See full position description and instructions for applying at https://commissionshift.org/about/#careers

Position: Policy Manager, Orphaned Wells

Pay range: $60,000 to $75,000, depending on experience

Benefits: Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement; 401k retirement plan with up to 4% employer match; professional development allowance; 20 days/year paid time off for vacation, sick leave, or other needs; and 12 days/year paid holidays.

Location: must be located in Austin, Texas or willing to relocate; work from home, with regular in-person meetings at Texas Legislature, Railroad Commission of Texas, or with stakeholders.

Travel: Occasional; less than 30% of the time

Hours: Full-time

Application deadline: Sep. 18, 2023 or until the position is filled

About Commission Shift

Commission Shift is a fast-growing Texas-based 501(c)3 non-profit founded in March 2021. Our mission is to reform oil and gas oversight by building public support to hold the Railroad Commission of Texas accountable to its mission in a shifting energy landscape.

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) is one of the most important oil and gas regulators in the world. Contrary to what its name implies, the Railroad Commission has no authority over railroads. Instead, the agency oversees oil and gas development, coal and uranium mining, and gas utility service in Texas, among other functions. Its mission is to serve Texas through stewardship of natural resources and the environment, concern for personal and community safety, and support of enhanced development and economic vitality for the benefit of Texans.

Too often, the Commission has promoted accelerated development of oil and gas over all other parts of its mission -- to the detriment of natural resources and the environment, safety, and economic vitality.

Commission Shift’s goal is to build broad public support from a wide array of stakeholder voices to advance changes at the RRC that improve the agency’s function, transparency, and accountability to people and places impacted by the oil and gas industry. Our vision is for these changes at the RRC to support an energy transition in Texas that benefits the climate while fostering consumer protection and choice, public engagement, transparent government, a clean environment, a stable workforce and an economically diverse and resilient economy.

Learn more about Commission Shift by visiting our website, www.commissionshift.org.

Position Description

Commission Shift is hiring a Policy Manager, who will serve as a subject matter expert on orphaned wells and at least one other focus area related to our programs including: oil and gas waste disposal pits, venting and flaring, natural gas and electric grid reliability, ethics, campaign finance, public participation and language accessibility.

The Policy Manager will report to the Deputy Director and will collaborate with the organizing team, communications team, and research consultants to develop key strategies and policy positions for the organization. The role of the Policy Manager will be to develop a deep understanding of their focus areas, analyze current regulatory frameworks through a variety of social lenses (e.g. environmental, racial/ethnic, poverty, urban/rural, language access), and develop policy recommendations and campaign strategies that center and respond to the needs of impacted communities.

The policy manager will be responsible for attending virtual and in-person meetings at the Railroad Commission of Texas, the Texas Legislature, and other agencies as needed. They will also interact with relevant stakeholders and coalitions to better understand the issues and develop strategies and recommendations.