Vacancy: Program Manager, Here Comes Solar
Type: Full-Time (Hybrid Work Schedule)
Job Location: New York, NY
Estimated Start: September 2023
About Solar One
Solar One is a 501c(3) organization that empowers communities in the New York City metro area to thrive in the face of the challenges brought on by climate change and embrace a low-carbon, resource-efficient, and socially inclusive world.
Initially founded in 2004 to manage Stuyvesant Cove Park, a two-acre native plant park and a small environmental education center, Solar One has grown into an award-winning organization with a thriving array of programs. Solar One's mission is to design and deliver innovative education, training, and technical assistance that fosters sustainability and resiliency in diverse urban environments. By engaging and educating diverse stakeholders and beneficiaries, we empower learning that changes how people think about energy, sustainability, and resilience.
Solar One seeks a Program Manager for our Here Comes Solar Program. The Here Comes Solar program employs creative strategies to expand access to the benefits of solar energy among communities of color and low- and moderate-income residents.
As a Here Comes Solar Program Manager, you will execute or coordinate various activities, including building owner engagement and consultation, preliminary solar design, site assessment, community solar technical assistance, and contractor selection. You will manage relationships with partners such as the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, affordable housing providers, solar installers, and community-based organizations. As a core member of the Here Comes Solar team, you will report to Solar One's Director of Community Solar. You will help shape the organization's broader strategy and work with colleagues and senior leadership to ensure program success.
Responsibilities include:
● Provide solar and community solar technical assistance to various stakeholders, including:
○ Evaluating sites' solar energy potential and preparing financial savings estimates.
○ Consulting on incentive eligibility, financing options, and optimal system design.
○ Managing the installer procurement process on behalf of program participants.
○ Support Lawrence Berkeley National Lab's Credit Ready Initiative participants to build community solar capacity to complete project development tasks
○ Support HPD's Solar Where Feasible initiative to bring solar to city-financed affordable housing
● Research and improve Solar One's capacity to provide onsite & community solar technical assistance across multiple different markets
● Support Solar One's community solar development activities, including:
○ Contractor management
○ Partner coordination
○ Outreach planning
● Manage relationships with partner organizations.
● Track and report on program performance and identify opportunities and risks for the program and individual solar projects.
● Work with the team to improve our technical assistance to make solar more accessible to disadvantaged communities.
Qualifications:
● Bachelor's Degree or an Associate's Degree and at least five years of relevant experience
● 3-5 years of relevant work experience. Must have strong knowledge of solar energy and familiarity with community solar and/or affordable housing
● Experience working for a solar energy and/or community solar developer
● Knowledge of solar technology and business models
● Strong leadership and organizational skills
● Strong communication skills, including in-person, email, phone, and video conferencing
● Excellent creative problem-solving ability
● Advanced MS Office and computer skills, particularly Excel or other spreadsheet software
● Knowledge of solar markets outside of New York preferred
● Knowledge of multifamily real estate and affordable housing preferred
● Ability to work in another language commonly spoken in NYC preferred
● Experience working with low-income communities preferred
● Experience with Salesforce, Asana, and/or other project management software preferred
Salary and Benefits:
Position Type: Full-time (35 hours)
Salary Range: $67,000 - $74,000
Hybrid Work Schedule
Solar One's full-time benefits include the following:
· Health care and well-being programs, including medical, dental, vision, EAP
· Four weeks of paid time off that increases with tenure
· Life and disability insurance
· Paid Holidays
· 401(k) retirement savings
Solar One is an equal-opportunity employer. Solar One strives to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in all elements of our work and with our partners to support the interdependent needs of renewable energy and resilience and people in a rapidly changing world. Solar One recruits and employs through a lens of equity and encourages people of all races, religions, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law to apply.