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4 May 2023

Full-Time Director, Interior West

Gridworks – Posted by Gridworks Anywhere

Gridworks logo

Job Description

Introduction to Gridworks

Decarbonization of our economy is within reach, and it is now more important than ever. Shifting our energy use away from carbon-intensive fuels and toward clean sources of energy will reduce pollution, create economic opportunity, and ultimately decrease the cost of energy, resulting in a healthier and more equitable, sustainable, and affordable future for all. The community next to the coal plant, the home next to the highway, and the millions of individuals who will be impacted by climate change are at the heart of what we do.

Gridworks is a non-profit organization that brings stakeholders from across the Western United States together to achieve their decarbonization goals. We facilitate and foster connections between decarbonization advocates, energy providers, and utility operators, enabling them to collectively determine the best approach to achieving decarbonization. Together with these stakeholders, we work to advance decarbonization policies and help states undertake a just transition towards a sustainable future. We also provide expert advice and guidance to policymakers as they make this important shift.

You can view examples of our work on our publications page here and blog here. We are a small non-profit organization that offers its team members the ability to influence how we work and what we work on. 

We are currently searching for an Interior West Director to support our growing team. The job will primarily support West-wide initiatives on electric transmission issues. Secondary responsibilities will include support of state-level Gridworks initiatives in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. 

Responsibilities 

  • Facilitate Gridworks stakeholder engagement initiatives, including:
    • Organizing and leading workshops to address high-value challenges to decarbonizing electricity grids;
    • Engaging with subject-matter experts to obtain original insights and information; 
    • Navigating diverse groups of stakeholders to build partnerships, reach decisions, and creatively solve complex problems.
  • Write industry-leading reports, meeting summaries, funding proposals, literature reviews, fact sheets, and outreach materials (like talking points, newsletters, and blogs) identifying solutions to decarbonization challenges. 
    • Quickly learn about new, highly technical subject areas and write about them with confidence;
    • Write clear, concise, engaging content;
    • Understand the audience of any work product and identify what is important to communicate to them; and
    • Seek out and value substantive editing and input from teammates and colleagues to produce high-quality, polished work products.
  • Present key project findings to internal and external audiences, including public utilities commissioners, legislators, and other high-profile stakeholders 
  • Create visuals to aid in understanding of complex topics. 
  • Seek and develop new projects and funding opportunities in support of Gridwork’s mission.
  • Provide weekly project updates to Gridworks staff
  • Support development of Gridworks best practices on a wide range of issues, including: facilitation, project management, hiring, HR, external communications, etc. 
  • Manage your time and energy across multiple projects simultaneously. Actively communicate the potential for missed deadlines or deliverables in advance and work in partnership with Gridworks’ Executive Director to develop a path forward. 
  • Collaborate with the Gridworks team in developing key project deliverables. These include: project work plans, schedules, literature reviews, meeting materials, meeting summaries, reports, and communication plans. 
  • Coordinate work from Gridworks Fellows and provide project management guidance to support the successful completion of their work
  • Hire and supervise a project manager to support successful completion of multiple projects
  • Provide occasional updates to the Gridworks’ Board

Qualifications

  • Eight years of professional experience, including at least 4 years working in some aspect of the energy or environmental industry within the Interior West
  • Demonstrated experience facilitating a group through decision-making regarding strategic, programmatic, and/or policy issues 
  • Prior experience leading programs or projects from ideation through to design and eventual implementation 
  • Working knowledge of the energy industry including regulatory structures, policies, key stakeholders, technologies, major challenges, etc. 
  • Subject-matter expertise in one or more areas of the clean energy technology, program, and/or policy landscape; experience with transmission planning would be highly advantageous
  • Experience developing a functional expertise in at least three new issue areas and the ability to articulate your personal learning style 
  • Strong oral and written communication skills 
  • Organizational skills and proficiency in project management best practices including strategies to coordinate groups; prepare and manage a project schedule; organize materials; etc. 
  • Ability to act as a self-starter who can work with executive director to set and execute priorities
  • Excellent time-management skills
  • Interest in working in an environment that requires collaboration, an openness to changing course, juggling multiple projects involving different subjects, clients, and stakeholders, and creative problem solving
  • Experience working with technical subject-matter experts and the ability to synthesize their analytics and modeling efforts
  • Demonstrated experience with environmental/social justice regional issues, frameworks, and principles; as well as a commitment to contributing to Gridworks’ diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
  • Ability to travel to occasional in-person meetings and staff retreats
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), Google Suite (Gmail, Google Docs, etc.), and online meeting platforms (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx). 

Additional Details

  • Your Supervisor: Gridworks Executive Director Matthew Tisdale will supervise the Interior West Director. Matthew is responsible for assigning projects, goal-setting, guidance, and day-to-day management responsibilities. You can view his bio here
  • The Gridworks Team: The Interior West Director will also collaborate regularly with other Gridworks staff, fellows, clients, and working group members on projects. Gridworks is comprised of a small team of full-time staff that is supported on projects by part-time fellows who offer subject-matter expertise. The Gridworks Board gathers quarterly to review progress on the organization’s business plan, offer fundraising support, and approve key governance materials. You can view more information about Gridworks’ staff, fellows, and board members here
  • Location: 
    • This position is remote with occasional travel requirements for in-person meetings and staff retreats.
    • This role will require availability during typical working hours in the Pacific and Mountain time zones. 
  • Hire Type: Full-time  
  • Start Date: We would like to have a candidate selected in time for a start date on July 10.
  • Benefits
    • The salary for this position will be between $100,00 and $140,000 depending on experience level. 
    • Gridworks offers unlimited paid time off, and we encourage our employees to use it!
    • Gridworks provides reimbursement to cover dental, vision, and medical benefits. 
    • Gridworks offers a 403(b) plan which allows participants to make pre-tax contributions towards retirement savings. Note that a 403(b) plan is the non-profit equivalent to a 401(k). Gridworks does not currently offer matching contributions. 

How to Apply

Application Instructions

To apply, please email the following to [email protected] no later than June 1. Applications will be reviewed as they are received and candidates will be invited to interview on a rolling basis. However, we will wait until after the June 1 deadline to make any final decisions to ensure we consider all applications.

  1. Resume
  2. Cover letter that highlights your interest in Gridworks and qualifications for the position.
  3. Two writing samples that demonstrate your ability to synthesize complex information and present it clearly to the target audience (e.g., website, presentation, report, meeting summary, research paper, article, etc.). Please share a little about the target audience and offer some context for the materials. Just a few bullet points will suffice. 
  4. Three references that we may contact to verify your experience and qualifications. If possible, we recommend that one of these three references be someone who you supervised, even if just informally (e.g., a direct report, intern, mentee, etc.). You do not need to include your current employer if you prefer to keep your job search confidential.

If you have any questions about the role or your eligibility—including questions about alternative qualifications that we have yet to consider— please do not hesitate to reach out. Gridworks is committed to increasing the diversity of our team’s perspectives, experiences, and ideas to support our mission. We strive to reflect the communities we serve and encourage qualified applications regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran to apply.

Job Categories: Clean Energy. Job Types: Full-Time. Job Tags: #facilitation, Director, electric, electricity, government, grid, interior west, transmission, Utility, and west. Salaries: 100,000 and above.

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