Deputy Director, Fertilizer

About Us

Heavy industry is the foundation of modern society. We need materials like cement, steel, and aluminum more than ever to rebuild our bridges and roads, construct wind and solar projects, and manufacture electric vehicles and heat pumps that will undergird our future. But industry needs a second revolution. For as much as industry made the middle class and ushered in a remarkable era of prosperity for many, it also threatens our climate, reinforces environmental racism, wastes valuable materials and energy, and leaves communities and workers behind.

At Industrious Labs, our mission is to set into motion unstoppable policies, people power, and analysis to make a triple impact on climate, justice, and jobs that drastically reduce dangerous emissions, and make industry accountable to communities and workers.

About the Position

California provides over one-fourth of the nation’s food supply. Every season, farmers rely on hundreds of thousands of tons of ammonia fertilizers imported from overseas, produced using dirty fossil fuels. Reliance on dirty imports makes California food production vulnerable to volatile prices, hinders economic development and family-sustaining jobs, and unnecessarily contributes to global climate change and hazardous air emissions. It also means about $600 million in economic opportunity is leaving the state annually.

Industrious Labs sees a better path. We’re launching a campaign to jumpstart a distributed, green fertilizer industry in California—one that’s powered by clean electricity, supports good jobs and local economic development, and gives farmers a reliable, local supply while reducing overapplication. With the right policies and investments, California can lead the way in transforming the fertilizer industry.

We seek a strategic, entrepreneurial Deputy Director to join our team and lead this campaign. Industrious Labs is fully remote, and you’ll report to California Director Teresa Cheng. This public-facing role best suits someone based in California – ideally in agricultural regions of the state – with deep knowledge of the local landscape and strong existing relationships. You will also work closely with the rest of our California team.

What You’ll Do

You’ll hold responsibilities that will evolve over time as the team grows and functions are distributed. During your first year, we anticipate a push to move forward at least one pilot project. We also foresee the need for administrative advocacy to develop a state policy roadmap to phase out fossil-based fertilizer. Other responsibilities include:

Coalition Building

• Recruit and build an aligned and powerful coalition of labor, community, local economic development organizations, farmers, and more, with a shared vision of transforming the fertilizer industry for climate, jobs, and justice.
• Assess the industry landscape, identify strengths, current players, and gaps, and engage key leaders, organizations, and industry partners.
• Collaborate in developing comprehensive campaign plans.
• Develop our policy platform and build the case with the Governor’s office and key stakeholders.

Research and Education

• Work with colleagues and external consultants/allies to understand the cost structure of green fertilizer, from renewable energy generation to ammonia production and transport.
• Characterize the economic benefits and risks of transforming the fertilizer industry, including job creation and tax revenue for local governments, farming practices, and the existing political economy of ammonia.
• Translate initial interest and intrigue into palpable excitement and momentum that can overcome the inertia of the current system.

Who You Are

You’re committed to Industrious Labs’ mission and values, with the leadership chops and entrepreneurial spirit to build a meaningful new campaign from scratch. You’re a strategic thinker, strong collaborator, and skilled campaigner who can work across lines of difference and lead with humility and purpose.

Core Qualifications

• At least 10 years of increasing responsibility in the field, with a proven campaigning and coalition-building track record.
• Background in policy development, organizing, or leadership within advocacy or movement spaces.
• Experience designing policy campaigns and using tools like power mapping, strategy charts, and narrative development.
• Strong familiarity with how state and local agencies and venues function.
• Demonstrated relationship-building, including with grassroots groups, labor, environmental justice organizations, policymakers, and other key players in California.
• Proven track record of delivering policy wins and moving ideas from strategy through implementation.
• Strong project management skills and ability to juggle multiple conflicting priorities.
• Cultural competency and emotional intelligence—this could be demonstrated by experience leading multicultural teams, building alignment across divergent viewpoints, etc.

Preferred Qualifications

• Comfort in a matrixed work environment and skill with cross-functional collaboration.
• Scrappiness and resourcefulness, with a bias toward action and a “figure it out” mindset.
• Entrepreneurial spark - you’ve built things before and thrive in fast-moving, dynamic environments where you don’t have all the answers.
• You’ve got opinions, not an ego – you’re someone who can lead big, inspiring projects and still laugh at your own typos.

Industrious Labs Core Qualifications

These are shared across all roles at Industrious Labs:

• Deep alignment with our mission, values, and goals.
• Highly collaborative work style and service as a peer and thought partner.
• Commitment to learning, curiosity, and personal growth.
• Strong communication skills — able to break down complex issues into clear strategies and decisions.
• Excited by the unknown and eager to build.
• Proven leadership and commitment to equity, transparency, and team culture.
• Demonstrated experience working across lines of race, class, gender, and geography.
• Skill within a dynamic, fast-paced environment and moving between solo efforts and teamwork.
• Openness to giving and receiving compassionate, direct feedback.

Salary and Benefits

The salary for this position is $136,000. Industrious Labs has a policy not to negotiate on salaries. Rather than rely on negotiation, we offer transparent pay aligned with experience, responsibilities, and organizational values.

We offer competitive benefits, including 100% employer-paid health coverage (medical, dental and vision), a work-from-home stipend, up to 5% 401k employer match, 11 paid holidays, and unlimited vacation (with a minimum of 15 business days).

Our Commitment to Racial Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Climate Justice

We believe diversity isn’t just a value — it’s essential to solving the climate crisis. If you’re excited by this job, even if your experience doesn’t match every bullet point, we hope you apply. We welcome candidates from a range of backgrounds and with skills that may be transferable. Industrious Labs is an equal-opportunity employer committed to equity in hiring, advancement, and workplace culture. If you need accommodations during the application process, contact Heather Beckford at heather@industriouslabs.org.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter that answers the following:

1. What attracted you to this position?
2. How do you describe power? How have you built power with others?
3. Have you led or contributed to a successful advocacy campaign in California? Briefly tell us the story and your role.

We will also ask you to please summarize your answers to these questions in the job application, in addition to addressing your points in the cover letter.

This position is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, starting immediately. The process typically includes a phone screen, panel interviews, and a thought exercise. Our searches usually take 3-4 months. The incumbent in this position must be eligible to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.