Vice President, Public Policy & Government Affairs

NECEC (the Northeast Clean Energy Council) is a regional non-profit clean energy business, policy, and innovation organization whose mission is to lead the just, equitable, and rapid transition to a clean energy future and a diverse climate economy. NECEC is the only organization in the Northeast that covers all of the clean energy market segments, representing the business perspectives of investors and clean energy companies across every stage of development. NECEC members span the broad spectrum of the clean energy industry, including clean transportation, energy efficiency, wind, solar, energy storage, microgrids, fuel cells, and advanced and "smart" technologies.

NECEC commits itself to doing the necessary work -- both internally and within the climate economy ecosystem - to put issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion front and center. We have much work to do to fully integrate our values and ideals and make our organization, board, and membership reflect the diversity of the communities in which we live and work. A just transition to a clean energy future is only possible if the organizations working towards it are just and inclusive. NECEC is on a journey to be a model for diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we invite all members of the equitable climate economy ecosystem to join us.

Purpose The NECEC Vice President of Government & Public Affairs leads NECEC's work to bring about the just and rapid transition through strategic interventions within government. In collaboration with NECEC's president, Public Policy and Government Affairs team, NECEC staff and management team, as well as the NECEC membership and strategic partners, the Vice President sets a bold agenda for progress across the six New England states and New York and develops effective strategies for achieving established goals. Strategies for intervention could include legislative, legal and advocacy.

Essential Functions

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Lead NECEC Public Policy and Government Affairs efforts and the staff supporting this work.
• Incorporate principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in all work, including programmatic work as well as hiring, procurement, and supervisory work and foster a culture of respect and inclusion.
• Develop strategies for and oversee all NECEC public policy and government affairs efforts and programs at the state, regional and national levels, including energy and environmental justice, distributed energy resources (e.g., energy efficiency, demand response, and distributed generation); grid-scale renewable and clean energy; grid modernization/21st-century electricity system/future utility business models/transmission; and clean transportation.
• Coordinate and manage all state and national government affairs efforts and relationships, including managing consultants, external lobbyists and lobbying efforts.
• Lead NECEC member policy committee, working groups and coalitions.
• Lead NECEC's research efforts to develop updated policy positions and the shared insights and education to make the case for the value of NECEC's positions.
• Coordinate with NECEC's state partners to develop and advance state-specific agendas for change.
• Establish new and shepherd existing strategic relationships with policy and research organizations, aligned with common goals and related interests.
• Lead NECEC's public policy and government affairs initiatives that combine proactive leadership positions along with reactive rapid responses to policy challenges and opportunities.
• Develop state-wide issue advocacy or legislative campaigns to advance to goals of the organization.
• Grow relationships with policymakers in state legislatures, governors' offices and related executive agencies, and lead NECEC's team effort to educate and influence legislative policy, responding quickly to new bills and proposals affecting clean energy.
• Support, build and lead coalitions with advocacy organizations, NGOs and nonprofits to advance legislative goals.
• Manage NECEC's efforts in key regulatory reform initiatives, whether through interventions in utility cases, expert advisory committees to public sector initiatives, or the review and oversight of regulatory implementations of public laws.
• Communicate effectively and professionally as a NECEC representative in public forums and with the media on clean energy and climate economy issues.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for maintaining and/or expanding NECEC's funding base through private foundation and corporate grants.
• Establish and maintain key funder relationships in relation to NECEC's public policy and government affairs work.
• Identify current research, best practices and strategies for supporting NECEC advocacy and policy work, maintaining a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in the clean energy industry.
• Manage, contribute to, and edit development of policy briefs and other written products
• Ensure high quality of products and deliverables for state, regional and federal policy
• Manage NECEC annual Clean Energy Days in various Northeast state capitals and other policy-related events, including NECEC's Emerging Trends Series.
• Work with NECEC's President and outsourced CFO to develop the Public Policy and Government Affairs annual budget.
• Manage Public Policy and Government Affairs budgets, timelines and work plans.
• Participate in the Management Team.
• Ensure effective tracking of progress and results as well as regular evaluation of program elements to foster learning and to measure and communicate successes to key stakeholders, including funders, members, partners, and policymakers.
• Travel required, primarily in the Northeast, including New York, and occasionally beyond the region, up to 25% of the time

Qualified candidates should have an advanced degree in public policy, public management, law or a related field and seven or more years of experience in the energy/environmental industry. Candidates should also be able to demonstrate:

• Passion for the mission of NECEC.
• Comprehensive content knowledge of clean energy and climate economy policies and regulations at the state, regional, and federal levels.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the legislative process at state and federal level.
• Understanding of legislative, issue advocacy and electoral campaigns.
• Experience developing state-wide coalitions with a variety of stakeholders from non-profits to businesses.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively about those policies in a way that is easily understood by non-experts.
• Proven experience in legislative advocacy, policy development and practice, and policy
• Highly regarded in professional circles for relevant skills and e
• Effective leader and team member.
• Self-starter, comfortable shaping priorities and agenda within broadly-set parameters.
• Expertise at developing relationships across multi-stakeholder communities and working to align stakeholder coalitions around a common set of positions.
• Ability to conceptualize, plan and manage major complex projects and multiple initiatives
• Ability to work independently as well as a collaborative member and leader of a team.
• Experience in effectively managing and supervising full and part-time staff, consultants, and volunteers.
• Experience in fundraising and maintaining relationships with donors, including foundations and state agencies.
• Excellent facilitation, presentation, written, and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience in clean energy policy research and report writing
• Demonstrated networking/partnership-building skills

NECEC is an equal opportunity employer, and seeks to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital or civil union status, military service, citizenship, or any other characteristics and traits protected under applicable federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.