New Energy Cities Project Manager

Climate Solutions' mission is to accelerate practical and profitable solutions to global warming by galvanizing leadership, growing investment, and bridging divides in the Northwest. Since 1998, Climate Solutions has pioneered the vision and cultivated political leadership in the Northwest for the proposition that clean energy and broadly-shared economic prosperity can go hand-in-hand. Through our Business Leaders, New

Energy Cities, and Harvesting Clean Energy programs, Climate Solutions builds a powerful constituency for local, regional, and national action on climate and clean energy. Climate Solutions has offices in Seattle, Olympia, Portland, and Missoula.

New Energy Cities (NEC) is a Climate Solutions program that helps Northwest cities become national leaders and compelling models of success in pioneering a clean, renewable, super-efficient energy system that delivers powerful economic, health, and environmental benefits. NEC offers a comprehensive approach that integrates smart power grids, green intelligent buildings, plug-in electric vehicles, and renewable power sources.

To accomplish NEC's goals, we are working with up to 12 pioneering cities in the Northwest in a mission-driven consulting capacity. We conduct workshops; create action and implementation plans; develop financing strategies; and help our pioneer communities implement their customized action plans.

Position Overview:

Climate Solutions' NEC program is seeking a seasoned Project Manager, who shares our passion for enabling the massive transformation to the clean energy economy in the Northwest, has experience with client management and is skilled in project management. It is a fast-paced position in a start-up environment with very limited administrative support.

The NEC Project Manager will manage NEC relationships with specific partner cities, serving as NEC's primary liaison to these city-clients. The Project Manager coordinates the delivery of a variety of NEC services, customized to each city, designed to enable the city to galvanize around and successfully implement its NEC Action Plan. The Project Manager will be involved in the preparation and delivery of workshops customized for each city, the development of the NEC Action Plans that emerge from the workshops, and implementation of projects identified as priority opportunities in the NEC Action Plans.

This position is supervised by Eileen V. Quigley, the NEC Program Director and is located in Seattle.

Responsibilities:

• Be the primary liaison and facilitator for partner cities' NEC implementation plans; support city lead staff to anticipate and overcome barriers and maximize being part of the NEC community
• Set and measure project goals, objectives, tactics, and metrics
• Research energy use patterns and identify promising project opportunities in advance of workshops
• Scope complicated projects: break down tasks, resources, and deliverables into work plans with timelines
• Manage group processes, stakeholders, partner cities and complex projects that involve coordinating numerous participants
• Oversee the project implementation and successful completion of tasks and deliverables on time and on budget
• Collaborate with elected officials and staff at the local level (primarily city, town, and county), understanding the political dynamics in which they operate
• Conduct productive and successful meetings with various stakeholders, summarizing action items, and following through on takeaways
• Maintain detailed documentation of partner cities' progress and enable the free flow of information among all participants
• Input contact and other tracking information into Salesforce database
• Assistance with communications strategies and tactics, including blogging and use of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter to tell the stories of our pioneer cities and to build our city-to-city New Energy Cities community
• Additional duties may be assigned within the course of the work

Qualifications:

Skills and Knowledge:

• Understanding of community energy planning, climate planning, and/or sustainability planning processes is highly desirable
• Experience working with cities and counties
• Group facilitation skills with varied stakeholders including businesses, government officials, and citizens
• Exceptional project management and organizational skills
• Ability to work with a virtual team
• Strong attention to detail
• Highly energetic, organized, focused, reliable, hard-working
• Ability to work effectively both independently and with a team in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Maturity and an ability to deal with difficult clients calmly and professionally, without drama
• Analytical, clear thinker who can translate complex problems for clients in a clear and objective manner
• Excellent analysis, writing, and verbal communications skills
• A self-starting individual with a can-do attitude and a sense of humor
• Strong commitment to Climate Solutions' mission and vision
• Ability to operate a desktop computer and Microsoft Windows and Office Software, including Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and specialized software applications in a network environment
• Familiarity with modern communications tools, from traditional media to social and viral web strategies

Experience:

• 2 years demonstrated success working in either a consulting practice that has involved energy, environment, sustainability, and/or climate projects, or in creating or implementing energy, climate, and/or sustainability plans at the local government level
• 2 years' experience managing clients or complex projects that involve coordinating numerous participants and overseeing the successful completion of tasks and deliverables on time and on budget
• Project management is critical; project management of clean energy projects an added bonus, but not required
• Experience facilitating group processes, scoping complicated projects, breaking down tasks, resources, and deliverables into work plans with timelines required
• Experience working in local government, preferably as a project coordinator creating and/or driving execution of implementation plans
• Familiarity with project management tools, both software and online virtual workspace environments
• Experience with public policy development is preferred, but not required

Education and Training:

We would like the Project Manager to have a Bachelor's Degree at a minimum. A Masters Degree in sustainable business practices, planning, or public policy would be applicable, but is not required. Training may substitute for education.

Licenses or Certificates:

Possession of, or ability to possess within 3 months, a driver's license and auto insurance.

Compensation: This is an exempt position with a generous benefits including, medical, paid leave, and retirement. Salary range starts at $55,000 annually.

To Apply:

Please email a résumé, cover letter and at least 3 professional reference contacts in PDF format. Please put NEC PROJECT MANAGER APPLICATION as the subject line of the email and address the cover letter to Eileen V. Quigley, New Energy Cities Program Director. Please label the cover letter and resume with your last name. In the body of the email, please let know how you found out about the position. Job post will remain open until June 20, 2011.

Climate Solutions is committed to equal opportunity in employment and promotion for all qualified persons without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, military or veteran status, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, pregnancy and childbirth, family responsibilities, or any other basis protected by applicable laws, regulations, or guidelines relating to discrimination in employment.