Senior Financial Regulation Attorney

Overview

NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Bozeman, Montana; Chicago; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing.

NRDC is seeking a Senior Financial Regulation Attorney to work with the Green Finance Center team in flexible office or remote working location.

Position Summary

NRDC’s Green Finance Center (GFC) is seeking an attorney to help lead our financial regulatory work, take the lead in drafting public comments and engaging with financial regulators to spur them on to equitably address climate risk both to the financial system (and its components) and to individual banks or other businesses. The GFC generally focuses on the role of finance and economics in the fight against climate change and other pressing environmental issues.

The position will involve (i) legal research and analysis and drafting public comments on proposed guidance and regulations issued by financial regulators, and (ii) engaging with these regulators as well as with lawyers and policy experts across NRDC, experts with other advocacy organizations, community groups and their advocates, and other stakeholders. The GFC’s current focus is on the Federal Reserve and other federal and state bank regulators and the SEC. However, although the bank and securities-related work is expected to continue to be a core focus, other areas of focus will depend on how the regulatory landscape evolves. Areas in which we may be active include housing and housing finance regulation and, potentially, commodities regulation, pension regulation, agricultural and agricultural finance regulation, and insurance regulation.

For this position, experience in financial regulatory law (with a regulatory agency, law firm, in-house, or non-profit) coupled with a deep interest in climate-related issues is essential; previous experience in climate work is not required.

Responsibilities

• Prepare regulatory submissions and respond to requests for public comment on priority regulations, serving as project manager for writing comments, research inputs, internal review, submission and follow up with regulators.
• Support or lead the development of new policy recommendations, and legal research and analysis to support policy and regulatory recommendations. Policy recommendations must incorporate and prioritize equity considerations
• Conduct strategic research that refines NRDC’s positions and provides thought leadership.
• Engage with key regulators and policymakers and secure high-level, strategic opportunities to present NRDC’s policy and regulatory recommendations.
• Engage with external allies and partners, identifying and leveraging opportunities for joint advocacy and research, particularly from marginalized communities to ensure equity voices and considerations are central to policy recommendations.
• Support with the assistance of litigation colleagues the development and implementation of litigation where necessary to achieve our policy and regulatory objectives.
• Conduct strategic research that refines NRDC's positions and provides thought leadership.

Qualifications

Required

• Commitment to NRDC’s mission and values.
• Juris Doctorate degree.
• 5 to 10 years of post-law school experience or a combination of financial regulatory work pre-law school and post-law school.
• Substantial work experience on financial regulations.
• Minimum 2 years working on either banking, securities, housing finance law. Agency, government, law firm, in-house, or non-profit legal experience all acceptable.
• Deep understanding and demonstrated commitment to and competency in racial equity, diversity, and inclusion principles, including contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment and experience with advancing DEI.
• Exceptional legal writing and analytical skills.
• Deep understanding of the regulatory process.
• Creativity, resourcefulness, and humility.
• Ability to travel when necessary.
• A demonstrated commitment to public service, equity, or social justice work.

Preferred

• Financial regulatory experience in banking, securities or housing finance law
• Strong, demonstrated oral advocacy skills preferred.
• Experience working on sustainability, climate, and energy issues in the legal, government, corporate, investor or non-profit sectors preferred but not required.

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. For this position, the salary is $120,000 to $150,000. Internal equity considerations will be reviewed before making a final offer.

Since March 2020, NRDC’s offices have been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You will be associated with one of our offices, but until circumstances allow us to re-open, we will continue to support NRDCers with remote working arrangements.

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws.

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs.

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.

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