Program Administrator - Solar Equity

Position Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000 - $52,000 per year, dependent on experience and education

Benefits: 457b plan, and matching; Medical coverage and 100% deductible coverage through HRA; Dental coverage; Vision coverage; Life insurance; Paid time off; Parental leave; Tuition Reimbursement; Monthly Remote Work Stipend; Supplemental Retirement plan, and more.

Work Location: Hybrid; In-person work location dependent on candidate’s Massachusetts residential location. Residents outside of Metro Boston, including Western Massachusetts, are encouraged to apply.

Position Overview

MassCEC seeks a motivated and organized candidate to join MassCEC as a Program Administrator. Successful candidates will bring relevant programmatic experience and/or interest paired with a strong commitment to helping Massachusetts achieve its 2050 net zero emissions goals in a way that focuses on equitable solutions to support environmental justice neighborhoods, and other underserved and underrepresented populations.

The Program Administrator will play a key role in supporting MassCEC’s solar and building decarbonization programming. Specifically, this role will be part of MassCEC’s High-Performance Buildings team, which supports the Commonwealth’s ambitious goals of reducing and eliminating fossil fuel and emissions from buildings, including supporting the development of significant potential programming focused on equitable access to Solar and other clean energy solutions within underserved communities.

This position blends the daily program administration responsibilities of engaging with potential program applicants, reviewing and awarding applications, drafting contracts, processing invoices, and reporting on program metrics, with frequent opportunities to collaborate on program improvement, new program development, stakeholder outreach efforts, and integration of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals into MassCEC’s work.

A number of new solar equity programs will be developed in the next year focused on solar access for low-income households, public housing, privately owned affordable housing, and low-income community solar. This position will support the development and operation of these new programs as well as existing solar related programs including EmPower, Mass Solar Loan, and MassCEC’s public awareness campaign Clean Energy Lives Here. The role will also serve as the primary contact to grant recipients, participant contractors, and other stakeholders for many developing or operating programs, ensuring constructive communication channels and feedback. MassCEC expects the responsibilities of this position to evolve and expand as MassCEC develops and initiates future building decarbonization efforts and programs.

The Program Administrator will report to the Program Manager but will also provide support for other members of the High Performance Buildings team. The successful Program Administrator will also work collaboratively with Finance, Legal, Communications, Senior Management, and other program staff.

Core Responsibilities:

The successful Program Administrator identifies issues as or before they arise and resolves them promptly by working collaboratively with the Program Team, grantees, consultants, and other parts of the organization as needed, including Finance, Legal, other team members, and senior management. Specific responsibilities include:

1. Provide comprehensive support to coordinate day-to-day activities of MassCEC programs, including:

• Review applications for quality and compliance with program requirements;
• Manage application queues and tracking;
• Provide timely responses to inquiries from applicants, potential applicants, awardees, and other program stakeholders;
• In conjunction with Program Team, draft programmatic requirements for grantee and consultant contracts;
• Alert program team to potential problems and work cooperatively with the program team and relevant stakeholders to ensure prompt resolution;
• Maintain supporting files on specific programs, including tracking files and key business documents, including project and program metrics, and ensure proper processing and archiving;
• Record and maintain awards and invoices in the award management system, assisting project teams to monitor their contracts and awards, ensure project/contract integrity, and track results;
• Organize and participate in stakeholder meetings with awardees, potential participants, community members, consultants, installers, and other industry members; and
• Work with the communications team to update program information on the website, send emails about program updates to stakeholders, and engage in awardee storytelling including blogs.

2. Provide support for Program Development, including:

• Support program development process, including conducting research, supporting stakeholder outreach, drafting program requirements;
• Support Senior Program Manager in program development, including maintaining internal schedules, development steps, and external communications; and
• Proactively review, adjust, and enhance existing program administration workflow and tools in response to program design changes or opportunities for operating efficiency.

3. Provide coordination and leadership to the Program Team including:

• Delegate tasks to and assist in the supervision of temporary staff and/or interns;
• Monitor project schedules and run reports to track project status, results, and internal operating efficiency; and
• Perform additional tasks or engage in applicable research as assigned by the Senior Program Manager and senior management team.

Position Qualifications:

Education:

Bachelor's degree, associate degree, or equivalent work experience or training, preferably in Public Health, Energy or Environmental Science/studies, Environmental/Social-Justice studies, Economics, Urban Planning, Business Administration, Public Administration or related field.

Experience:

This is an entry level position. Candidates without a bachelor’s degree or associate degree should have at least one year of experience in project or program administration, the public sector, the renewable energy industry, grant administration, equity, environmental justice or other relevant sectors. An associate or bachelor’s degree can be substituted for this experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Personal familiarity with Massachusetts environmental justice and/or western Massachusetts communities is a plus;
• Rigorous attention to detail;
• Well-developed and proficient organizational skills;
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities effectively;
• Ability to get up-to-speed quickly and work independently;
• Excellent quantitative, research, and analytical skills;
• Team-first attitude, capacity to be flexible in a dynamic work environment, and ability to maneuver and negotiate within a diverse setting and bring people together to achieve organizational goals;
• Demonstrated ability to work with internal and external stakeholders and cultivate appropriate relationships;
• Working knowledge of basic accounting and payment processing (budgets, invoices, etc.) preferred;
• Experience using Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook in a work setting;
• Familiarity with mapping or data analytics software such as ArcGIS or Tableau encouraged;
• Experience, demonstrated interest, and/or dedication to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and justice or environmental justice work, and related principles;
• Ability to read and absorb complex contracts, polices, rules, etc. and extract the information needed to ensure compliance with each; and
• Preferred but not required: familiarity or fluency in non-English languages commonly spoken in Massachusetts, such as Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese (Mandarin and/or Cantonese), or Haitian Creole.

About the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), as a quasi-public entity, plays a critical role in fostering the success of our state’s clean energy sector. MassCEC’s mission is to accelerate the clean energy and climate solution innovation that is critical to meeting the Commonwealth’s climate goals, advancing Massachusetts’ position as an international climate leader while growing the state’s clean energy economy.

MassCEC undertakes targeted programmatic initiatives to accelerate cost reductions in clean energy, help consumers diversify their energy choices and address evolving energy needs, leverage public and private funds to drive investment into this rapidly-growing sector, and scale-up renewable energy deployment across the state.

MassCEC is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization where everyone is welcomed, supported, respected, and valued. We are committed to incorporating principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice in all aspects of our work in order to promote the equitable distribution of the health and economic benefits of clean energy and support a diverse and inclusive clean energy industry. MassCEC strives to lead and innovate in equitable clean energy and climate solutions.

To Apply

Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit a resume and cover letter through our Online Career Center. Applicants with diverse backgrounds, experiences, ability and perspectives are encouraged to apply.