Project Director (Southern California) | The Center for the Circular Economy

Project Director (Southern California)

The Center for the Circular Economy

APPLY BY OCTOBER 16, 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis

Closed Loop Partners is at the forefront of building the circular economy. The firm is comprised of three key businesses that create a platform for systems change. Closed Loop Capital Management is the firm's investment group, managing venture capital, buyout and catalytic private credit investment strategies on behalf of global corporations, financial institutions and family offices. Closed Loop Builders is the firm's operating group, incubating, building and scaling circular economy infrastructure and services. The Closed Loop Center for the Circular Economy is the firm's innovation arm that helps businesses solve their most pressing material challenges.

Closed Loop Center's services go beyond the work of consultancies and think tanks - we roll up our sleeves with business leaders to research commercial opportunities, design circular solutions and build cutting-edge initiatives in market. Based in New York City and working with cities across the country, we partner with the world's most influential companies to solve the material challenges they can't tackle on their own. Learn more about Closed Loop Center's work at closedloopcenter.com and closedlooppartners.com.

Role Overview

The Center for the Circular Economy seeks a Project Director to design, build, and advance circular economy programs and partnerships, initially focused on reuse and source reduction. The Project Director will help shape and turn an early-stage concept into a structured, implementable program, leading complex, cross-functional work from early strategy and business-case development through partner alignment and implementation planning.

The role combines strategic problem-solving, stakeholder management, and hands-on execution. The successful candidate will create structure from ambiguity, define the strategy and approach, produce client-ready deliverables with limited restructuring, anticipate risks, and independently move work from concept through delivery.

Location

Southern California (Remote), with regular business travel for client meetings in the region (including San Diego and Los Angeles) and occasional travel to the Closed Loop Center NYC office.

We strongly prefer for the individual to work Eastern Time hours in alignment with the Center team. Exceptional candidates who are not based in Southern California will be considered.

Compensation

National Salary Range: $140,000 - $160,000

Compensation is commensurate with experience and finalized title.

The role will run for a fixed term of 12 months with a potential to extend based on overall firm needs. Applicants will be required to start this position in November or December 2026.

To apply, please submit your resume, work sample and cover letter. Due to the volume of applications only qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an interview. Please do not contact Closed Loop Partners staff to request information or a pre-application meeting, or to follow up on your submitted application. 

What You'll Do

Set strategy:

• Develop new strategies and programs. Translate broad organizational priorities, market needs, and policy developments into clear workstreams, roadmaps, and actionable program concepts.


• Build business cases and decision-making tools. Develop financial models, prioritization frameworks, landscape assessments, and implementation recommendations.


• Translate complex data into clear communication. Develop executive summaries, presentations, and other client-facing materials tailored to senior and external audiences.

Engage stakeholders

• Shape partnership models, develop proposals and scopes of work, establish budgets, and create mutually beneficial partnerships with brands, retailers and operational partners.


• Manage strategic relationships. Serve as a day-to-day partner to corporate, nonprofit, operator, and manufacturing stakeholders while navigating competing priorities and sensitive conversations.


• Design and facilitate collaborative processes. Plan and lead workshops, partner discussions, and working sessions that build alignment and move stakeholders toward decisions.

Build and implement in-market

• Build and activate value-chain partnerships. Identify and engage the producers, suppliers, distributors, operators, logistics providers, and solution partners to translate program concepts into coordinated, executable operating models.


• Advance implementation planning and execution. Translate strategies into operating models, launch plans, resource requirements, and financial and operational flows that balance ambition with in-market feasibility.


• Anticipate and manage delivery risks. Identify scope, timeline, budget, resourcing, data, and stakeholder risks early and develop appropriate mitigation and contingency plans.


• Build internal capabilities and contribute across the organization. Create repeatable tools, templates, trackers, models, and processes; apply project insights to broader organizational strategy and emerging circular economy opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• 6 - 10+ years of relevant experience in Innovation Management, Retail Operations, Supply Chain Management, or related sectors


• Experience working in high-profile Retail, CPG/FMCG, Foodservice projects


• Demonstrated ability to define the why, what, and how of a workstream rather than waiting for a fully developed assignment


• Strong end-to-end project leadership skills, including scoping, planning, prioritization, budgeting, resource management, risk management, and delivery


• Excellent synthesis, writing, storytelling, presentation, and facilitation skills, including producing client-ready decks


• Experience developing and coordinating cross-value-chain partnerships, including defining partner roles, operational requirements, incentives, handoffs, and dependencies needed to implement programs successfully.


• An implementation, and supply-chain optimization mindset that balances ambition and impact with operational feasibility, cost, stakeholder and operational readiness


• A proactive approach to risk management and problem-solving, with a demonstrated habit of identifying challenges early and proposing solutions


• A dynamic, mission-driven, and collaborative professional who can take initiative, incorporate feedback thoughtfully, delegate effectively, and learn new subject areas quickly

Equal Opportunity

Closed Loop Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, or sex.  

You must have US Work Authorization in order to be considered for any open Closed Loop Partners position.