ABOUT VOTE SOLAR

Vote Solar advocates for a transition to a just and equitable 100% clean energy system that puts the interests, health and well-being of people at its center. Founded in 2002, Vote Solar advocates for clean energy and energy justice in legislative and regulatory arenas at the state level, where most decisions about electricity are made. Operating in over 20 states, we focus on bringing deep policy expertise, working in just partnerships with broad coalitions, and engaging the public to win on solar and energy justice campaigns.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND JUSTICE

Vote Solar values diversity in all its forms and we are cultivating a supportive, diverse, and inclusive environment at every level of our organization, including our staff, leadership and board, to ensure that we retain our excellent staff and allow them to be their authentic selves. As we work towards a 100% clean future that works for everyone, we are taking deliberate, sustained, and conscientious attention to partnership with environmental justice groups, communities of color, and other community organizations in the places we wish to serve, to ensure that their voices are represented in the energy policy discussions that impact their communities. We believe that state policies should equitably convey benefits back to these communities, so we work on equitable and just programs and incentives designed to provide bill savings, wealth generation, jobs, and improvements to local air quality and public health.

THE ROLE

We are seeking to fill the key leadership role of Senior Regional Director (SRD), Interior West, a position that will manage our Interior West team across the region, with a focus on Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. This individual will ensure we are running strategic, equitable and impactful solar and energy justice policy campaigns and regulatory interventions. Reporting to the National Programs Director, this position will serve as part of the national SRD management cohort, and work in close collaboration with the Philanthropy, Communications, and Access & Equity Departments to further our mission in the Interior West. In the first year you will be managing a team of 4-5, working to advance campaigns and regulatory dockets in the priority states of Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Regional Director, Interior West will set strategy and manage staff in the Interior West. This team includes two Regional Regulatory Directors, two Regional Campaign Directors, and a Regulatory Manager. We are in the process of actively hiring one of the Regional Regulatory Directors who will ideally be based in Arizona or Utah. In 2022, we anticipate hiring a NM- or CO-based Regional Campaigns Director & Tribal Liaison. The Senior Regional Director will be expected to demonstrate the following core competencies in your day-to-day work:

MANAGEMENT

• You are able to hire, support, and cultivate the leadership of staff in your region. You effectively engage in and resolve conflict and you are able to adeptly manage across lines of difference within a multi-racial organization. You have demonstrated skills in managing to 1) develop diversity, equity, inclusion and justice core competencies in your staff, 2) build an inclusive team, 3) drive results and 4) ensure direct reports are on a rewarding professional career path at Vote Solar.
• You are able to maintain an inclusive, productive, collaborative and supported Interior West Team, where staff members are learning from each other and growing.

ADVANCING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND JUSTICE (DEIJ) INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY

• You are committed to developing a sophisticated understanding of how racial, gender, economic, and social inequity impacts supervisory relationships, partnerships, and campaigns and coalition work.
• You are excited about and committed to advancing Vote Solar’s DEIJ work through program strategy, management practices, and organization-wide leadership. You are able and willing to help the region live into Vote Solar’s DEIJ commitment.

STRATEGY & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

• You can effectively and collaboratively lead annual planning for the region, and be a contributor to our multi-year strategic planning process. You are able to work with regional staff to develop Vote Solar’s legislative and regulatory policy and partnership strategy and priorities for the region.
• You are able to support regional staff to develop policy positions on complex solar and energy justice issues by having and/or gaining policy expertise and by working with staff and to identify the right partners/mentors/resources to inform our positions and solutions.
• You are able to support staff in building just partnerships with communities of color, environmental justice communities, and others most impacted by the climate crisis and current energy system to ensure our solution set is grounded in partner knowledge on what it will take to rebuild an equitable and just energy system.
• You are able to support the Philanthropy Team in building relationships with funders in the region and national funders with an interest in the region, and are able to edit grant proposals for the region.
• You are able to act as an ambassador for the organization at key events across the region.

CAMPAIGN OVERSIGHT

• You will be managing Regulatory and Regional Directors who are running comprehensive regulatory and legislative campaigns to advance solar and energy justice policies. As their manager, you will be providing mentorship, guidance and thought-partnership. Elements of their work that you would need to provide guidance on include:
• Developing policy proposals specific to the state to advance solar and other clean, distributed energy resources.
• Oversee strategy and nuts-and-bolts execution of effective regulatory intervention, including the development of analysis and testimony, inter-party strategy, and settlement negotiations.
• Building champions for solar and energy justice policies through high-level relationship building and education of key policymakers in the region.
• Ensuring that our work in the region advances equitable energy policies and programs that will benefit underserved communities.
• Leveraging grassroots supporters and key influencers to turn solar’s broad popularity into effective political power.
• Building strong, authentic partnerships within coalitions to increase the effectiveness and inclusivity of our campaigns. Commit to and exemplify our just partnership principles. You have, or are able to develop, strong relationships with regional stakeholders, especially environmental justice groups, environmental groups and the solar industry.
• Developing strategic communications plans in the region with our internal communications team, including planning and implementing media and social media plans to support campaign objectives.

OPERATIONAL OVERSIGHT:

• You are able to manage up to a $250k regional professional service budget.
• You are able to ensure that all activities within your program/issue area, as well as the staff you manage, comply with relevant nonprofit laws and lobbying regulations and adhere to internal policies, practices, and protocols.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND COMPENSATION

• Location: We have a strong preference for this person to be based in the Interior West (CO, NV, AZ, NM and UT). The Interior West SRD position will be remote and can be based in any Interior West state or in a state within easy travel distance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Vote Solar staff have been working from home and have ceased work travel. When it is safe to do so, this position will require some regional and national travel (plan for at most one trip per month). Workplace arrangements are flexible, including options to work from a co-working space or work from home.
• Salary & Benefits: The salary range for this position is $120,000 - $135,000. Vote Solar provides full-time staff with a competitive package, including 3 weeks of paid vacation in year one and 4 weeks starting in year two, 12 days of sick leave and 4 days of personal leave. We also offer 100% employer-provided health, dental and vision care for both the employee and dependents; a retirement savings plan and an employer match of up to 3.5%; and a paid parental and medical leave policy for full-time staff who have worked for Vote Solar for at least one year.
• Start date: ASAP.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Vote Solar is partnering with RCG Talent Solutions to find our next Senior Regional Director, Interior West. Please follow this link to submit your application and direct all questions to Joanna Novick. Reasonable accommodations will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.

Vote Solar is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in the workplace and in the communities with which we partner. We strongly encourage and seek applications from women, people of color, including multilingual and multicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, or medical conditions. Reasonable accommodations will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.