Senior Program Associate, West Campaigns

About Energy Foundation

Energy Foundation’s nonprofit mission is to serve the public interest by building a strong clean energy economy. Pragmatic and nonpartisan, the foundation supports education and analysis to promote policy solutions that build markets for clean energy technology. Advancing renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean transportation and other solutions can open doors to greater innovation and productivity—growing the economy with dramatically less pollution.

A partnership of leading foundations launched Energy Foundation in 1991 and Energy Foundation China in 1999. In the U.S., we advance energy efficiency and renewable energy in the power, transportation, and buildings sectors. The Policy and Public Engagement programs focus on strategy development, policy innovation, and campaign design, while the Strategic Communications Program develops capacities and strategies in the regions and nationally. The States and Regions Team is a cross-disciplinary team of policy, communications, and campaign experts dedicated to advancing strong state and regional climate and clean energy policies.

For more than 25 years we have supported grantees to help educate policymakers and the general public about the health and economic benefits of a clean energy economy. Grantees include business, health, labor, environmental, faith, equity, free-market, and consumer groups, as well as policy experts, military organizations, think tanks, and universities.

Energy Foundation’s founding office is in San Francisco, CA, with additional offices in Raleigh, NC; Chicago, IL; Washington, DC; and Las Vegas, NV.

Position Summary

The Senior Program Associate’s (SPA) primary responsibility is to support the work of the West Campaign and wider West Region team. The SPA will arrange meetings with grantees, consultants, and funders; track and manage the West region budget; review grant proposals; draft reports; and communicate with grantees and funders on a variety of issues. In addition to the West Region team, the SPA will collaborate and coordinate with other teams and programs. The SPA will have the opportunity to organize convenings with Energy Foundation partners and grantees, and also contribute to other institutional efforts.

Reports to

Reports to Shannon Raborn, Program Director, West Campaigns, and is a member of the U.S. Programs Department, States and Regions Team.

Responsibilities

Grantmaking

• Consistently and accurately process grants, proposals, reports, contracts, and invoices/reimbursements for the West regional portfolio from start to finish.
• Write proposal summaries and assessments to advise the Regional Program Directors (PDs) on final funding decisions, and process grants/contracts through Energy Foundation’s internal systems in a timely and responsive manner.
• Serve as the primary contact for grantees/consultants and work with parties to craft and finalize proposals and scopes of work. Represent and communicate interests of the campaign, communications, and policy perspectives of the regional office, and keep the regional team informed of progress and relevant strategic questions.

Project Management

• Serve as the primary responsible party in the regional office for management of projects.
• Manage processes for state scoping and state expansion efforts.
• Manage annual planning and budgeting processes in the region.
• Ensure effective coordination and integration within the regional office, including implementing tools and systems to support collaboration and information-sharing (e.g. Asana, Evernote), organizing and running regular team check-ins, etc.
• Organize several regional/state-specific meetings and conferences throughout the year. Project manage logistics for meetings and conferences including communication to attendees, agendas, speaker coordination, venue selection, contract AV needs, day of coordination, and budget management.

Communication

• Schedule and handle logistics for calls and meetings, and in correspondence use Energy Foundation language, tone, and style.
• Support PD to foster information-sharing and learning networks among grantees and thought leaders.
• Prepare initial drafts of documents and presentations for internal and external audiences, such as board dockets, proposals, and presentations.

Build the Team

• Work closely with others on the West team—including West Policy and California Campaigns teams—to coordinate strategy, meetings, and grants.
• Generate and implement ideas for systems, program, and operational improvement.
• Conduct basic research to support strategy and grantmaking.
• Project manage activities and events in coordination with colleagues.
• With assistance from supervisor and others, formulate own learning and development plan. Identify and seek out professional development opportunities, including networking, informational interviews, training, projects, etc.

Additional Tasks

• Support maintenance and updates to team intranet and other document retention platforms such as Google Drive and Box.
• Provide as-needed support to regional teams on a variety of projects.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas: electricity markets and regulation, renewable energy, climate, environmental studies, or public policy or candidate campaigns.
• Technical skills: intermediate or advanced skills using Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook, preferably in a Mac environment; familiarity with Google Drive, Docs, and Sheets.
• Project management/multitasking: experience supporting multiple priorities and juggling a variety of tasks or projects for one or more individuals in a team environment.

Physical demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to spend extended hours at the computer.

Other requirements

Ability to travel 4-6 times a year for 2-3 business days at a time.

Work environment

The Energy Foundation is located in Tivoli Village in the Summerlin neighborhood of Las Vegas. There is covered parking and nearby restaurants. The office environment is a typical co-working office, with moderate noise levels, shared kitchen facilities, and a collegial atmosphere. This position resides in open shared office space with a balcony. On occasion, there are activities or events after work hours.

Compensation

Energy Foundation provides a comprehensive benefits package, including competitive salary, medical, dental, vision, disability, and retirement benefits and paid time off.

Energy Foundation staff work in service of a clean energy future for all. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

How to Apply

Energy Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. To be considered, please submit your resume and a cover letter below expressing your passion for the mission and fit for the role.