Senior Energy Efficiency Fellow

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is the state's primary energy policy and planning agency, created by the Legislature in 1974 to reduce the wasteful, uneconomic, inefficient, or unnecessary consumption of energy within the state. Under this charge, the CEC develops energy efficiency standards for appliances, lighting, and equipment to deliver energy and cost savings to utilities and consumers.

It is also a key strategy in meeting state policy objectives, including green house gas reductions under Assembly Bill 32 and the California Public Utilities Commissions' policy goal of achieving zero net energy buildings by 2020 for residential buildings and 2030 for commercial buildings.

Position Overview:

The CEC seeks a Senior Energy Efficiency Fellow to provide leadership and expert technical support on the development of standards for consumer electronics, lighting, white goods, and other appliances under consideration for the new appliance energy efficiency Order Instituting Rulemaking (OIR). The CEC has already received several complex proposals for appliance efficiency standards that will require significant stakeholder involvement in developing proposed standards and solutions to barriers.

As both a technical resource and team member, the Senior Fellow will work directly with Appliance Unit staff, Commissioners, advisors, legal counsel, and stakeholders to address the complex technical and policy issues involved in standard development.

California's energy policies have long set an example across the country, and appliance efficiency standards have delivered some of the most significant savings for the state. This is an exciting opportunity for an energy efficiency professional looking to have a measurable impact on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

The successful candidate will possess a strong technical background in energy efficiency and standard development. He or she will be a proven project manager who has demonstrated the ability to interact effectively with a range of stakeholders throughout the regulatory process. The Senior Fellow will work closely with CEC staff engineers and policy experts, and will report directly to the OIR project manager.

Responsibilities:

The Senior Energy Efficiency Fellow will perform the following and other duties as assigned:

• Provide technical and policy guidance on standard development, prioritizing appliances where more technical expertise is required, such as computers, servers, and lighting products. 
• Review proposals for new standards to verify the cost effectiveness and technical feasibility of those proposed standards.
• Assist in the development, directly and indirectly, of CEC staff reports proposing CEC standards.
• Assist in developing implementation schedules for completion of rulemaking processes.
• Assist in establishing and managing working groups, as necessary, under regulatory proceedings to engage stakeholders in resolving technical barriers to proposed standards.
• Brief Commissioners, advisors, and management regarding the benefits and feasibility of technical issues related to proposed standards.
• Review, analyze, and respond to stakeholder comments on proposed CEC standards.
• Assist in developing rulemaking documents under the requirements of the Administrative Procedures Act.

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will have the following qualifications:

• 8+ years of work experience, with at least 5 years of experience in energy efficiency or appliance efficiency , familiarity with consumer electronics and/or lighting preferred
• Ability to interpret and evaluate technical data for appliance and equipment efficiency improvement
• Bachelor's degree in engineering or other scientific/technical field of relevance to energy efficiency, graduate degree preferred
• Understanding of economic modeling, including life cycle analysis and cost effectiveness, expertise in analyzing the cost effectiveness and technical feasibility of appliance energy efficiency standards preferred.
• Experience facilitating and coordinating diverse stakeholder groups, such as manufacturers and retailers, environmental groups, utilities, trade associations, and government agencies
• Experience in planning and managing projects to produce agreed-upon deliverables, on time and within allocated resources
• Familiarity with energy efficiency and environmental policy, familiarity with CEC regulatory processes and the California energy efficiency field preferred.
• Excellent analytical and communications skills with the proven ability to write clear and concise reports or briefings
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills with past experience guaranteeing validity and quality of quantitative work products
• Self starter, with demonstrated ability to take initiative and work independently while also coordinating and serving in a collegial fashion with CEC staff and outside stakeholders

Compensation:
This position is funded by a national foundation that values the leadership actions of California and sees significant value in developing appliance energy efficiency standards as a model for nationwide and international consideration. The Fellow will be an employee of the Trust for Conservation Innovation, providing full time support to CEC staff.

The contract term for this position will be for an initial period of 1 year, with anticipated extension for 2 additional years, assuming the fellowship is productive to the mutual satisfaction of the foundation, the Fellow, and the CEC.

The contract will provide a competitive salary and benefits, as well as an expense budget for travel as warranted. The CEC will provide workspace and overhead support of office equipment, computer, telecommunications, etc., at its headquarters in Sacramento.

This position will remain open until filled, with an ideal start date in late spring 2012.

To Apply:

To be considered for this position, interested candidates must follow this link to submit a resume, cover letter, and salary requirements.

The Trust for Conservation Innovation is an equal opportunity employer.

CEA Recruiting works with leading environmental nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to recruit top talent and design effective organizational staffing strategies.