Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy - Initiative for Energy Justice, School of Law

About the Opportunity

**Please note that as of November 1, 2023, our hiring timeline was extended due to limited staff capacity including family leave, and we will continue accepting applications through February 2024. We recognize it may have been a long time since you submitted your application and appreciate your patience and understanding as we work diligently to move our hiring processes along. We will begin contacting and interviewing candidates in February. The estimated start dates for our open positions are April and May. Please email any questions to jobs@iejusa.org. **

The Initiative for Energy Justice (IEJ) seeks a Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy to lead and manage IEJ as part of a two-person executive team. We are looking for candidates with a background in energy policy, a commitment to equity, and demonstrated skills in executive leadership, management, and influence. This is an extraordinary opportunity to guide the trajectory of a national research and resource center dedicated to advancing a just transition to renewable energy across all U.S. states. Founded in 2018, IEJ is growing from a startup organization into an established institute simultaneously as the country significantly accelerates creating rules and regulations governing the expansion of renewable energy.

Together with an executive team partner, the Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy will share responsibility for executive leadership, this includes overall strategy-setting, annual planning, and organizational decision-making. Furthermore, the Co-ED, Programs and Policy will collaborate and independently focus on program leadership (advancing energy justice policy in the US through IEJ’s research, resource development, training, and leadership development) and executive communications (public speaking, media relations, editing publications, and day-to-day communications strategy).

Who you are: The ideal candidate is someone who equitably centers impact, changes policy, and achieves results.

Who you’ll co-lead with: IEJ’s current Executive Director will become the Co-Executive Director, Operations and Partners when the newly hired Co-Executive Director, Programs and Policy starts. The Co-Executive Director, Operations and Partners focuses on fostering creativity, building relationships, and establishing a resilient organization.

Qualifications:
 

Required Qualifications:

1) Education and experience:

• Knowledge and skills typically obtained through a related Bachelor's degree or graduate degree with ten years of relevant work experience, including five years in the field of energy policy
• The typical candidate will have at least three years of managerial/supervisory experience
• Experience working with policymakers on the technical aspects of energy policy evaluation and design, including experience in administrative rule-making proceedings (e.g., public utility commissions) or experience in crafting legislation
• Experience working with frontline environmental justice communities, advocates, and practitioners
• Experience managing a team and supervising direct reports
   

2) Commitment to equity externally and internally:

• Driven by purpose, passion, and ambition for IEJ’s vision and mission
• Demonstrated commitment to domestic and global environmental, climate, and energy justice (including racial, economic, and social justice)
• Demonstrated commitment to successful energy justice policy progress in the US, from laws to administrative rules and regulations governing utilities
• Demonstrated commitment to ground-up movement-building and the capacity-building of movement partners to achieve energy justice and energy democracy
• Willingness to co-lead with fellow Co-ED and collaborate with directors and staff
• Committed to advancing racial and social justice within own organization

3) Executive and strategic leadership skills:

• Adaptable, resilient, and joyful leader – maturity and ability to lead through uncertainty, change, stress, and complex social and technical challenges while inciting joy and good humor
• Visionary strategic thinker and communicator – can clearly articulate an ambitious, realistic, and clear vision, as well as strategic priorities to achieve that vision
• Strong executive communication skills – including public speaking and editing of written material; can communicate complex ideas to many different audiences through various channels
   

4) Management skills:

• Decisive and proactive – can take command of a situation and make difficult decisions; can prioritize strategically, focus, and act to get things done
• Directive – can establish and