Environmental Innovation Fellow

We're looking for an energetic, inspiring and innovative problem solver to lead environmental entrepreneurship and innovation activities at CBEY and Tsai CITY.

 
How to Apply

Review the information below in its entirety, and then apply on the Yale STARS system.

 Go to STARS after reading the full description 

The STARS requisition is 65568BR.

Position Focus:

The Environmental Innovation Fellow plays a central role in advancing environmental entrepreneurship across Yale’s campus. The Fellow will undertake a range of responsibilities including program management, venture development, communication, collaboration, and student support. The person in this position has the opportunity to build their own body of work, in addition to driving forward existing initiatives. 

We are looking for an energetic, inspiring and innovative problem solver to lead environmental entrepreneurship and innovation activities at both CBEY and the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale. The Innovation Fellow will act as a key liaison and collaborator between the two centers, reporting both to the Executive Director at CBEY and to the Managing Director at Tsai CITY. 

The position is designed for a young professional at a pivotal stage in their career, and it will last for a one-year term, with the possibility for extension. 


Responsibilities:

The Fellow will have a range of responsibilities across the following areas.

Program Management: Design and execute programming for CBEY and CITY focused on environmental innovation for all levels of student engagement, including:

  • Coordinate speaker events that showcase interesting topics and people in environmental innovation (see the Climate Innovator Spotlight Series for examples of past events).
  • Develop and manage entrepreneurial skill-building workshops, in coordination with the Tsai CITY Innovator’s Toolkit series.
  • Climate/Planetary Solutions Generator: Work with a student team to organize the next iteration of this program, through which interdisciplinary teams develop practical environmental solutions, aligned with the Yale Planetary Solutions Project.
  • Beyond the Buzzwords: Lead a team of student producers in advancing growing a newly launched multimedia site that breaks down critical buzzwords in sustainable innovation.
  • Develop and lead new programs as appropriate (see the Storytelling with Spreadsheets program for an example of programming developed by a CBEY/CITY innovation fellow).

Venture Development: Work with environmental innovators to advance their businesses, organizations and projects, through:

  • CBEY Environmental Startup Funding: Oversee the CBEY funding cycle for environmental innovation, including the Climate Innovation Grants, the Sobotka Prize, and a large environmental prize during Startup Yale.
  • Tsai CITY venture development programs: Help the Tsai CITY team to assess applications, plan programming, and advise ventures as part of the Launch Pad, Accelerator, and Summer Fellowship.
  • Hold regular office hours with student innovators to help them devise, refine, test, iterate, build, and launch their ideas.
  • Lead and develop new areas of venture support as appropriate. 

Communication and Collaboration: Represent both centers and share their work both on and off campus, including:

  • Facilitate connections among student, alumni, and community entrepreneurs via the Yale & Friends Green Innovator Community by managing the LinkedIn group and newsletter and coordinating community events.
  • Share thoughts and learnings about environmental innovation through the CBEY and CITY blogs and social media, as well as other relevant channels internal or external to Yale.
  • Serve as a CBEY/CITY representative at events and conferences on and off-campus.
  • Develop strategies for CBEY and CITY in continuing to build Yale’s environmental entrepreneurship ecosystem, working closely with a wide array of campus partners.

Student Support: Manage a joint CBEY/CITY team of student employees who support social/environmental entrepreneurship on campus.

  • Meet with students to help them learn more about environmental innovation, make the most of campus resources, and build their careers.
Skills and Abilities:
  • A self-starter with ability to manage a body of work. Proven ability to organize and prioritize multiple projects. Strong time management capability and proven ability to work as part of a team as well as independently.
  • Passion for environmental innovation and entrepreneurship.
  • Outstanding writing and communication abilities.
  • Demonstrated ability to work with a diverse constituency, including staff, students, faculty, and other community members.
Education:
  • Bachelor's Degree in a related field and two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Preferred Education, Experience and Skills: 
  • MA in a related field
  • 2-7 years in roles relevant to environmental innovation in at least one of the following areas: worked at an early-stage organization that creates positive impact on the planet; fostered innovative environmental projects; supported a portfolio of innovations, with a focus on the environment and innovation ecosystems.