IMT sees the drivers of high-performance buildings shifting beyond public policy toward tenant and occupant demands and requirements instituted by investors, insurance, and financial regulation. We seek a seasoned professional to engage businesses in alignment with these drivers, and oversee the evolution of IMT’s programmatic strategy and services across real estate ownership, service providers, equipment manufacturers, trade associations, and investors. The successful candidate will be a skilled networker, connector, and relationship builder among businesses relevant to the buildings sector, proactively seeking out priorities, pain points, and barriers to building retrofits in alignment with inclusive, high-performance buildings. They will have a track record of entrepreneurialism – a willingness and ability to craft and test a program plan or services to advance the adoption of performance business practices that create high-performing buildings. The ideal candidate has broad real estate experience and familiarity with Environmental, Social, & Governance (ESG) reporting frameworks, capital financing, valuation, inclusive development, impact investment, and the intersections of real estate business practice and policy.

The Senior Director is accountable for delivering the business engagement strategy, and directly managing and supervising the staff members who are accountable for the execution of programs. The Senior Director reports to the Managing Director of Programs and is part of IMT’s leadership team.

Responsibilities

Program Planning and Delivery

In developing and executing IMT’s business engagement strategy, programs, services, and elevating IMT’s leadership position in real estate, the Senior Director will support the following core private sector priorities:

Drive increased demand for inclusive, high-performance buildings

• Activate real estate leaders, companies, and investors in alignment with the Framework for the Transformation of Real Estate. This may include demonstrating and measuring the impact of inclusive, high-performance development in partnership with a cohort of leading developers and businesses.
• Expand the definition of “high performance” to encompass measurable achievements across environmental (Net-Zero, Passive House) as well as social and governance elements (community ownership models, financial transparency), and chart a complimentary strategy to evolve ESG reporting frameworks.

Provide guidance on designing and operating high-performing buildings

• Oversee the development and dissemination of performance-aligned leasing services. These include performance-aligned lease guidance and resources in alignment with net-zero carbon and other social performance requirements; training modules for commercial & industrial performance-aligned leasing suitable for owners, tenants, attorneys and brokers; strategic consulting targeting commercial leasing; and evolution and execution of the Green Lease Leaders program.
• Support the growth of the Building Performance Partnership (BPP), an incubator for industry-facing innovation hubs that provide training, education, financing solutions, policy implementation support, case studies, and building efficiency tools targeted to specific regions and markets. The BPP works in partnership with local industry-facing organizations to support needs assessment, business planning, and launch phases. At this time, we only envision operating the DC Building Innovation Hub because of our deep connections with the DC market.
• Manage the integration of economic inclusion and equitable workforce development into IMT’s Hub services, and support connections between business and community engagement efforts.
• Oversee evaluation and execution of discrete market transformation pilot opportunities and scaling strategies that support IMT’s mission to drive sustained demand for high performance buildings.

Insights and business activation on policy

• Engage real estate-serving companies on the potential impact of building performance policies for their business by supporting the framing of insights and analysis of the policy landscape through the IMT Corporate Ally Program. Advise the IMT fundraising and program teams as they shape the agenda for Ally program members each quarter and year (deep knowledge of policy is NOT required, as detailed insights will be provided by IMT policy staff).
• Activate businesses in support of building performance policies and improved ESG reporting. This work will involve close collaboration with the Senior Director for Policy & Regulatory Engagement and coordination between business engagement and policy staff on organizing and activating businesses in support of local and national policies, and changes to existing ESG frameworks.

The Senior Director is accountable for course-correction and revisiting milestones and outcomes, following the process set by the Managing Director of Programs for programmatic learning and synthesis.

Representation and Communication

• Represent IMT with key stakeholders including real estate companies, investors, community leaders, reporters, and funders
• Lead IMT communication with all business engagement funders, including staffing funder calls and meetings and working with the Managing Director of Programs to ensure that organizational milestones are communicated and met
• Manage all relationships necessary for successful partnerships that support the business engagement strategy
• Set agenda for internal communications related to delivery of the business engagement agenda

Staff Management and Program Execution

• Accountable for team’s planning and timely work plan deliverables
• Sets clear expectations for each direct report based on business engagement goals, and check in at least quarterly against progress
• Implement IMT’s diversity, equity, and inclusion policies consistently with direct reports and the rest of the IMT team

Qualifications and Skills

• 10-15 years of experience in real estate-related roles
• Degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
• Commitment to advancing social and environmental justice
• Demonstrated experience building, leading, and maintaining an effective senior management team
• Proven leader in field with experience building consensus among diverse stakeholders
• Strong communication and decision-making skills

This is a Senior Director position.

• Responsible for working with the development team to establish revenue targets and a fundraising plan for all programmatic priorities, and for securing revenue from designated funders.
• Strong record of managing various program areas.
• Strong record of capturing, communicating, and integrating lessons learned across various program areas.
• Serves as an active member in the buildings industry and promotes IMT’s brand by presenting at high profile events, developing high profile relationships, and participating in committees, etc.

How to Apply

This is a full-time position, and will require travel to IMT’s headquarters in Washington, DC.. IMT currently encourages remote work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The salary for this position is commensurate with experience and based on geographic location. IMT offers a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, life insurance and disability coverage. IMT also offers generous paid time-off and certain commuter benefits for the DC-metro area.

To apply, please email resume and cover letter to jobs@imt.org. Please write “Senior Director – Business Engagement” in the subject line.

About the Institute for Market Transformation

The Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) is a trusted, non-partisan nonprofit organization that works to ensure that everyone in the U.S. benefits from high-performing buildings in all facets of their lives. IMT bridges the intersection of business, government, and community priorities to spotlight business practices and advance public policy to improve U.S. buildings. We do this by co-creating and deploying public policy and business practices that drive widespread market action toward improving how we collectively build, design, and operate the spaces where people live, work, learn, connect, and play. To learn more about our work, visit www.imt.org/about.

Headquartered in downtown Washington, DC, we provide a vibrant, collaborative, and flexible workplace that brings together diverse expertise. IMT is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across our organization. We empower our staff to constantly learn while achieving big goals, and have fun along the way.

IMT is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.