Deputy Director of Building Decarbonization

Job Title
Deputy Director of Building Decarbonization
Job ID
27749844
Work Remote
Yes
Location
Remote
Other Location
Description

About Us
Clean Energy Works is a ten-year old nonprofit that champions inclusive and equitable financial solutions that support the transition to a just clean energy economy. The climate, health, and economic benefits of clean energy are clear, but not everyone is able to pay for the upgrades needed.

Clean Energy Works primarily champions inclusive utility investments, a ground-breaking payment mechanism that enables utility companies to pay the upfront costs for qualified clean energy upgrades and allows the  utilities to recover their cost through a fixed fee on the customer’s bill that is lower than the estimated savings from the upgrades.

For more information about Clean Energy Works and inclusive utility investments visit our website (www.cleanenergyworks.org) or the dedicated Inclusive Utility Investment website maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

We center equity, integrity, and deep collaboration in all areas of our work. We demonstrate those values in our emphasis on empowering community partnerships, meaningful engagement with utility stakeholders and regulators, and through our leadership and management practices. 

Work Conditions
This role is a full-time position that works remotely from anywhere in the continental United States. However, the position will require some travel consisting of one or two in-person staff retreats annually, and other professional events which could be more or less intensive at times based on workflow. Candidates must be flexible and able to collaborate effectively with employees across multiple US time zones. Our general working hours are 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET, with all employees generally expected to be available from 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM ET. Our work environment is based on Google Suite applications and we will provide a laptop for daily work.

POSITION OVERVIEW
The Deputy Director of Building Decarbonization reports to the Director of Building Decarbonization and will help accelerate inclusive utility investments to decarbonize buildings, including through energy efficiency and appliances, demand response, distributed solar PV, and battery storage technologies. They will provide issue education and technical assistance to utility regulatory commissioners and their staff, federal and state agencies, utility managers and boards, legislators, industry associations, nonprofit organizations, and—in collaboration with the Just Energy Transition Team—community-based organizations and coalitions.

This role requires strong personnel management, project management and strategic execution skills along with expertise in building energy efficiency and electrification, DER deployment, and the utility sector. The Deputy Director will be responsible for managing the Senior Associate of  Building Decarbonization and one or more contracts with consultants or industry partners.

While the role focuses on scaling inclusive utility investment policies and programs, the Building Decarbonization team’s work affords opportunities to engage with many dimensions of the sector, including virtual power plants (VPPs), neighborhood scale thermal energy networks, distribution system planning, energy justice initiatives, and more. The Deputy Director will also work across teams, including with the Just Energy Transition and Transportation Decarbonization teams, and collaborate with the Advancement and Communications teams.

This is an outstanding opportunity for a highly motivated professional to play a pivotal role in accelerating investment in distributed clean energy upgrades where the pace of transition is too slow, especially where it is needed most. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated and passionate interest in working to advance a truly inclusive and transformative clean energy transition, with focused attention to removing upfront costs and other barriers that unjustly stratify participation in the clean energy economy.

PRIMARY AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

  • Policy and Regulatory Adoption 
    • Develop or deepen subject matter expertise on inclusive utility investment policies and programs, including the Pay As You Save® system.
    • Help develop, refine, and execute team strategies to improve inclusive utility investment policy and program designs, especially to address challenges encountered in the field.
    • Research and understand innovations in relevant sectors and their potential impacts on, or integration with, the inclusive utility investment model—including, for example, modeled and measured energy savings; distribution system planning; utility cost tests and equity metrics; DER valuation; and VPPs.
    • Communicate to utility commissioners and staff, state and federal policy makers, utility employees and executives, and other industry stakeholders to advance inclusive utility investment policies.
  • Technical Assistance and Capacity Building 
    • Provide technical assistance to a diverse set of stakeholders in priority states to support the development, launch, and improvement of inclusive utility investment programs.
    • Foster learning and interest among companies, organizations, and associations capable of helping scale inclusive utility investment program services, including program development, operation, and evaluation.
  • Partnerships and Network Management
    • Cultivate and develop relationships and work with relevant utility, regulatory, legislative, agency, and industry stakeholder groups such as the Smart Electric Power Alliance, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates.
  • Management and Administration
    • Support the Director of Building Decarbonization in team and contractor management, fostering  a team and organizational culture that prioritizes learning and creative problem solving; and promotes collaboration, focus, impact, accountability, and professional growth.
    • Help develop  and implement management systems to track field developments, strategic progress and impact, and other team successes to support communications with the board, funders, and other constituents.
  • Other duties as assigned


MUST HAVE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES - The following are some of the  core skills and competencies that we have identified as required for success in this position.

  • Education / Experience  - At least 8 years of professional experience (which can include a master’s degree or other graduate or professional degree) in energy policy, the electric power sector, utility and regulatory engagement, public interest advocacy, or other fields relevant to the position. NOTE: A successful candidate need not have a college degree if they can demonstrate relevant experience and skills.
  • Field Experience - One of the following:
    • Experience working within a public utility commission, state energy office, or utility consumer advocate’s office.
    • Experience working within an electric utility, especially in the context of energy efficiency and demand response programs or distributed energy resource management. 
    • Experience drafting or reviewing filings and engaging in public processes with public utility commissions on utility rate cases or dockets covering clean energy finance, energy affordability, VPPs, or clean heat initiatives.
  • Energy Policy - The ability to identify and advise on promising deployment strategies for energy efficiency and distributed energy resources (DERs), especially through utility planning, investments, and programs. Understands how energy regulators & other policymakers seek to advance energy efficiency, DERs (including solar and energy storage), building electrification, and VPPs, as well as barriers to scaling these technologies and initiatives. Ability to analyze costs and benefits of energy efficiency and DER technologies and policies.
  • Equity - The ability to understand and apply the five dimensions of our equity framework (recognition, distributive, procedural, structural/reparative, and transformative). The ability to consistently see, learn from, and take strategic action related to demographic and socioeconomic power analyses. Demonstrates an understanding of systemic inequalities & their impacts and promotes policies & practices to address inequities.
  • Industry Engagement - The ability to foster and maintain connections and partnerships in the electric power sector, including with regulators, legislators, agencies, technology and service providers, financial institutions, and nonprofit organizations. Works jointly with industry stakeholders on projects and initiatives. Persuades target entities to support and implement our policy solutions. Assesses market trends and industry data to develop strategic insights, identify opportunities, and guide organizational priorities.
  • Strategic Execution - The ability to ensure individual and team work are aligned with our strategic goals and objectives. Consistently achieves assigned targets and communicates progress. Exhibits strong follow-through and dependability, adaptability to change, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
  • Project Management - The ability to plan and organize individual and organizational resources to move a specific task, event, or duty towards completion including the ability to prioritize and manage multiple work tasks in parallel, work independently, and organize workflows effectively.
  • Personnel Management - The ability to coach, manage, and develop the skills & competencies of direct reports. Encourages and inspires high performance for subordinates. Implements rules & policies consistently. Takes responsibility for subordinates’ activities. Manages workplace conflicts with fairness, empathy, and professionalism.
  • Contract Management - The ability to effectively manage contractor performance to advance organizational objectives. Negotiates effectively with contractors. Carefully reviews and manages contract terms and conditions. Efficiently manages all contract timelines, deliverables, and other aspects of a contract lifecycle.


“NICE TO HAVES” - If you have any of these be sure to include it in your application!

  • Experience developing, leading, or implementing building energy- or utility-related programs, especially involving energy efficiency, building electrification, demand side management, or virtual power plants.
  • Experience using energy analytics to evaluate programs, deliver strategic insights, or drive policy innovations and decisions.
  • Software - Experience with Trello or other project management and customer relationship management (CRM) software.


COMPENSATION
The annual salary for this position is in the range of $105,000 and $120,000 commensurate with experience and qualifications. Clean Energy Works is prepared to offer an attractive compensation and benefits package, including healthcare benefits, 401(k) match, 11 paid holidays, 12 sick days, and 23 vacation days. A full-time workweek at Clean Energy Works is 35 hours. 

Clean Energy Works is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, or any other classification considered discriminatory under all applicable federal, state or local laws.
 

Pay Range
$105,000.00   Annually to $120,000.00   Annually

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