Description
California is on the front lines of the industrial transformation. From the food we grow to the consumer goods we manufacture, the decisions made in California's legislative and regulatory arenas shape outcomes for communities, workers, and the climate and set the tone for the nation.
Industrious Labs is seeking a strategic, entrepreneurial Deputy Director to help lead campaigns to transform California's manufacturing base in support of union jobs, justice, and climate. A major and early priority for this role will be our green fertilizer campaign. California provides over one-fourth of the nation's food supply, and 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. We're working to onshore a distributed, green fertilizer industry in California - one powered by clean electricity, supporting good jobs and local economic development, and giving farmers a reliable, local supply while reducing overapplication.
Industrious Labs is fully remote, and you'll report to California Director Teresa Cheng. This public-facing role best suits someone based in California with deep knowledge of the local landscape and strong existing relationship.
You'll hold responsibilities that will evolve over time as the team grows and functions are distributed. This role spans interconnected campaign areas - green fertilizer, affordable, clean electricity access, and industrial clean heat -with the fertilizer campaign as the primary focus in the near term.
During your first year, we anticipate a push to move forward at least one pilot project on the fertilizer campaign, as well as administrative advocacy to develop a state policy roadmap to phase out fossil-based fertilizer. Responsibilities include coalition building, strategy development and implementation and research and education.
More details about the role are on our website in the Careers section.
Requirements
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.
