Associate Director for Building Decarbonization Policy

The mission of the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and consumer energy costs by advancing clean energy, energy efficiency, and zero emission vehicles to benefit all Coloradans. 

We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities. 

Description of Job

The Associate Director of Building Decarbonization supports the Energy Office’s vision and will lead CEO’s work on implementing building codes and building performance standards. While CEO has worked on building energy efficiency for years, we are significantly expanding our focus on building decarbonization, including  through new building performance standards, developing stronger statewide minimum energy codes, engaging with gas utilities on clean heat plan implementation, and administering building electrification grant programs. 

The Associate Director will work closely with the Direct of Building Finance and Innovation and the Director of Policy to support the working group developing innovative energy codes, implement the building performance standards program, and participate in conversations to deliver building policies and programs. 

Duties and Responsibilities: 

Building Codes and Performance Strategy and Development 

• Be a point person on building codes and performance standards for the Office including with policymakers and other stakeholders, to move the Office’s policy agenda forward.
• Support the Office’s work on building decarbonization in appropriate regulatory settings including the state Air Quality Control Commission and the Public Utilities Commission, including developing testimony and serving as a witness, and provide testimony in legislative settings.
• Represent CEO at conferences and other public speaking events. 
• Maintain a working knowledge of leading state or national level policies.
• Build relationships with thought leaders and potential partners in other states. 

Program Development and Management

• Support the productions of reports, research, or studies, to advance the Office’s agenda, including the management of contractors when required.
• Manage 1-3 direct reports responsible for building codes support, a building performance standards program, and other programs to support the Office’s vision. 
• Develop annual work plans and coach and mentor team members. 
• Participate in annual strategic planning related to building decarbonization. 
• Help to lead the Beneficial Electrification League of Colorado (BELCO).
• Manage procurement of federal awards to support the state’s work on building codes.
• Oversee implementation of statewide commercial building benchmarking and performance standards
• Oversee implementation of new legislation on statewide requirements for solar and electric ready building and development of a low carbon building code
• Work with our regulatory team on clean heat plan implementation at the PUC and AQCC
• Other duties as requested and required.

Qualifications:

• At least 4 years of experience in the sector 
• Knowledge of building decarbonization policies and technologies including electrification and advanced energy codes
• Excellent people skills, management experience preferred
• Strong time management and organizational skills
• Strong written, oral, and presentation communication skills
• Demonstrates a high level of initiative, the ability to work independently, and on a team
• Excellent computer skills including the Microsoft Office and Google suite
• Preferred experience working with federal funding and grantmaking

Supplemental Information

A cover letter and resume must be submitted with the application for consideration. Your cover letter and resume must provide sufficient detail about your background and experience to allow the screening panel to properly assess your experience in the required elements, including your experience and achievements.  

The State of Colorado/Office of the Governor offers a generous benefits package including:

• Generous annual leave and sick leave accruals
• 11 paid holidays per year
• Medical plans - choice of Cigna or Kaiser; several plan options (including High Deductible Health Plan and HSA with state-provided financial contribution); most plans offered with generous state contribution towards premium
• Wellness program enrollment opportunity; includes $20/month reimbursement
• Prescription drug coverage; many preventive medications covered at no cost
• Dental plans (choice of 2)
• Vision plan (premium for basic plan paid by state; buy-up option available)
• Flexible spending accounts (general purpose, limited purpose and dependent care)
• State-paid life insurance policy of $50,000
• Choice of 2 retirement plans (defined contribution or defined benefit) with COPERA (Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association) with required employee salary deferral with generous state contribution*  
• Optional COPERA 401(k) and 457 retirement plans, with Roth option, for additional retirement savings
• State-paid short term disability coverage
• Additional optional life and long term disability plan options
• Access to the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program: offers confidential mental health counseling, professional coaching, employee mediation, 24/7 crisis support
• BenefitHub Discount Program (thousands of discounts and cashback offers)
• Credit Union of Colorado membership opportunity
• RTD (transit) Ecopass
• Training and professional development

*For information on mandatory employee salary deferral (in lieu of contribution to Social Security), see COPERA for details: https://www.copera.org/member-contribution-rates

To learn more about State of Colorado benefits, please visit the state’s benefits portal: https://www.colorado.gov/dhr/benefits.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law. 

ADAAA Accommodations

The Office of the Governor is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship.  If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Staffing Coordinator (the Director of Human Resources) at gov_hr@state.co.us.

Conditions of Employment

Applicants must pass a thorough background check prior to employment.

Effective September 20, 2021, employees will be required to attest to and verify that they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and may be required to submit to regular serial testing. Upon hire, new employees will have three (3) business days to provide attestation to their Covid-19 vaccination status with proof of vaccination.  Testing, if required, will take place in-person and will be considered paid work time. 

Note: Fully Vaccinated means two (2) weeks after a second dose in a two-dose series of the COVID-19 vaccine, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two (2) weeks after the single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine, all as defined by the State of Colorado’s Public Health Order and guidance issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment.