate policy, real estate, urban planning, public affairs, coalition building, or a related field
Demonstrated experience designing, managing, or supporting initiatives that move beyond research into adoption, implementation, or market change
Exceptional writing and analytical skills, with the ability to turn complex policy, financial, and technical issues into clear arguments and practical tools for senior practitioners, funders, and public-sector audiences
Experience working with practitioners, members, public-sector partners, or geographically distributed teams to move work from concept to execution
Working knowledge of building decarbonization issues, including energy efficiency, electrification, embodied carbon, grid constraints, financing, and implementation barriers
Ability to connect decarbonization to market realities: asset performance, development feasibility, investment risk, capital markets, and community outcomes
Bachelor’s degree required

Preferred

Advanced degree in urban planning, public policy, environmental studies, climate or energy policy, real estate, business, or a related field
Familiarity with federal, state, and local policy dynamics affecting the built environment
Experience with nonprofit, philanthropic, member-based, or civic organizations
Understanding of 501(c)(3) nonpartisan public education principles and policy-adjacent communications
Familiarity with project management, collaboration, survey, webinar, or member relationship platforms

Salary Range: The salary range for this position is $120,299 to $144,347. Actual compensation will be based on experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors.

Tagged as: Renewable Energy/Sustainability