Energy Programs Assistant

The Michigan Suburbs Alliance, a nonprofit corporation registered in the State of Michigan, supports local government officials who realize that many of the challenges confronting their communities are regional or statewide in scope.

The Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office is a collaborative partnership among the Suburbs Alliance, WARM Training Center, SEMCOG, the Michigan Municipal League and numerous local government members.

The Regional Energy Office provides strategic, educational and technical services to local governments to enable them to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. More about the Suburbs Alliance and the Regional Energy Office is available here.

Position Overview: 

The Michigan Suburbs Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is seeking a bright, tireless individual to serve as Energy Programs Assistant with the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office. The Energy Programs Assistant is a 2-year grant-funded member of the Suburbs Alliance team who supports member local governments by coordinating and providing access to a range of services including grant writing and administration, educational programming and technical assistance.

The Energy Programs Assistant works directly with the Director of the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office to advance a collaborative regional program in partnership with several government entities and nonprofits. An entry-level position in an emergent issue area and a rapidly growing organization, this position will be best filled by an individual who brings an entrepreneurial approach to even the most basic tasks.

The Suburbs Alliance's goal is to recruit a hard-working person to help take the Energy Office from internal project to independent program. The ideal candidate is professional, amiable, and comfortable with the dynamic structure of a small nonprofit. She or he should be self-driven and able to progress independently, but also be fully capable of functioning in a flexible team environment. He/she should be comfortable taking direction and completing complex and mundane tasks to a deadline.

Responsibilities:

Under the direction of the Director of the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office, the Energy Programs Assistant's primary responsibilities are to respond to the needs of member communities and ensure effective and consistent communications among the partners. The duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Researching funding opportunities for the Regional Energy Office and its members;
• Developing grant applications and reports;
• Working with partner organizations to coordinate educational and technical assistance opportunities for member government staff;
• Developing content for website and other internet-based communications platforms;
• Communicating with staff of member governments and partner organizations regularly to coordinate member service offerings; and
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Hours and Expectations:

The Suburbs Alliance operates a "virtual" office in addition to utilizing physical space in a non traditional manner. Salaried employees are provided a laptop and expected to have cell phone and internet access during working hours. This full time, salaried position may require some evening and weekend hours. The Energy Programs Assistant may telecommute during regular hours and have frequent meetings in our main office in Ferndale.

Qualifications:

Minimum Applicant Requirements:

Bachelor's degree or 5+ years of relevant work experience; a clear understanding of, experience with and commitment to energy efficiency and green building issues; proficiency with the Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with a variety of internet-based communications platforms demonstrated organizational skills; ability to work in an independent environment; excellent writing and editing skills; proven ability to manage multiple assignments with deadlines; professional demeanor, strong work ethic, positive attitude, self motivated, creative and flexible.

Preferred Applicant Requirements:

Significant experience writing and/or administering state and federal grants; experience in local government and/or member services; demonstrated ability to handle sensitive information with discretion; independence tempered by the ability to work within a team; and an excellent sense of

Compensation: For this full time salaried position, the Suburbs Alliance offers a total compensation package of salary, medical/dental/vision benefits and retirement matching valued between $28,170 and $38,250. Generous holiday and personal time benefits also accrue to this position.

Application Deadline: January 14, 2010

To Apply:

Interested individuals should send a cover letter, resume and 3 references electronically in either MS Word or PDF format. Applicants are encouraged to take extra time to detail their skills and experience in the cover letter. Resumes must show relevant experience. Incomplete submissions will not receive further review.